October 5
1933 – A hurricane passed 50 miles to the southeast of Key West. Winds of 65 to 70 mph were recorded in Key West.
1951 – Helicopter Scouting Squadron HS-1, led by Commander Joseph T. Watson, was commissioned in ceremonies held at the Seaplane Base in Key West. It was the first HS squadron in the Navy.
1956 – A groundbreaking ceremony was held for a new high school at Marathon. The building, which would be Monroe County’s third high school, was to be built on a 28-acre tract of land donated by Trenton, NJ, parachute manufacturer and Marathon resident Stanley Switlik.
1959 – J. Otto Kirchheiner died at the Monroe General Hospital. He had served as chairman of the Monroe County Commission and as Monroe County Tax Assessor. He was Chairman of the Monroe County Commission when the first highway to the mainland opened in 1927.
1966 – Hurricane Inez touched every island in the Florida Keys as it traveled from east to west. The eye passed over Key Largo, then went to Marathon and Key West before heading into the Gulf from the Dry Tortugas. Wind gusts were as high as 130 m.p.h., but damage was relatively slight considering the intensity.
Information compiled by Dr. Corey Malcom, Lead Historian, Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.
Image: A Navy HS 1 helicopter carrying Florida Governor LeRoy Collins over Fort Jefferson on June 13, 1958. U.S. Navy photo from the Wright Langley Collection. Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.
