History of Florida in Timeline

Florida, a southeastern U.S. state, boasts the longest coastline in the contiguous U.S., bordering both the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. With over 23 million residents, it's the third-most populous state. Covering 65,758 square miles, Florida ranks 22nd in area. Its major metropolitan area is Miami, which includes Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach, while Jacksonville is the most populous city. Other significant population centers include Tampa Bay, Orlando, Cape Coral, and Tallahassee, the state capital.

1900: Florida's population in 1900

In 1900, Florida's population was only 528,542, with nearly 44% being African American.

1902: Early Skyscrapers in Jacksonville

In 1902, Jacksonville began constructing many of the state's earliest skyscrapers.

1905: State University System of Florida Founded

In 1905, the State University System of Florida was founded, and is governed by the Florida Board of Governors.

1909: State Flower Chosen

In 1909, the state flower was chosen in Florida.

1910: Great Migration Begins

Starting in 1910, many African Americans migrated from Florida to northern cities in the Great Migration due to segregation, disfranchisement, and agricultural depression.

1925: Seaboard Air Line extension in 1925

In 1925, the Seaboard Air Line extended its freight and passenger service to West Palm Beach, breaking the FEC's southeast Florida monopoly.

1926: Devastating hurricane in 1926

In 1926, a devastating hurricane brought the Florida land boom period to a halt.

1927: State Bird Chosen

In 1927, the state bird was chosen in Florida.

1928: Devastating hurricane in 1928

In 1928, a devastating hurricane brought the Florida land boom period to a halt.

June 29, 1931: Hottest temperature recorded on June 29, 1931

On June 29, 1931, the hottest temperature ever recorded in Florida was 109 °F (43 °C), in Monticello.

1939: Florida described as empty in 1939

In 1939, Florida was described as "still very largely an empty State."

1940: Continuation of Great Migration

The Great Migration continued from Florida to northern cities in 1940, due to segregation, disfranchisement, and agricultural depression.

1944: Florida carried by Franklin D. Roosevelt

2008 marked the first time since 1944, when Franklin D. Roosevelt carried the state for the fourth time, that Florida was carried by a Northern Democrat for president.

1945: Population increase after 1945

After 1945, migration from the Rust Belt and the Northeast sharply increased Florida's population.

1950: Symbol Choices

The majority of Florida's symbols were chosen after 1950.

1952: Swing State Status

Florida has been listed as a swing state in presidential elections since 1952, voting for the losing candidate only twice in that period of time.

1952: Florida voters were registered Democrats

From 1952 to 1964, most voters were registered Democrats, but the state voted for the Republican presidential candidate in every election except for 1964.

1954: William C. Cramer Elected to Congress

In 1954, William C. Cramer was elected to Congress from Florida, the first post-Reconstruction era Republican.

1956: Highway Act

Before the construction of routes under the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956, Florida began construction of a long cross-state toll road, Florida's Turnpike.

1956: Bus boycott in Tallahassee in 1956

In 1956, students at Florida A&M University organized a bus boycott in Tallahassee to mimic the Montgomery bus boycott.

1957: Tallahassee bus boycott success in 1957

In 1957, the bus boycott in Tallahassee succeeded in integrating the city's buses.

1957: Turnpike Section Completed

In 1957, the first section of Florida's Turnpike, from Fort Pierce south to the Golden Glades Interchange, was completed.

1960: African Americans Population Declines

By 1960, the proportion of African Americans in the state had declined to 18% as a result of the Great Migration, while large numbers of northern whites moved to the state.

1960: Sit-ins in 1960

In 1960, students held sit-ins in protest of segregated seating at local lunch counters.

1960: Center of population in 1960

Since the 1960 census the center of population has been located in Polk County.

1964: Florida votes Republican Presidential Candidate

From 1952 to 1964, most voters were registered Democrats, but the state voted for the Republican presidential candidate in every election except for 1964.

1964: St. Augustine motel pool incident in 1964

In 1964, an incident at a St. Augustine motel pool, in which the owner poured acid into the water during a demonstration, influenced the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

1965: Voting Rights Act Signed

In 1965, Congress passed and President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965, providing for oversight of state practices and enforcement of constitutional voting rights for African Americans and other minorities.

1965: Civil Rights Movement legislation in 1965

In 1965, the Civil Rights Movement gained federal legislation to enforce protection of African Americans' constitutional suffrage in Florida.

1966: Claude R. Kirk Jr. Elected Governor

In 1966, Claude R. Kirk Jr. was elected as the first post-Reconstruction Republican governor of Florida.

1966: Miami Dolphins Added to American Football League

In 1966, Florida gained its first permanent major-league professional sports team when the American Football League added the Miami Dolphins.

1968: Edward J. Gurney Elected US Senator

In 1968, Edward J. Gurney was elected as Florida's first post-reconstruction Republican US senator.

1970: Democrats took the governorship

In 1970, Democrats took the governorship and the open US Senate seat and maintained dominance for years.

1970: Non-Hispanic Whites in Florida

In 1970, non-Hispanic whites constituted nearly 80% of Florida's population.

1972: Mandatory Auto Insurance

In 1972, Florida made personal injury protection auto insurance mandatory for drivers, becoming the second in the U.S. to enact a no-fault insurance law.

1972: Water resources controlled by the state government since 1972

Since 1972, all potable water resources have been controlled by the state government through five regional water authorities.

1973: Bleaching incident in 1973

In 1973, the first recorded coral bleaching incident on the Florida Reef was recorded.

1974: Turnpike Finished

In 1974, Florida's Turnpike was finished after a second section north through Orlando to Wildwood (near present-day The Villages), and a southward extension around Miami to Homestead.

1974: Jacksonville Holds Height Record

Jacksonville last held a state height record from 1974 to 1981.

1976: Florida supported Democratic nominee

Through 2004, Florida supported Republican presidential candidates, except in 1976 and 1996, when the Democratic nominee was from the South.

1978: Casinos Disapproved

In 1978, casinos outside of sovereign Seminole and Miccosukee tribal areas were disapproved in Florida.

1980: Center of population in 1980

Between 1980 and 2010 the center of population of Florida has moved less than 5 miles (8 km) to the east and approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) to the north.

1980: Largest ancestry group

In the 1980 United States census, the largest ancestry group reported in Florida was English with 2,232,514 Floridians claiming they were of English or mostly English American ancestry.

May 8, 1981: Winter Park Sinkhole appeared May 8, 1981

Winter Park Sinkhole, in central Florida, appeared May 8, 1981. It was approximately 350 feet (107 m) wide and 75 feet (23 m) deep.

1981: Mangrove plant communities in Florida in 1981

In 1981, Florida mangrove plant communities covered an estimated 430,000 to 540,000 acres (1,700 to 2,200 km) in Florida.

1981: Jacksonville Loses Height Record

Jacksonville last held a state height record from 1974 to 1981.

1984: Lottery Approved

In 1984, Florida approved its lottery by amending the constitution.

1986: Casinos Disapproved

In 1986, casinos outside of sovereign Seminole and Miccosukee tribal areas were disapproved in Florida.

1988: Federal Corruption Convictions

From 1988 to 2007, there were 800 federal corruption convictions, more than any other state.

1988: English Declared Official Language

In 1988, English was affirmed as the state's official language in the Florida Constitution.

1991: Tax Breaks

Florida has given professional sports franchises some subsidies in the form of tax breaks since 1991.

1992: Florida Sides With Presidential Election Loser

In 1992, Florida sided with the loser of the presidential election, being the first time since then that it happened again in 2020.

1992: Hurricane Andrew in 1992

In August 1992, Hurricane Andrew struck Florida and caused more than $25 billion in damages, becoming the costliest weather disaster in U.S. history at the time.

1994: Casinos Disapproved

In 1994, casinos outside of sovereign Seminole and Miccosukee tribal areas were disapproved in Florida.

1995: Legislature Modifies Chapter 921

In 1995, the Florida legislature modified Chapter 921 to provide that felons should serve at least 85% of their sentence.

1996: Bellwether streak started

Florida is sometimes considered a bellwether state in presidential elections because every candidate who won the state from 1996 until 2016 won the election.

1996: Additional Teams Added to Division I FBS

Since 1996, Florida has added four additional teams to the ranks of Division I FBS: UCF Knights, South Florida Bulls, Florida Atlantic Owls and FIU Panthers.

1996: Florida supported Democratic nominee

Through 2004, Florida supported Republican presidential candidates, except in 1976 and 1996, when the Democratic nominee was from the South.

1998: Voter Demographics in Florida

In 1998, Democratic voters dominated areas of the state with a high percentage of racial minorities and transplanted white liberals from the northeastern United States, known colloquially as "snowbirds".

2000: Urban population in 2000

In 2000, 89 percent of Florida's population lived in urban areas.

2000: Bush v. Gore

In 2000, George W. Bush won the U.S. presidential election with 271 electoral votes, 25 of which were from Florida, with the results were contested and settled in a Supreme Court decision, Bush v. Gore.

2000: Florida's Pivotal Role in Presidential Election

In the closely contested 2000 election, around 500 votes separated the two candidates and landed Bush the election win.

2001: September 11 attacks

The June 2016 Orlando shooting was the deadliest terrorist attack in the U.S. since the September 11 attacks in 2001.

2002: Disenfranchisement Study

A 2002 study in the American Sociological Review concluded that Democratic candidate Al Gore would have won Florida and the presidency if disenfranchised felons had voted at the same rate as other Floridians.

2004: Slot Machines Approved

In 2004, Florida approved slot machines in Broward and Miami-Dade County.

2004: Florida supported Republican presidential candidates

Though the majority of registered voters in Florida were Democrats, it continued to support Republican presidential candidates through 2004, except in 1976 and 1996, when the Democratic nominee was from the South.

2005: Hurricane Katrina surpasses Hurricane Andrew in 2005

In 2005, Hurricane Katrina surpassed Hurricane Andrew as the costliest weather disaster in U.S. history.

2006: Hurricanes in Florida from 1851 to 2006

From 1851 to 2006, Florida was struck by 114 hurricanes, 37 of them major (category 3 and above).

2006: Sinkhole damage claims from 2006 through 2010

From 2006 through 2010, sinkhole damage claims on property in the state exceeded a total of $2 billion.

2007: Federal Corruption Convictions

From 1988 to 2007, there were 800 federal corruption convictions, more than any other state.

2008: Energy usage in 2008

As of 2008, it was estimated that approximately 4% of energy in Florida was generated through renewable resources.

2008: Reduced Votes

In 2008, delegates of both the Republican and Democratic Florida primary elections were stripped of half of their votes due to violation of party rules.

2008: Military Retirees in Florida

In 2008, there were 186,102 military retirees living in the state of Florida.

2008: Barack Obama Carries Florida

In the 2008 presidential election, Barack Obama carried the state as a northern Democrat, attracting high voter turnout.

2009: Florida panther deaths in 2009

In 2009, a record 23 Florida panthers were killed, mainly by automobile collisions, leaving about 100 individuals in the wild.

2009: Medicaid Patients in Florida

In 2009, there were 2.7 million Medicaid patients in Florida. Additionally, Medicaid paid for 60% of all births in Florida in 2009.

2010: Florida's population in 2010

According to the 2010 census, Florida had a population of more than 18 million, making it the most populous state in the southeastern United States and the third-most populous in the United States.

2010: European Ancestry in Florida

As of 2010, people of non-Hispanic white European ancestry accounted for 57.9% of Florida's population; the largest groups were German, Irish, English, Italian, Polish and French.

2010: Hispanic and Latino Ancestry in Florida

As of 2010, those of Hispanic or Latino ancestry accounted for 22.5% (4,223,806) of Florida's population, with Cuban and Puerto Rican populations being the largest groups in the state.

2010: Census Results and Reapportionment

Following the 2010 United States census, Florida gained two more seats in the House of Representatives.

2010: Sinkhole damage claims from 2006 through 2010

From 2006 through 2010, sinkhole damage claims on property in the state exceeded a total of $2 billion.

2010: Car Crash Averages

In 2010, Florida drivers between 15 and 19 years of age averaged 364 car crashes a year per ten thousand licensed Florida drivers.

2010: Most Common Languages Spoken

In 2010, data was collected about the most common languages spoken in Florida as a first language.

2010: Fair District Amendments Approved

In 2010, more than 63% of Florida's state voters approved initiated Amendments 5 and 6 to the state constitution. These amendments, known as the Fair District Amendments, aimed to ensure more fairness in districting.

2010: Cost of Medicaid

In 2010, the cost of caring for 2.3 million Medicaid clients in Florida was $18.8 billion, which is nearly 30% of Florida's budget.

2010: Largest Denominations in Florida

In 2010, the three largest denominations in Florida were the Catholic Church, the Southern Baptist Convention, and the United Methodist Church.

2010: Undocumented immigrants in 2010

In 2010, undocumented immigrants constituted an estimated 5.7% of Florida's population, the sixth-highest percentage of any U.S. state.

2010: Republican Dominance in Florida

In the 2010 elections, Republicans solidified their dominance statewide by winning the governor's mansion, maintaining firm majorities in both houses of the state legislature, and creating a 19–6 Republican majority in the federal House of Representatives.

2010: Florida Statutes

Only the two oldest symbols—the state flower (chosen in 1909), and the state bird (chosen in 1927)—are not listed in the 2010 Florida Statutes.

2010: Florida population in the 2010 census

The population of Florida in the 2010 census was 18,801,310.

2011: Elderly Population

As of 2011, Florida contained the highest percentage of people over 65 (17.3%) in the U.S.

2011: Retail Gas Stations and Gasoline Consumption in Florida

In 2011, Florida had approximately 9,000 retail gas stations, and Floridians consumed 21 million gallons of gasoline daily, ranking third in the nation behind California and Texas.

2011: Highest Auto Insurance Fraud

In 2011, auto insurance fraud was the highest in the U.S., estimated at close to $1 billion.

2011: Medicaid Expansion Proposal

In 2011, the governor proposed adding $2.6 billion to care for the expected 300,000 additional Medicaid patients in Florida.

July 1, 2012: Florida as the fastest-growing state in July 1, 2012

Florida was the seventh fastest-growing state in the U.S. in the 12-month period ending July 1, 2012.

2012: Population near coastline in 2012

In 2012, 75% of the population lived within 10 miles (16 km) of the coastline.

2012: Republican Seats in the House of Representatives

In 2012, Republicans controlled 17 of the state's 27 seats in the House of Representatives.

2012: Florida Gains House Seats, Revised Congressional Districts Challenged

In 2012, as a result of the 2010 United States Census, Florida gained two House of Representative seats. The legislature issued revised congressional districts in 2012, but these were immediately challenged in court by supporters of the Fair District Amendments.

2012: Killing of Trayvon Martin in 2012

In 2012, the killing of Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman in Sanford drew national attention to Florida's stand-your-ground laws and sparked the Black Lives Matter movement.

2012: Redistricting Challenges

In 2012, the legislature's redistricting was challenged in court, on the grounds that it had unfairly benefited Republican interests.

2012: Barack Obama Carries Florida

In the 2012 presidential election, Barack Obama carried the state as a northern Democrat, attracting high voter turnout.

2013: Florida Refuses to Participate in Affordable Care Act Coverage

In 2013, Florida refused to participate in providing coverage for the uninsured under the Affordable Care Act, colloquially called Obamacare. The Florida legislature also refused to accept additional Federal funding for Medicaid.

December 2014: Population exceeded 19.7 million by December 2014

By December 2014, the population exceeded 19.7 million, surpassing the population of the state of New York for the first time, making Florida the third most populous state.

2014: Felony Disenfranchisement Law Impact

According to The Sentencing Project, the effect of Florida's felony disenfranchisement law is such that in 2014, "[m]ore than one in ten Floridians—and nearly one in four African-American Floridians—are [were] shut out of the polls because of felony convictions", although they had completed sentences and parole/probation requirements.

2014: Court Rules Districts Redrawn Due to Gerrymandering

In 2014, after lengthy testimony, the court ruled that at least two districts had to be redrawn in Florida because of gerrymandering.

2014: Pew Research Center Survey

In 2014, the Pew Research Center conducted a survey to determine the religious makeup of Florida.

July 2015: Florida Supreme Court Rules Against Lawmakers

In July 2015, the Florida Supreme Court ruled that lawmakers had followed an illegal and unconstitutional process overly influenced by party operatives, and ruled that at least eight districts had to be redrawn.

December 2, 2015: Court Accepts New Map of Congressional Districts

On December 2, 2015, a 5–2 majority of the Court accepted a new map of congressional districts, some of which was drawn by challengers. Their ruling affirmed the map previously approved by Leon County Judge Terry Lewis, who had overseen the original trial.

December 2015: Florida Supreme Court Rules on Redistricting

In December 2015, the Florida Supreme Court ruled that the congressional districts had to be redrawn because of the legislature's violation of the Fair District Amendments and accepted a new map.

June 2016: Orlando gay nightclub shooting in June 2016

In June 2016, a gunman killed 49 people at a gay nightclub in Orlando, the deadliest incident in the history of violence against LGBT people in the U.S.

2016: Bellwether streak ended

Florida is sometimes considered a bellwether state in presidential elections because every candidate who won the state from 1996 until 2016 won the election.

2016: University Tuition Costs

In 2016, Florida charged the second lowest tuition in the U.S. for four-year programs, at $26,000 for in-state students and $86,000 for out-of-state students.

2016: West Indian Population in Florida

In 2016, Florida had the highest percentage of West Indians in the United States at 4.5%, with 2.3% (483,874) from Haitian ancestry, 1.5% (303,527) Jamaican, and 0.2% (31,966) Bahamian.

2016: Expenditures Per Student

In 2016, Florida spent $8,920 for each student, ranking 43rd in the U.S. in expenditures per student.

2016: Florida Switched Back to the GOP

In 2016, Florida switched back to the GOP in the presidential election, with Donald Trump heading the party's ticket.

2016: Florida College System Enrollment

In 2016, the Florida College System, comprising 28 public community and state colleges with 68 campuses spread out throughout the state, had an enrollment exceeding 813,000 students.

September 2017: Puerto Ricans migration after Hurricane Maria in September 2017

After Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico in September 2017, a large population of Puerto Ricans began moving to Florida.

2017: Las Vegas shooting

Until the 2017 Las Vegas shooting, the June 2016 Orlando shooting was the deadliest mass shooting by a single gunman in U.S. history.

February 2018: Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in February 2018

In February 2018, 17 people were killed in a school shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, leading to new gun control regulations.

2018: Top countries of origin for Florida's immigrants

In 2018, the top countries of origin for Florida's immigrants were Cuba, Haiti, Colombia, Mexico and Jamaica.

2018: Elections Result in Shifts in Representation and Close Races

In the 2018 elections, the ratio of Republican to Democratic representation fell from 16:11 to 14:13. The U.S. Senate election between Democratic incumbent senator Bill Nelson and then governor Rick Scott was close. Republicans also held onto the governorship in a close race between Republican candidate Ron DeSantis and Democratic candidate Andrew Gillum.

July 1, 2019: Florida population estimated in July 1, 2019

On July 1, 2019, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the population of Florida was 21,477,737, a 14.24% increase since the 2010 United States census.

2019: University System Attendance

During the 2019 academic year, 346,604 students attended one of the twelve universities in the State University System of Florida.

2019: Florida's growth in 2019

In 2019, Florida received the largest number of out-of-state movers in the country.

2020: Florida Universities Among Largest in U.S.

As of 2020, three Florida universities are among the top 10 largest universities by enrollment in the United States: The University of Central Florida in Orlando (2nd), the University of Florida in Gainesville (4th), and Florida International University in Miami (8th).

2020: Population by the 2020 census

By the 2020 census, Florida's population increased to 21,538,187.

2020: Florida Sides with Presidential Election Winner

In 2020, Florida sided with the eventual loser of the presidential election for the first time since 1992, with Donald Trump heading the party's ticket.

2020: Florida Ranked Third Best State for K-12 Education

In 2020, Florida was ranked the third best state in the U.S. for K-12 education, outperforming other states in 15 out of 18 metrics in Education Week's 2020 Quality Counts report.

2020: Inter Miami Begins Play in MLS

In 2020, Florida's most recent major-league team, Inter Miami, began play in MLS.

2020: Florida population in 2020

In 2020, Florida's population was over 23 million, making it the third-most populous state in the United States and ranking seventh in population density.

2020: Hispanic, Latino, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Population

In 2020, Hispanic and Latinos of any race(s) made up 26.5% of the population, while Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders made up 0.1% of all Broward County residents.

2020: Study Ranks Hardest State to Vote In

In a 2020 study, Florida was ranked as the 11th hardest state for citizens to vote in.

2020: Independent Colleges and Universities Enrollment

In the fall of 2020, the Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida reported that their member institutions served more than 158,000 students.

2020: Bellwether streak broken

The 2020 election broke the bellwether streak when Donald Trump won Florida but lost the election.

June 24, 2021: Surfside condominium collapse on June 24, 2021

On June 24, 2021, a condominium in Surfside, Florida, near Miami collapsed, killing at least 97 people.

November 2021: Registered Republican Voters Exceed Democrats

In November 2021, for the first time in Florida's history, the total number of registered Republican voters exceeded the number of registered Democrats.

April 2022: Election Law Passed

In April 2022, the legislature passed and the governor signed a new election law prohibiting Floridians from using ranked-choice voting in all federal, state and municipal elections.

2022: Homeless Population in Florida

According to HUD's 2022 Annual Homeless Assessment Report, there were an estimated 25,959 homeless people in Florida.

2022: DeSantis Reelection Victory

In 2022, incumbent Governor DeSantis won reelection by a landslide against Democrat Charlie Crist.

2022: Largest Hospital Networks in Florida

In 2022, the largest hospital network in Florida is HCA Healthcare and the second largest is AdventHealth.

August 2023: Restrictions on Teaching Shakespearean Plays

In August 2023, restrictions have been placed on the teaching of Shakespearean plays and literature by Florida teachers in order to comply with state law.

2023: Universities in the Association of American Universities

As of 2023, three universities in Florida are members of the Association of American Universities: University of Florida, University of Miami and University of South Florida.

2023: Largest Hospitals in Florida

In 2023, the largest hospitals in Florida were Jackson Memorial Hospital, AdventHealth Orlando, Tampa General Hospital, UF Health Shands Hospital and Baptist Hospital of Miami.

2023: Public School Curriculum Approved

In 2023, the state of Florida approved a public school curriculum including videos produced by conservative advocacy group PragerU, likening climate change skeptics to those who fought Communism and Nazism, implying renewable energy harms the environment, and saying global warming occurs naturally.