In the Sunshine State on this day in 1817 in a move that augured military strategy of a half-century later, General Gregor McGregor, the conqueror of Amelia Island, ordered a blockade of the Florida Coast from Amelia Island to the Perdido River.

In 1898 Key West was somewhat of a ghost town as military personnel continue to be evacuated in the face of a “yellow fever” scare.

In 1965 the Gemini 5 space vehicle was launched from Cape Canaveral.

In 1979 Sue Wegner became the first female police chief in Florida when she was sworn into office by Mayor Lucie Black of Minneola.

In 1988 Hurricane Chris battered Florida’s east coast from Miami to Jacksonville.

In 1992 wary South Floridians were keeping an eye on Tropical Storm Andrew as it made its way across the Atlantic. On this day, Andrew sat about 600 east of Nassau with sustained winds of 65 miles an hour.