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Today In Keys History
Daily column recounting events in Keys history on a specific date.


June 5
1957 – A Pan American Airways flag that flew over the airline’s first facility at Key West was presented to the Monroe County Commission by James A. Robbins of Clearwater, who had kept the banner for almost 30 years. The commissioners voted to ask the Pan American company to display it at their new offices.

Monroe County Public Library
Jun 4, 20252 min read


June 4
1962 – A reception was held at Truman Elementary School to honor Miss Miriam Carey, who was retiring after 43 years of teaching. The beloved Carey had taught multiple generations of Key Westers, and she was named Florida’s “Teacher of the Year” in 1960.

Florida Keys History Center
Jun 3, 20251 min read


June 3
2015 – Members of the Douglass High School Class of 1965, the last to graduate from the segregated Key West school, gathered at the Marriott Beachside Resort for a 50th reunion. “It’s always a pleasure to be among people you’ve known for years and some you haven’t seen in years,” said an attendee.

Florida Keys History Center
Jun 2, 20252 min read


June 2
1958 – Over 300 members of the Outdoor Writers Association of America were holding their annual convention at Key Colony Beach. The group participated in laying the cornerstone of the new Key Colony Beach Convention Center.

Florida Keys History Center
Jun 1, 20251 min read


June 1
1957 – The Key West Citizen’s “newsboys,” or newspaper delivery carriers, were competing for a series of prizes. The awards would be determined by carriers’ prompt payment of bills, their acquisition of new customers, and existing customer evaluations.

Florida Keys History Center
May 31, 20252 min read


May 31
1946 – The Key West Elks Lodge ordered an iron lung for donation to the city. The lung would be kept at the city hospital, though it would also be available for use elsewhere on the island.

Florida Keys History Center
May 30, 20251 min read


May 30
1975 – The cruise ship Pacific Princess made its third visit to Key West in a month. Greeters presented hibiscus flowers to lady passengers as they disembarked, and tea towels from Key West Hand Print Fabrics were given to all passengers.

Florida Keys History Center
May 29, 20251 min read


May 29
1975 – The Florida State Unemployment Compensation Bureau in Key West moved from 419 to 421 Caroline Street. Both addresses were within the same building.

Florida Keys History Center
May 28, 20251 min read


May 28
1962 – Florida State Road Department surveyors were in Key West to examine the site for a proposed causeway to cross Garrison Bight. The span, to be built on fill from deepening the bight, would start between First and Fifth Streets on one end and join Palm Avenue at the intersection of Eisenhower Drive on the other.

Florida Keys History Center
May 27, 20252 min read


May 27
1947 – The U.S. Civil Aeronautics Board authorized National Airlines to provide air service between Key West and Havana.

Florida Keys History Center
May 26, 20251 min read


May 26
1955 – To “protect the efficiency, health, and welfare of military personnel,” the U.S. Navy declared three Key West businesses “off limits” for all enlisted men and officers: The 116 Club at 116 Fitzpatrick Street; a rooming house at 119 Duval Street; and The Tattoo at 713 ½ Duval Street.

Florida Keys History Center
May 25, 20251 min read


May 25
1967 – The Navy announced that Truman Beach adjacent to Fort Taylor was permanently closed, with facilities moved to the Beach Patio area. The beach was closed because recent harbor dredging had carried away most of the sand, making the area dangerous.

Florida Keys History Center
May 24, 20252 min read


May 24
1946 – The Monroe County Sheriff’s Department held a public demolition of recently-seized slot machines at the courthouse in Key West. The illegal gambling devices had been taken from Weaver’s Tourist Camp on Stock Island and Eddie’s Fish Basket on Sugarloaf Key.

Florida Keys History Center
May 23, 20252 min read


May 23
1956 – The Florida Internal Improvement Board turned down the City of Key West’s request for an 11.48-acre site at the foot of Whitehead Street for the establishment of a recreation area. The city wanted to turn the area into a beach that would be connected to the island by an extension of Whitehead Street.

Florida Keys History Center
May 22, 20252 min read


May 22
1956 – Democratic Presidential candidate Tennessee Senator Estes Kefauver was campaigning in Key West. He promised Mayor C.B. Harvey that if he was elected, he would make Key West his vacation headquarters.

Florida Keys History Center
May 21, 20252 min read


May 21
1911 – Norberg Thomson began construction of a concrete building that would house his cigar box factory on Caroline Street in Key West. The wooden boxes would be used by the local cigar manufactories.

Florida Keys History Center
May 20, 20252 min read


May 20
1957 – The second mate and an oiler of the Key West-to-Havana ferry SS City of Havana were taken into custody by federal authorities at Key West on charges of smuggling aliens into the United States.

Florida Keys History Center
May 19, 20251 min read


May 19
1962 – The Key West Citizen’s “Power for Peace” float was awarded the best-of-theme prize in the Key West Armed Forces Day parade.

Florida Keys History Center
May 18, 20251 min read


May 18
1913 – Agustin Parla Orduna, a Key West native, flew his sea plane to Cuba, becoming the second man to fly across the Florida Straits.

Florida Keys History Center
May 17, 20251 min read


May 17
1989 – Shorty’s Diner, an institution on Key West’s Duval Street since 1942, closed. A.J. Galloway, son of the founder, announced he was moving to central Florida and taking a long rest.

Florida Keys History Center
May 16, 20251 min read
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