Various American Indian tribes have inhabited Florida for at least 14,000 years. In 1513, Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León became the first known European to make landfall, calling the region La Florida (land of flowers) ([la floˈɾiða]) for its lush greenery and the Easter season (Pascua Florida in Spanish). Florida subsequently became the first area in the continental U.S. to be permanently settled by Europeans, with the settlement of St. Augustine, founded in 1565, being the oldest continuously inhabited city. Florida was a Spanish territory frequently attacked and coveted by Great Britain before Spain ceded it to the U.S. in 1819 in exchange for resolving the border dispute along the Sabine River in Spanish Texas. Florida was admitted as the 27th state on March 3, 1845, and was the principal location of the Seminole Wars (1816–1858), the longest and most extensive of the Indian Wars in U.S. history. The state seceded from the Union on January 10, 1861, becoming one of the seven original Confederate States, and was readmitted to the Union after the Civil War on June 25, 1868.
... that after a show host on Orlando-area radio station WTLN hired a hitman to kill his former lover's husband, the intended victim began a campaign to urge advertisers to boycott the station?
... that Tracy R. Norris, the first female commander of the Texas Military Department, has masters degrees from Florida State University, the University of Texas, and the United States Army War College?
... that a Florida TV station abruptly removed programs from its schedule after it became unable to pay distributors?
... that Comcast removed a Florida TV station from its lineup for allegedly broadcasting home shopping in prime time instead of its normal UPN programming?
Image 22A 1527 map by Vesconte Maggiolo showing the east coast of North America with "Tera Florida" at the top and "Lavoradore" at the bottom. (from History of Florida)
Image 23Juan Ponce de León was one of the first Europeans to set foot in the current United States; he led the first European expedition to Florida, which he named. (from History of Florida)
Image 27Timucua Indians at a column erected by the French in 1562 (from History of Florida)
Image 28Snow is very uncommon in Florida, but has occurred in every major Florida city at least once; snow does fall very occasionally in North Florida (from Geography of Florida)