1918 – A liberty boat returning to the USS Salem overturned and 18 men drowned. Eight of the bodies were recovered and buried in the Battleship Maine Plot in the Key West Cemetery. The Salem was the flagship of the 12 submarine chasers based in Key West.
1934 – The “Florida Motorist” magazine had a large spread advertising Key West as a tourist destination.
1938 – Charles F. Dupont died at age 77. He was the first African American to be elected Sheriff in Florida after reconstruction. He was elected Sheriff of Monroe County in 1888 and served until 1893.
1958 – The U.S. 1 bypass around the Naval Air Station Boca Chica was opened for traffic and the Station opened the new main gate off the overpass.
1970 – In the Democratic primary election, Bill Carter of Marathon pulled an upset and unseated Monroe County Mayor Gerald Saunders, who had served on the County Commission for 24 years. Other winners were Fred Tittle, state representative, and Nathan Eden, county solicitor.
1976 – An unusual object was sighted in the sky from Marathon to Little Torch Key.
Information compiled by Tom Hambright, Historian Emeritus, Florida Keys History Center, Monroe County Public Library
Image: USS Salem, C. 1910 -1915. George Grantham Bain Collection, Library of Congress. https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2014689961/