1797 – Three British ships from Nassau – Ranger, Primrose, and Elizabeth – were seized by Spanish privateers at Key West. The two nations were at war in what is now known as the Anglo-Spanish War of 1796-1808.
1900 – The unveiling of the monument dedicated by the citizen of Key West to the heroes of the Battleship Maine, who died in Havana on February 15, 1898, was held in the city cemetery. More than 10,000 people were present and viewed the procession.
1924 – A “bathing beauty” contest sponsored by the Arthur Sawyer American Legion in Key West was canceled because only one person entered the competition. “In matters of that nature, the view of the residents generally are different from what they are elsewhere,” it was noted.
1948 – Secretary of Defense James V. Forestall and chiefs of the Army, Navy and Air Force, plus other ranking military leaders, left Key West for Washington. During a weekend meeting at the Little White House, the group drafted a document known as the “Key West Accord,” which would be the working guidelines for the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
1954 – A representative for the National Underwater Spearfishing Tournament appeared before the Key West City Commission and asked if the city would host the event in August. Commissioners agreed to sponsor the tourney.
1963 – Filming began on the movie “Man In The Water” starring Mark Stevens. The movie was the first production of the Key West Film Company, locally owned, that hoped to start a movie industry in Key West.
1974 – A group of 20 streakers ran through the Searstown shopping center in Key West. Some of the nude runners evaded police by jumping into the water, but seven were apprehended. They could only be charged with violating no-shirt laws, though, as they had managed to put on pants before being caught.
2000 – Industrial Communications and Electronics, Inc. withdrew its application to build a 970-foot communications tower on Cudjoe Key after meeting stiff local opposition to the project.
Information compiled by Dr. Corey Malcom, Lead Historian, Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.
Image: Crew working on the local movie “Man in the Water,” 1963. Wright Langley Collection. Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.