November 20
- Florida Keys History Center
- Nov 19, 2025
- 2 min read
1899 – Annie Fay, a white woman, and Will Harrison, a Black man, were convicted in the criminal court at Key West for having married. She was sentenced to five years in the state penitentiary, and he received a one-year term.
1930 – The steamer Lord Calvin arrived in Key West with 15 miles of cable for the Western Union Telegraph Co. to be used in repairing its various lines from the island.
1951 – Iconic Key West dog “Teddy” died at the age of 15. Teddy was nationally known for riding on top of Ramon Navarro’s sight-seeing bus as it toured the island, and he had been featured in countless magazine and newspaper articles.
1963 – A U-2 spy plane crashed into the sea about 40 miles northwest of Key West. The plane suffered mechanical failure after a mission over Cuba. Air Force pilot Lt. Joe G. Hyde was killed in the accident.
1966 – Vice President Hubert and Mrs. Muriel Humphrey arrived at the Key West Naval Station for a period of rest and relaxation.
1975 – A 14-year-old Key West boy who had run away from his Navy family’s Sigsbee Park home in March returned to the island after having hitchhiked through nearly every state. The boy called his parents from Idaho after growing homesick.
1985 – After months of delay and debate, Key West city commissioners approved development of “The Village at Key West” on 112 acres adjacent to the Stock Island landfill. The project was to include a 339-room hotel and convention center, 192 condominiums, a marina and a beach, a restaurant, and 10 retail shops.
Information compiled by Dr. Corey Malcom, Lead Historian, Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.
Image: Aerial view of Stock Island showing College Road, Gerald Adams School, the "Mount Trashmore" landfill, and the golf course, July 2, 1988. Ty Symroski Collection. Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.
