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Florida got its name from Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon, who named the land La Florida when he arrived at Easter time in 1513.
In Spanish, florida means flowering. A 2013 Florida House resolution says Ponce de Leon named the land La Florida because of its lush plant life and in honor of Pascua Florida, the Spanish feast of flowers held at Easter time, which was taking place when he arrived. The Library of Congress gives the same reason: he named it in honor of Spain's Eastertime celebration.
The history chapter of The Florida Handbook, posted on the Florida House of Representatives website, gives the dates. His three small ships left Puerto Rico on March 3, 1513. His men sighted land on Easter Sunday, March 27, but it was another island in the Bahamas. He landed somewhere near Ponte Vedra Beach on April 2 and named the land La Florida. The Florida Department of State notes that the exact spot of the landing is in dispute. He then sailed south along the Atlantic coast to the Florida Keys.
The 2013 House resolution calls him the first recorded European to set foot on what is now the continental United States. Florida became the 27th state on March 3, 1845.
01On March 3, 1845, as the 27th state. Spain founded St. Augustine in 1565, the first permanent European settlement in Florida, and the United States acquired Florida from Spain as a territory in 1821.
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02St. Augustine, in St. Johns County. Pedro Menendez de Aviles came ashore there on September 8, 1565, and the city describes itself as the oldest continuously occupied settlement of European and African-American origin in the United States.
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03Florida's nickname is the Sunshine State: the Department of State says Florida is known by it, and Florida law allows the words "Sunshine State" at the bottom of every license plate.
Read the answer →Melbourne Orlando International Airport (MLB) is a commercial airport in Melbourne, on Florida's Space Coast, with flights on five airlines.
Florida offers no state personal income tax and a property tax break for homeowners, while hurricane season adds insurance costs and planning.
Before you move, know two deadlines: a Florida driver license within 30 days of becoming a resident, and vehicle title and registration within 10 days.
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