20 Years ago

[Bobcat]

1927 The new Overseas Highway from Key West to Big Pine Key was opened for traffic. An estimated 1,000 cars with 4,000 passengers made the round-trip.



1953 A waterspout slashed through Key West, overturning a Martin P5M seaplane at the Naval Air Station at Trumbo Point, smashing 16 windows at Key West High School on White Street and slicing a 2-foot tree in half on Johnson Street.

1980 The city and county governments requested that Florida Gov. Bob Graham apply for federal assistance for the tourism industry. The publicity about 100,000 Cuban refugees landing in Key West had cut tourism in half.

 

[poncho]

1996 Canada passes the Foreign Extraterritorial Measures Act making it illegal for Canadian corporations to comply with any law within the Cuban embargo while operating in Canada.

 

[Ratickle]

So they passed a law not to obey any US passed law?

 

[Bobcat]

1947 Capt. Ray Nopp, of the shark-fishing boat Dusky, brought in a record catch of 20 tons. He had a total of 145 sharks, ranging from a 14-foot, 1,000-pounder on down. The livers were sold to the Borden Milk Co., and the fins sold for shark-fin soup.:drool5:

 

[old377guy]

I didn't really need to know that

 

[Ratickle]

Wonder what the milk company wanted with shark livers?

 

[old377guy]

Wonder what the milk company wanted with shark livers?

I REALLY don't want to know

 

[poncho]

So they passed a law not to obey any US passed law?

Just the Cuban embargo and the helms burton law.

 

[Bobcat]

1952 The U.S. Wildlife Service's boat Oregon was testing to see if the local waters could support a commercial tuna fishing industry. During a test near the Dry Tortugas, the boat caught about 6.5 tons of "little tuna" in a short time.

1954 Sally Rand, the famous fan dancer, was in trouble with the Bureau of Internal Revenue, which ordered her two pieces of property in Key West sold to pay her back taxes.

1953 Capt. Manuel "Pete" Fernandez returned to his hometown to a hero's welcome. He was the second-ranking jet ace in the Korean War, shooting down 14 MIGs.

1966 Buddy "BO" Owen was voted "Coach of the Year" by the Diocese of Florida. He was voted the top coach for the outstanding performance of the Mary Immaculate High School baseball team, which finished second in the state tournament.

1980 The number of Cuban refugees brought to Key West since the Mariel boatlift began on April 21 stood at 112,534.

 

[Ratickle]

What's a "Little" tuna?

 

[old377guy]

Is this really the right section to elaborate on that Paul?

 

[Ratickle]

'Fraid your wife may answer?:sifone:

 

[old377guy]

Ha!

 

[Bobcat]

1923 A whale shark estimated at 45,000 pounds was brought to the city from Long Key, where it was captured. The New York Aquarium removed the hide for mounting.

 

[Ratickle]

I wonder if it's still mounted up there?

 

[Bobcat]

1973 The four-man 21-foot Johnson-Sea-Link research submarine became entrapped in the wreckage of a scuttled destroyer on which they were diving. In a massive two-day effort the Navy freed the submarine but only after two of the four-man crew had died.

1980 A study ordered by Gov. Bob Graham concluded that the policy of sheltering the population in a major hurricane is "clearly insufficient" and recommended that the Keys be completely evacuated.

1984Chet Alexander died of a heart attack while sinking a barge for an artificial reef. He was the last known Key Wester to be a federal licensed salvage master

 

[Bobcat]

1967 Baseball great Ted Williams won the five-day Islamorada Gold Cup Tarpon Tournament as the grand champion.

1972 Hurricane Agnes, a Category 1 storm, passed to the west of Key West spawning several tornadoes. The worst damage was on Big Coppitt Key, where trailer homes were destroyed and others suffered serious damage. A tornado also hit Key West knocking the large home at 615 Elizabeth St. off its foundation.

 

[Ratickle]

So trailer homes are a weather target of both hurricanes and tornados!!!!!

 

[Bobcat]

Or a young Chuck Norris:boxing_smiley:

 

[Bobcat]

2002 The last boat was removed from Houseboat Row on South Roosevelt Boulevard.