- 1845 – Antebellum period: Florida gained statehood and became the 27th star on the U.S. flag.
- 1866 – James Simpson Reese was born.
- 1910 – Isolated race riots broke out after African-American boxer Jack Johnson defeats "Great White Hope" Jim Jeffries.
- 1974 – LGBT: Thousands of gay rights activists assembled in Pensacola for a "national convention," an antecedent of the Memorial Day Weekend festivities.