In the Sunshine State on this day in:

1865 A constitutional convention, called at the direction of President Andrew Johnson and Provisional Governor William Marvin, met today in Tallahassee to write a new state constitution as a condition for readmission into the Union.  The constitution, which was to become effective on November 7 without a vote of the citizens, never became effective because President Johnson lost control of the process of Reconstruction to Congressional Republicans. 

1887 Today the 834 registered voters of Punta Gorda voted to incorporate the town.

1927 Today a chartered Fokker F-7 tri-motor airplane left the dirt runway at Key West’s Meacham Field to inaugurate Pan American Airways mail service to Havana.  Twenty-eight sacks of mail were shipped over the ninety miles of water.  Three months later, passenger service was started.  Allen Morris notes that “Because of Prohibition, the champagne christening of the maiden flight that day had to take place in Havana rather than in Key West.”

1959 The Broward County Board of Public Instruction approved the financial arrangements for the establishment of Broward County Community College.