1903 – Louis S. Ross performed a record mile at 38.05 seconds in his Stanley Steamer powered “Wogglebug” race car at the Ormond-Daytona Beach on this date. Although Ross gained national attention for his racing achievements in his steam-powered automobiles, he was unable to mass produce and sell a steam powered car for the average consumer.

1885 – The City of Ocala was incorporated on this date. Located in Marion County in north central Florida, present-day Ocala was first inhabited by the Ocale Indians as early as the 16^th century when Spanish conquistador Hernando de Soto recorded the settlement in 1539. In the 19^th century the U.S. government erected Fort King as an important base during the Second Seminole War in present-day Ocala. An agricultural community formed around the former site of Fort King, and in 1869, the town of Ocala was established.

1967 - Astronauts Gus Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chaffee were killed in a fire during a test firing of the first version of the Apollo spacecraft.  NASA officials said an electrical spark must have ignited the pure oxygen inside the cabin of the Apollo spacecraft as the three astronauts were seated in the cabin.  The fire broke out at 6:31 p.m.

1864 – John Robert Edward Lee Sr., was born into slavery in Seguin Texas on this date. J.R.E. Lee served as the third president of Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University from 1924 to 1944. Prior to his time at Florida A&M, Lee graduated from Bishop College in 1889, taught at the Tuskegee University under Booker T. Washington and also taught at Benedict College in South Carolina.

1834 – Hillsborough County, Florida’s 18^th county, was created on this date by carving out part of Alachua and Monroe Counties. Situated on Florida’s central west coast, it was named after Wills Hill, also known as the Earl of Hillsborough, who served as the British Secretary of State for the American Colonies from 1768-1772, which included the Florida colonies.

1949 – Dozens of foreign and domestic diplomats and dignitaries met in St. Augustine for the dedication of a bronze statue to Eloy Alfaro near the Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse Museum on this date. Alfaro served as President of Ecuador from 1895-1901 and from 1906-1911. He was known as a champion of free public schools for all Ecuadorians and was honored with the bronze statue by the Oldest Wooden House Museum because of this commitment to education. In attendance at the dedication ceremony was Eloy’s son and Ecuadorian Ambassador to the U.S.

1873 – Jonathan Clarkson Gibbs became the Superintendent of Public Instruction on this date. Gibbs would serve in that post until his death on April 14, 1874. Gibbs was born free in Philadelphia on September 28, 1821 and was the third African American student to graduate from Dartmouth College in 1852 and the second to deliver a commencement address at any college in the country.  He later moved back to Philadelphia, becoming the pastor of the First African American Church and helped runaway slaves heading north, as well as supporting abolitionist movements.

1912 – The Overseas Railroad, the final link in the Florida East Coast Railway was completed on this date. The culmination of a decades-long vision of Standard Oil millionaire Henry Flagler, the Oversea Railroad stretch over 100 miles out into open ocean, connecting Key West with the Florida mainland. The project cost $430 million dollars and included some incredible feats of engineering, most notably a seven mile long span connecting Knight’s Key with Little Duck Key.

The Cold wave of January 1977 produced the only known snowfall in the Miami area of Florida and The Bahamas. It occurred following the passage of a strong cold front, in combination with a high pressure area situated over the Mississippi River Valley. As a result, cold air spewed across Florida, causing both snowfall and record low temperatures. Most notably, the weather system brought snow as far south as Homestead on January 19.  It has not snowed in South Florida since as of 2015. Additionally, snow was reported in Freeport on Grand Bahama.

1881 – Dr. John L. Crawford took the oath of office as Florida’s Secretary of State on this date. He would serve in that position for over 20 years until his death in 1902 at the age of 86. Crawford, originally from Greene County Georgia, was a member of the Second State Assembly in the 1840s, and would later serve as a State Senator for 16 years representing Wakulla County before assuming the office of the Secretary of State in 1881. His son, Henry Clay Crawford succeeded him and served as Secretary of State from 1902 to 1929.