Charles Eugene "Pat" Boone (b. 1934) Popular singer/songwriter.
Napoleon Bonaparte Broward (1857-1910) Owned a powerful tugboat which he used to run guns and ammunition to support the Cuban rebels in 1896; later become governor of the state.
Faye Dunaway (b. 1941) Famous actress who starred in Network Chinatown, Mommy Dearest, and other major Hollywood films.
Zora Neale Hurston (1901-1960) Born in poverty in the all-African-American town of Eatonville, she spent four years collecting folklore before writing her famous novels, Their Eyes Were Watching God, Mules and Men, and many more. Born Eatonville, Florida.
James Weldon Johnson (1871-1938) Founder and Secretary of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the first African American to be admitted to the Florida bar in 1897.
Chris Evert (Christine Marie Evert, b. 1953) A dominant force in women's tennis in the mid 1970's and 1980ΓÇÖs. Born Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Osceola (1800-1838) Revered Seminole leader who refused President Jackson's order for the Seminoles to remove to the West and instead took his people to the Everglades to continue the fight during the Second Seminole War (1835-37).
Sidney Poitier (b. 1927) Popular actor; the first African American to win an Academy Award for a starring role (for Lilies of the Field, 1964); also starred in A Raisin in the Sun, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, Shoot to Kill, and many other films. Born Miami, Florida.
A. Philip Randolph (1889-1979) Noted labor and Civil Rights leader. Born Cresent City, Florida.
Warren Stilwell (1883-1946) United States Army general who later became Chief of staff to Chinese leader General Chiang Kai-Shek. Born Palatka, Florida.
Fascinating Fact
Manatees are large, plant-eating aquatic mammals, common to Florida and other subtropical and tropical regions. Ranging from 7 to 12 feet in length and weighing about 500 pounds, manatees are gentle creatures. In the 1950's, Florida let the manatees graze the river flora in an attempt to keep the riverways free of plant overgrowth. In later decades, manatees were seriously threatened by speedboat accidents which killed many of these languid creatures. Today, hundred's of Floridians rally to support their fragile and peaceful friends, the manatees.
Florida adopted its state flag in 1900 and modified it in 1985. The flag is white with a red cross derived from the Confederate Battle Flag. The state seal is located in the center of the cross.
