1994 – Key Wester Frank Baing (aka the “Conch Salad Man”) died at the age of 93. Baing ran a Petronia Street a produce market, and in the 1950’s he began to sell food at Mallory Square. Baing was an icon of the early Key West sunset celebration.

1960 – Hurricane Donna passed over the Middle and Upper Keys with 150-mph winds, causing extensive damage: Over half of the structures from Marathon to Islamorada were destroyed; tides were 9 to 13.5 feet above normal; six highway bridges were severely damaged, and the water pipeline was wrecked in five places.

1940 – Wallace Kirke, director of the Key West Housing Authority, issued a call for bids on the construction of the J.Y. Porter Place and Fort Village housing projects. Porter Place was to be on Trumbo Island with 136 units. Fort Village, at Virginia and Fort streets, was to have 84 units for “colored” families of Key West.

1945 – Harold Colee, executive vice president of the Florida State Chamber of Commerce, presented a centennial plaque to William Curry & Sons of Key West. William Curry & Sons, founded in 1843, was one only three businesses in the state that have been in continuous operation for more than 100 years.

1962 – The U.S. flag was raised over Mallory Square to mark the 140 years since Lt. Matthew C. Perry had first flown it over Key West in 1822. Two boy scouts from Key West’s Troop 258 raised the colors while the Fleet Sonar School band played and Navy and civilian dignitaries looked on.

1982 – The Florida Keys seceded from the United States in a mock ceremony to protest the U.S. Border Patrol’s establishment of a roadblock at Florida City to check the citizenship of everyone leaving Monroe County.

A document in the archives shows that Mallory Square is not named after Key Wester - and Confederate Naval Secretary - Stephen Mallory.

1955 – Mackerel and tarpon were running in Key West Harbor and dozens of fishermen were trying their luck from the Clyde-Mallory Dock.

1946 – The U.S. Navy announced that a submarine squadron consisting of one tender and 10 submarines would be based in Key West.