In 2013, Florida will reach a significant milestone unlike any other in the history of the United States. It's the 500th anniversary of the cultural phenomenon that began when Ponce de León and his crew walked ashore on Florida's east coast and named it La Florida. They landed somewhere between Jacksonville and Cape Canaveral on or around April 2, 1513. VIVA FLORIDA 500 is a yearlong celebration to take place in 2013, celebrating not only the landing of Ponce de Leon, but the 12,000 years of documented human history in Florida and the countless cultures that contribute to our shared experience.
We are now less than 500 days to Florida’s 500
th anniversary. In case you missed it, Secretary of State Kurt Browning joined Governor Rick Scott, Ambassador Cristina Barrios, Consul General to Spain, and several Spanish business leaders on August 19 in Miami to begin the official
Viva Florida 500 countdown. Here is a
link with more information on their meeting.
To coincide with the official countdown, we are inviting everyone interested in commemorating Florida’s 500
th anniversary to follow
Viva Florida 500’s new social media sites. If you are on Facebook or Twitter, please “like” or “follow” us at
www.facebook.com/VivaFlorida500 for Facebook or
www.twitter.com/vivaflorida500 for Twitter. Friends and followers will be able to receive updates on the planning of Viva Florida 500 and information on ways to become a part of the commemoration. In addition, we’re asking Facebook friends to share what they will be doing in 2013, and we’re sharing a new fact about Florida’s history every day until 2013 on our Twitter page.
Thanks again for your help with
Viva Florida 500. For more information, visit the official website at
http://fla500.com.
As you learn more about this event, please consider how YOU will be celebrating this important anniversary in 2013.
