1830 – William R. Hackley recorded in his diary: Rose before the sun and put my dry specimens in a paper book. After breakfast read Hammond and commenced Samuel M. Phillipps’ “A Treatise on The Law of Evidence.” After dinner read Gil Blas and took a walk. After tea went over to the Collector’s and sat a short time. During the night, we had a smart shower. Wind light about east weather pleasant.
1901 – The population of Monroe County by the 1900 census is officially 18,066 with 17,114 in the city of Key West and the remainder of 364 in the Key Largo district, 216 in the Matecumbe district and 282 in the Chokoloskee district.
1932 – William F. Maloney died at age 63. He had served for 17 years as tax collector of Monroe County.
1936 – Bert Matcovitch, fishing from the Boca Chica Bridge, caught a goliath grouper that measured more than seven feet and weighed 620 pounds.
1938 – Colonel Fulgencio Batista, Chief of the Cuban Army, spoke at the San Carlos Institute in Key West and laid a wreath at the Battleship Maine plot in the cemetery.
1941 – The Southern Inn was at 512 Simonton St.
1964 – The first direct-dial long distance phone was installed.
1978 – “The Key West Picture Show” was awarded three medals at the Greater Miami International Film Festival.
1988 – Mike Puto was elected Mayor of Monroe County.
1994 – Shirley Freeman was elected Mayor of Monroe County.
Information compiled by Tom Hambright, Historian Emeritus, Florida Keys History Center, Monroe County Public Library
Image: Telephone operators working the switchboard C1965. Photo by Don Pinder. Florida Keys History Center, Monroe County Public Library. https://www.flickr.com/photos/keyslibraries/15044148095/