In the Sunshine State on this day in:

1764 George Johnstone, the first governor of British West Florida, arrived in Pensacola today.

1799 All Spanish and American military officers were ordered out of West Florida today by William Augustus Bowles, the Caucasian Creek chief.  Bowles promulgated the order as the “Director General” of the State of Muskogee, which had its capital Mikasukee near present-day Tallahassee.  Bowles was eventually taken prisoner by an agent of the United States government who delivered him to Spanish authorities in 1803.  He was imprisoned in Havana and died there.

1900 Citizens of Jacksonville and North Florida experienced eight distinctive earthquake shocks at about 11:15 am. today.  The shocks, rated as 5 on the Mercalli Scale, produced broken windows, cracked plaster, and broken dishes.  Twice before in 1879 and 1880 Florida experienced earthquakes in the modern age.

1955 The Statutory Board was abolished on this date and replaced by the Board of Bar Examiners, which is charged with the responsibility of examining the moral and technical qualifications of applicants seeking to practice law in Florida.

1957 A Snark Intercontinental missile was launched from Cape Canaveral today and impacted on its target near Ascension Island, more than 5,000 miles away.