CoolHistory
Before Yeager, There Was Florida
On October 14, 1947, Chuck Yeager made aviation history by becoming the first person to fly faster than the speed of…
Read moreAuthor Archives: Vanessa Wheeler
CoolHistory
Sputnik and the Birth of Florida’s Space Age
Sputnik 1, the Soviet Union’s first artificial satellite, shocked the United States when it reached orbit on October 4, 1957. The…
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The Massacre at Matanzas
On October 12, 1565, one of the bloodiest episodes of early European colonization in Florida unfolded along an inlet south of…
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Ten Pitches, One Unforgettable Home Run
On October 9, 2020, the Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees met in San Diego for a winner-take-all Game 5…
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A Beacon on Treasure Island
If you drove across Treasure Island in the late 1950s, one landmark was hard to miss: the Thunderbird Motel. Built…
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Sherry Smith: Sharing the Art of Printmaking
Sherry Smith built an international career before leaving a lasting mark on Tampa Bay’s printmaking community. After studying painting and illustration…
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De Soto in Apalachee Country
On October 6, 1539, Hernando de Soto and his expedition entered Anhaica, an Apalachee town in what is now Tallahassee. The…
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One Series, One Big Step
The 2008 baseball season brought a remarkable transformation for the Tampa Bay Rays. After finishing near the bottom of the standings…
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John Gorrie and the Invention of Cooling
On October 3, 1802, John Gorrie was born in Charleston, South Carolina. More than a century before air conditioning became commonplace…
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Before the EDGE District
Long before the restaurants, murals, and businesses of today’s EDGE District, this part of St. Petersburg was home to some of…
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The Green Devils Go to Disney
On October 1, 1971, Walt Disney World opened its gates in Central Florida, welcoming about 10,000 guests to the brand-new Magic…
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From St. Pete to Space
On September 30, 1994, Space Shuttle Endeavour lifted off from Kennedy Space Center on STS-68, its seventh journey into space. Six…
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