top of page


November 14
1937 – The Florida Keys Hurricane Monument on Upper Matecumbe Key was dedicated. The Monument was in memory of those who lost their lives in the Labor Day Storm of 1935, and the ashes of 23 of the victims were interred at the site.

Florida Keys History Center
Nov 13, 20252 min read


September 16
1994 – Former Key West Mayor Richard Heyman died at age 59, after a long struggle with AIDS. Heyman, who served two terms from 1983- 85 and 1987-89, was the nation’s first openly gay mayor.

Florida Keys History Center
Sep 15, 20252 min read


July 20
1985 - Mel Fisher and his team at Treasure Salvors, Inc., found the “mother lode” of the 1622 Spanish galleon Nuestra Señora de Atocha after having searched for it for more than 15 years.

Florida Keys History Center
Jul 19, 20252 min read


July 11
1910 – The four-masted schooners Carrie A. Lowe and the Charles A. Dumas came into Key West with supplies for the Florida East Coast Railroad and the Mallory Steamship Lines. With their arrival, there were five four-masted schooners in the harbor.

Florida Keys History Center
Jul 10, 20252 min read


June 11
1959 – The Key West High School baseball team won the Class A State High School championship with a 3-to-2 victory over Milton High.

Florida Keys History Center
Jun 10, 20252 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


May 12
1975 – The City of Key West was awarded a federal grant of $201,000 for its “Downtown ’76” restoration and redevelopment project. The funds would be used to make improvements along Duval Street in time for the nation’s Bicentennial observance.

Florida Keys History Center
May 11, 20251 min read


May 11
1980 – A one-day record of 5,117 refugees arrived at Key West during the boatlift from Mariel, Cuba.

Florida Keys History Center
May 10, 20252 min read


May 8
1975 – A new turbine for the FKAA desalination plant on Stock Island arrived at Key West via an emergency Air Sunshine flight. A severe drought had caused Lower Keys water levels to drop very low, and desalinated seawater was crucial to getting through the dry spell.

Florida Keys History Center
May 7, 20252 min read


April 24
2010 – Nearly 200 Key West residents met with city staff to offer ideas for the development of 6.6 acres of land in Truman Waterfront Park. Creating an open green space and turning a former Navy mess hall into a community center were the leading choices.

Florida Keys History Center
Apr 23, 20251 min read


February 25
1935 – Pete “Kid Indian” Nebo defeated Orlando’s Jimmy Wade by decision in a bout held at Key West High School.

Florida Keys History Center
Feb 24, 20251 min read


February 21
1935 – The Havana Madrid Club in Key West celebrated its grand opening.

Florida Keys History Center
Feb 20, 20252 min read


February 11
1954 – After completing structural surveys, the Florida Road Department greenlighted 2,000 feet of fishing catwalks on bridges.

Florida Keys History Center
Feb 10, 20251 min read


February 6
1907 – The City of Key West was striving to make Fleming Street on either side of Duval the “Broadway” of the city.

Florida Keys History Center
Feb 4, 20252 min read


January 5
1925 – The Key West sponge fleet left port for their second trip of the season to the sponging grounds near Bahia Honda.

Florida Keys History Center
Jan 4, 20252 min read
News
bottom of page

