1860 – The U.S. Navy steamer Mohawk brought the captured slave ship Wildfire into Key West Harbor. The Wildfire had 510 Africans on board – people taken from the Congo River region and intended to be sold into slavery in Cuba. The Wildfire was in violation of U.S. and international law, and the Navy had been searching for such lawbreakers.

1980 – The Key West fishing boats Dos Hermanos and Blanche III arrived in Key West with 48 Cuban refugees, which began the Mariel Boatlift.

1975 - The new East and West Wings of the Monroe County Public Library at 700 Fleming Street in Key West were dedicated.

1955 – The Key West Garden Club’s annual Flower Show opened at the East Martello Tower.

1899 – The Key West Electric Street Railway company opened with a streetcar that ran up and down Duval and to La Brisa.

1911 – The French line steamer Louisiane, which had gone ashore at Sombrero Key in the hurricane of October 2010, was refloated.

1935 – An excursion to Fort Jefferson in the Dry Tortugas was offered to up to 16 passengers on the Commodore seaplane.

1925 – A report from Key West said, “Bathing conditions have been ideal for the past several days.