History

Hot. Steamy. Sultry. Whatever you say, it is August in Florida.

There is a celebratory “day” for just about every machination, with some ascribing to a Hallmark conspiracy, keeping greeting card companies in business.

Another holiday. Another cancellation. Another way to find creative ways to mark an occasion.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

With Memorial Day quickly approaching (landing on May 25 this year) it’s worth taking a moment to remember the true meaning behind this American holiday.

One of the most celebrated beer drinking holidays is coming up.

When Florida became a state 175 years ago, on March 3, 1845, our population was about 60,000. While Florida voters had supported statehood in 1837 by a 65-35% margin, eight years passed before statehood became a reality.

No doubt there may be some bleary-eyed readers of The OJT 100 this morning, after a late Fat Tuesday evening.

Feb. 29 is returning to our calendars for the first time since 2016. Adding an extra day is known as a leap year, a corrective measure that keeps our calendar synchronized with the seasonal year.

At the end of next month, the 4 million people born Feb. 29 get to celebrate the actual day they were born – leap day.

This year marks the 80th anniversary of “Franksgiving.

It’s been on many of our Thanksgiving tables since childhood.

If Oprah can have a book club, so can The OJT 100. Ours will focus on learning more about Florida history.

Andrew Ellicott, the American surveyor appointed by President Washington to survey the boundary lines of the federal Territory of Columbia, which later became the District of Columbia, and credited with teaching surveying and astronomy to American explorer Meriwether Lewis, also has a place in Florida history.

Today we honor Florida’s former Speaker of the House, Donald L. Tucker – first elected in 1966 representing Leon, Franklin and Wakulla counties, reelected five times, and the only Speaker of the Florida House to serve two consecutive terms.

Wednesday, Oct. 2, is recognized as International Day of Non-Violence to commemorate the birthday of renowned Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi. The United Nations established this day in 2007 in an effort to spread the message of nonviolence through public education and awareness.

On Oct. 1, 1971, Walt Disney World in Orlando officially opened to the public, with the park’s dedication ceremony held Oct. 25.

Established in 1947, The U.S. Air Force (USAF) turns 72 on Wednesday, Sept. 18. According to its website, the lessons learned during World War II pushed the U.S. to explore possibilities both technologically and organizationally, which led to the separation of the Air Force into a separate branch of the military.

The origin of Florida’s capital in Tallahassee is rooted in compromise. In the earliest days of “American Florida,” territorial legislators worked in Pensacola and St. Augustine in alternating legislative sessions. Tired of making the dangerous and lengthy trip, legislators chose Tallahassee, a midway point between Florida’s earliest large cities, as the capital in 1824.

From a Sept. 4, 1951 conference in San Francisco, California, President Harry S. Truman delivered remarks heard, and for the first time, seen, across the nation.

Tuesday, Sept. 10 marks the two-year anniversary of Hurricane Irma making landfall in Cudjoe Key.

While American football can trace its roots back to the mid-1800s, the tradition of the tight, circular huddle began in 1892 to serve a very niche purpose.

Hawaii is the newest addition to the United States, celebrating its 60th anniversary of statehood on Aug. 21.

This week in history, 120 years ago, Alfred Hitchcock was born on Aug. 13, 1899, in London, England.

Did you know that Florida is considered the golf capital of the United States? Florida has more than 1,000 golf courses across the state – more than any other state in the country. Many of these are open to the public.

In celebration of Amelia Earhart’s birthday, born July 24, 1897, we reflect on two of the many accomplishments made during her storied career.

On July 10, 1893, 126 years ago, a medical breakthrough occurred as Dr. Daniel Hale Williams completed the first successful open-heart surgery. As an African-American doctor raised in post-Reconstruction America, Dr. Williams battled unthinkable racism and professional obstacles throughout his historic career.

The Civil Rights Act was signed into law 55 years ago on July 2, 1964. This legislation illegalized discriminating against individuals based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin. This bill paved the way for the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which protected African Americans’ voting rights, and went on to enforce equal rights for women.

Independence Day is celebrated on the Fourth of July every year, commemorating the United States’ Declaration of Independence, which was signed in 1776.

On June 13, 1971, The New York Times began publishing the Pentagon Papers, a collection of top-secret documents exposing the U.S. strategy in the Vietnam War. The papers serve as a United States Department of Defense timeline of the country’s political and military involvement in Vietnam.