A Concise History of Florida

A quick overview of the Sunshine State's fascinating past, with photos and illustrations included.

In 1513, Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León first set foot on Florida's east coast. The land he discovered was a geographic anomaly so distinctive that one day, centuries later, astronaut Neil Armstrong would say that Florida was the first shape on earth he recognized on his return from a visit to the moon.

This unique state has witnessed such momentous events as the 1959 arrival of the ...