1951 – The Key West Police Department announced the start of a drive to rid bars of underage customers. The task was made difficult because over 2,000 Navy men in the area were under 21, but police said the crackdown would affect all minors, whether they were in uniform or not.

1926 – The new issue of the Lighthouse Service Bulletin explained how drinking water was obtained for the light stations along the Florida Reef: Rainwater that fell on the painted lighthouse structures was caught and carried by gutters and pipes to 8,000-gallon storage tanks, a method that had been practiced for nearly 75 years.

1946 – Due to Navy budget restrictions and a decrease in workload, Naval Station Key West’s submarine base announced its civilian workforce would be reduced by 30 percent, or 400 workers. The news was not a surprise as post-war cutbacks had been expected.

1976 – Key Westers Thurlow and Auwina Weed were bringing national attention to the island art of conch shell horn blowing. The duo had just returned from performing at “Ocean Festival ‘76” in New York, and Thurlow had recently appeared on the popular television program “To Tell the Truth.”

1966 – A man driving a green panel truck and claiming to be from the Humane Society was stealing stray dogs from Key West streets. Mrs. Janice White, president of the local Humane Society, said the man had no association with the group and that he was likely selling the dogs to medical laboratories.

1924 – The Barnes Sound Bridge at Key Largo was completed. As soon as a small stretch of road was finished near Florida City, this would allow motorists to travel between Dade and Monroe counties.

1926 – The Key West trolleys and tracks, along with their accompanying electric lines, began to be removed from city streets. The cars, because they were not of a standard gauge and were of an obsolete “open” style, would be sold for scrap.

1981 – U.S. Senator Lawton Chiles dedicated the reconditioned cutters Ute and Lipan in ceremonies at the Coast Guard Station in Key West.

1905 – An appropriation of nearly $500,000 was authorized for improvements at the Key West Naval Station, including new buildings, an extension of the coal sheds, and the construction of a quay wall from the sheds to Fort Taylor.

1926 – After serving 29 years at the Convent of Mary Immaculate, Sister Louis Gabriel left Key West for a new assignment. Sister Louis was a much-beloved teacher, and she had taken care of injured soldiers in the Spanish-American War and established a grotto on church grounds to protect Key West from hurricanes. She said she hoped to return to the island, but the decision would be up to Mother Superior.

1976 – The General Services Administration announced it was declaring 40.47 waterfront acres of the “Harry Truman Annex” at the former Key West Naval Base as surplus property. The Little White House was exempted and was being withheld for later disposition because of its historic value.

1946 – A plane from Cuba’s Aerovias Q airline made a 30-minute flight from Havana to Key West to establish regular air service between the two cities. Aerovias Q representatives then met with Keys officials to discuss specifics of the new connection.

1962 – A team from the Florida Road Department was in Key West to survey for the possibility of constructing a bridge across Garrison Bight. The proposed bridge, running from somewhere between First and Fifth Streets and connecting to Palm Avenue, would ease traffic congestion and provide a base for a new marina.

2011 – Key West businessman and philanthropist Frank Romano died at 88. Romano and partner Joe Liszka founded the popular Key West Aloe cosmetics company, and they were instrumental in the creation of Fantasy Fest. Romano also led the charge for a formal Keys tourism marketing program and the “bed tax” that now funds the local Tourist Development Council.

1937 – One hundred and sixty-seven residents living between Card Sound and the Matecumbe Keys petitioned the Monroe County Commission for protection against trespassers and vagrants who were frequenting the lime groves and other areas of the Upper Keys.

1854 – A letter from Key West stated that since the beginning of the year there had been 28 vessels wrecked upon the Florida Reef. Salvaged property brought before the court was valued at $256,189.74, with wreckers awarded $46,989.92 – an average of 18 cents paid to the wreckers for every dollar of property they saved.

1942 – Four city blocks were condemned for expansion of the Key West Naval Station: One bounded by Whitehead, Fleming, Thomas and Eaton streets; others from Eaton to Angela between Thomas and Emma. The owners of the many homes in those blocks were paid a total of $165,702 for their properties.

2019 – A large majority – 69% – of Key West voters said “Yes” to the city’s purchase of the Key West Citizen building on Northside Drive. The city hoped to house its Community Services department there.

1935 – A film crew from Pathé News was in Key West to film interesting aspects of the island. On this date, they documented Raul’s Aquarium on Roosevelt Boulevard.

1874 – Vice-President Francisco Vicente Aguilera and Secretary Hilario Cisneros of the Cuban Republic-in arms visited Key West to foster support for Cuba’s independence from Spain. They spoke at the San Carlos Institute, and a torchlight procession through the streets was held in their honor.