History of Cocoa Beach, Florida in Timeline
6 hours ago : Cocoa Beach Celebrates Centennial: A Century of Surf, Space, and Dreams
Cocoa Beach, Florida, commemorates its 100th anniversary with celebrations highlighting its history, surfing culture with Kelly Slater, and 'I Dream of Jeannie' fame. The city reflects on a century of growth and unique identity.
1923: Gus Edwards Buys Land
In 1923, Gus Edwards, Cocoa's city attorney, bought out the entire tract of land. Edwards' total holdings included approximately 600 acres (240 ha), and he devoted all his efforts to developing the area.
June 5, 1925: Town of Cocoa Beach Established
On June 5, 1925, the Town of Cocoa Beach was officially established.
1935: FDOT Opens State Road A1A
In 1935, the FDOT opened up what is now State Road A1A as a one-lane dirt road to Eau Gallie.
1938: Deputy Marshal Appointed
In 1938, a Deputy Marshal was appointed "to act in emergencies at night or at other times" for $.25/hour in Cocoa Beach.
1940: Request to Route State Road 140
In 1940, the town of Cocoa Beach requested that State Road 140 (now A1A) be routed on Orlando Avenue instead of Atlantic Avenue.
May 1, 1942: U-109 Torpedoes La Paz
On May 1, 1942, the German submarine U-109 torpedoed the La Paz off the shore of Cocoa Beach. The crew was able to beach it with the help of tugs, and eventually it was returned to shipping.
1942: Preparation for Naval Air Station
In 1942, the town of Cocoa Beach prepared to receive men assigned to the newly opened Naval Air Station Banana River. Establishing regular garbage collection was discussed when the town discovered that the Air Station was having theirs collected.
1947: Police Officer Hired and Water Distribution Constructed
In 1947, Cocoa Beach hired a single police officer for $1/hour. The same year, the city constructed works for the distribution of potable water.
1950: Population Increase
Cocoa Beach started its major growth during the 1960s. There was a 1000% population increase from 1950 to 1960, mainly as a result of the U.S. space program.
1950: Volunteer Fire Department Created and Beach Driving Proposal Defeated
In 1950, Cocoa Beach created a volunteer fire department which used a second-hand vehicle. Also in 1950, a proposal to prevent people from driving on the beach was defeated.
1951: City Seeks Stoplight
In 1951, the city of Cocoa Beach sought to place a stoplight, the city's first, at the intersection of what is now A1A and Minutemen Causeway.
1953: Street Names Marked and A1A Paving Planned
In 1953, the city of Cocoa Beach decided to mark the names of all streets. That same year, the city planned to pave A1A south from 520 down Orlando Avenue, with the city bearing 1/3 of the costs and the adjacent property owners bearing 2/3.
1954: Brown v. Board of Education Decision
In 1954, the decision of Brown v. Board of Education, had, in theory at least, integrated all general public facilities.
1955: Speed Limit Raised and Housing Prepared
In 1955, the speed limit in most of the town of Cocoa Beach was raised to 35 miles per hour (56 km/h). Also in 1955, the city prepared to house the people who were going to be launching missiles from what is now Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
1956: City Attorney Warns of Beach Integration
In 1956, the city attorney of Cocoa Beach warned the council that blacks might attempt to use the beach. He recommended clearing the beach of all persons, both white and black, if they did.
1958: Commission-Manager Government Agreed To
In 1958, the citizens of Cocoa Beach agreed to be run by a Commission-Manager government.
September 1959: City Improvement Vote
In September 1959, the city of Cocoa Beach voted to add more sidewalks, improve the streets in residential areas as well as the main streets, and to pave more roads.
1960: Population Increase
Cocoa Beach experienced major growth during the 1960s. From 1950 to 1960 there was a 1000% population increase, mainly as a result of the U.S. space program.
1961: Ron-Jon Opens First Store
In 1961, Ron-Jon opened their first store locally in Cocoa Beach.
1962: Cocoa Beach Pier Built
The Cocoa Beach Pier, formerly known as the Cape Canaveral Pier, was built in 1962.
1965: Cocoa Avenue Renamed
In 1965, Cocoa Beach High School requested that Cocoa Avenue, the street that the school was located on, be renamed Minutemen Boulevard, in honor of the school's mascot, the Minuteman.
1975: Mansion Built
In 1975, Al Neuharth built the largest mansion on the beach in Cocoa Beach. The mansion was destroyed by a fire in 2016.
1985: National Kidney Foundation Festival
The largest charity surfing festival, National Kidney Foundation Pro-Am Surfing Festival, has been held every Labor Day Weekend in Cocoa Beach since 1985.
1998: City Manager
Charles Billias was the City Manager of Cocoa Beach from 1998 until October 2012.
2002: Building Height Cap
In 2002, 69% of the voters in Cocoa Beach capped building height to 45 feet (14 m).
2006: Ron Jon's Visitors
As of 2006, Ron Jon's, a surf shop in Cocoa Beach, receives 2 million visitors a year.
2007: Taxable Real Estate Base
In 2007, Cocoa Beach had a taxable real estate base of $2.09 billion.
2007: Labor Force and Unemployment
In 2007, Cocoa Beach's median labor force was 6,344, with 6,006 employed and 338 unemployed, resulting in an unemployment rate of 5.3%.
2007: Median Home Price
The median home price in Cocoa Beach in 2007 was $409,000.
2009: Air Show Crowd
In 2009, an air show in Cocoa Beach drew a crowd estimated at 30,000.
2009: Intersection Crashes
In 2009, there were 88 intersection crashes in Cocoa Beach.
2010: Census Data
As of the 2010 United States census, there were 11,231 people, 6,052 households, and 3,263 families residing in Cocoa Beach.
2010: Referendum on Elections
In 2010, a successful referendum in Cocoa Beach resulted in holding elections on even-numbered years and extending the terms of commissioners to four years.
2010: Nebula Awards Held in City
In 2010, the Nebula Awards were held in Cocoa Beach.
2010: Population Count
In 2010, the United States census recorded the population of Cocoa Beach as 11,231 residents.
2010: Election Seat Changes
Seats affected by the 2010 referendum included Seat #1, Seat #4 and Seat #5.
2011: Red Light Violations
In 2011, Cocoa Beach photographed more than 20,000 instances of vehicles running red lights using automatic cameras, prosecuting 6,595 violations.
October 2012: City Manager Change
Charles Billias was the City Manager of Cocoa Beach from 1998 until October 2012.
2012: Police Force Size
In 2012, the police force in Cocoa Beach consisted of 36 officers.
2014: Red Light Violation Revenue
In 2014, Cocoa Beach grossed $1.1 million from over 9,000 red light violations and netted over $249,000 after licensing fees and state remittance. Cameras were located at four locations on state road A1A, including the intersection with state road 520.
2015: City Manager Change
Bob Majka was the City Manager of Cocoa Beach from 2012 until 2015.
2015: Tourist Tax Collection
In 2015, businesses in Cocoa Beach collected $5.6 million in tourist tax, over half the tourist tax collected in the county and more than any other municipality, $1.4 million.
2016: Mansion Destroyed by Fire
In 2016, the largest mansion in Cocoa Beach was destroyed by fire. It had been built on the beach by Al Neuharth in 1975 and was valued at several million dollars.
2018: Building Heights
As of 2018, prior construction and later variances in Cocoa Beach, resulted in about 80 buildings between 45 and 70 feet (14 and 21 m) high.
2018: Mean Travel Time to Work
As of 2018, the mean travel time to work in Cocoa Beach is 25.4 minutes from home to work.
2018: Primary Language Spoken
As of 2018, the primary language spoken in Cocoa Beach is English, with 9.8% of the population speaking languages other than English at home.
2020: Census Data
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 11,354 people, 6,064 households, and 3,003 families residing in Cocoa Beach.
2020: Population Count
In 2020, the United States census recorded the population of Cocoa Beach as 11,354 residents.
2020: Age and Gender Demographics
In 2020, the median age in Cocoa Beach was 57.9 years old, with a gender makeup of 49.6% female and 50.4% male.
2020: Household Income and Poverty Statistics
In 2020, the median household income in Cocoa Beach was $73,901. 9.8% of the population were in poverty. The per capita income was $55,754.
2023: Current City Manager
As of 2023, Robin R. Hayes is the current city manager of Cocoa Beach.
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