Miami History

08/24/2026

On August 24, 1992, at approximately 5:05am, Hurricane Andrew made landfall in southern Dade County near Homestead as a Category 5 hurricane, becoming one of the most destructive storms in South Florida history.

Andrew was a relatively compact but extremely powerful hurricane, with maximum sustained winds now estimated at 165 mph and gusts reaching at least 175 mph.

Its eyewall swept across communities from Kendall south through Cutler Ridge, Homestead and Florida City, leaving entire neighborhoods virtually unrecognizable.

Homes were reduced to piles of lumber, roofs were torn from buildings, trees and utility poles were snapped, and thousands of residents emerged after sunrise to scenes of extraordinary devastation.

The destruction was staggering. Andrew destroyed an estimated 25,524 homes and damaged more than 101,000 others, while as many as 250,000 people in Dade County were temporarily left homeless.

Damage in Florida was estimated at roughly $25 billion in 1992 dollars, making Andrew the costliest natural disaster in United States history at that time.

In Florida, 44 deaths were attributed directly or indirectly to Andrew with many occurring during the aftermath and recovery period. Across the Bahamas, Florida and Louisiana, the storm was ultimately associated with 65 deaths.

08/23/2026

Happy 100th Birthday to the City of Miami Springs.

The latest Miami History Podcast episode shares the story of the municipality which was originally incorporated as the City of Country Club Estates on August 23, 1926.

The city's name was changed to Miami Springs in 1930 following the death of its principal founder Glenn Curtiss.

Click on the link to listen to this episode of the Miami History Podcast.

Listen now | On August 23, 1926, the City of Country Club Estates was incorporated. In 1930, the city changed its name to Miami Springs for the fresh water springs discovered during development of the city.

08/18/2026

Did you know that the first football game ever played in the Orange Bowl stadium, then called Miami Municipal Stadium, was a matchup between Edison and Ponce De Leon high schools?

The game was played at night, under the lights, on September 24, 1937, just one week after receiving the certificate of occupancy from the Public Works Administration, who provided much of the funding for the stadium.

Please join me for a webinar on the early history of the Orange Bowl Stadium Wednesday evening from 6:00pm – 7:30pm EDT for stories and rarely seen photographs of the stadium during its formative years from 1937 through the late 1950s.

Click on the link below to learn more about this informative webinar. Only one day remaining to register. The registration fee is $16, and the webinar will be recorded for those registrants who cannot attend the event in person.

Link: https://www.miami-history.com/p/the-orange-bowl-stadium-webinar

08/17/2026

Just published: Part Two of the story of the Zion Coptics on Star Island.

This installment examines the federal case against the sect, including the investigation and indictment of its leaders on drug-smuggling charges.

It also follows what happened after Brother Louv and other church leaders went to federal prison in the early 1980s, tracing the fate of the remaining members and what ultimately became of the Zion Coptic compound on Star Island.

Click on the link to read more. Please Share!

Part two of the Zion Coptic's story centers around the legal entanglements and incarceration experienced by members of the religious sect from 1979 until they left Star Island in 1988.

08/16/2026

On August 16, 1965, Miami was awarded a professional football franchise by the American Football League which was ultimately named the Dolphins.

The first image is of a composite of Miami News and Miami Herald stories on that day in 1965.

The second of Joe Robbie, seated next to John Breen, Houston Oiler director of player personnel, in 1965 during the news conference which announced the award of an AFL franchise to Miami. Courtesy of the Associated Press.

Go to the comments to read more about Joe Robbie’s journey to acquire a professional football team for Miami.

08/15/2026

Did you know that the Orange Bowl stadium was named for Roddy Burdine, the prince merchant of Burdine’s Department Store, after his unexpected passing in February 1936?

The Miami City Commission passed a resolution on August 4, 1937, to name the stadium to honor Burdine for his role in securing the Orange Bowl Game and his civic leadership.

The stadium was referred to as Miami Municipal Stadium prior to the dedication to name it for Roddy Burdine.

Hear more about the early history of the Orange Bowl Stadium on a webinar scheduled for Wednesday, August 19, 2026, from 6:00pm – 7:30pm EDT. Learn about the people, games and role the stadium played during mid-century Miami. There will be plenty of old photographs shown during the webinar.

Click on the link below to learn more about this webinar.

Link: https://www.miami-history.com/p/the-orange-bowl-stadium-webinar

08/15/2026

On August 14, 1945, the Japanese Emperor announced an unconditional surrender to the United States to end World War II.

Although the official instrument of treaty was not signed until September 2, 1945, aboard the USS Missouri, in Tokyo Bay, August 14th has been referred to V-J Day (Victory over Japan), ever since.

Read how the military personnel and city residents celebrated the news on this day 81 years go today.

On the 80th anniversary of V-J Day, we look back on how the naval servicemen and Miami residents celebrated the news of the surrender of Japan marking the end of World War II.

08/13/2026

On August 13, 1859, Miami pioneer Edwin Alexander Waddell was born in Perth, Ontario, Canada. Waddell was living in Key West when he first visited Miami in 1888.

He later relocated to the fledgling community, where he purchased property in what is now the Omni neighborhood and became one of Miami’s earliest real estate agents. Waddell also built what was considered Miami’s first poured-concrete residence for himself at the corner of today’s NE Third Avenue and NE Second Street.

An enthusiastic promoter of his adopted hometown, he became known as one of early Miami’s most ardent boosters and played a role in encouraging the growth of the emerging Magic City.

Attached are a portrait of Waddell, a colorized photograph of his residence in 1915, an ad from the 1923 City Directory, and an aerial photograph in 1946 which includes Waddell’s residence, courtesy of Larry Wiggins.

Go to the comments to read more about E.A. Waddell and his namesake downtown building on North Miami Avenue.

08/12/2026

The first image is an artistic rendering of the Venetian Pool in Coral Gables, designed by artist and architect Denman Fink, the uncle of city founder George Merrick.

The illustration appeared in the Miami Herald on March 25, 1924, offering readers an early glimpse of what was planned for the unique swimming complex.

Although the newspaper caption predicted that the pool would be completed by the summer of 1924, its grand opening was ultimately celebrated on December 14, 1924.

According to Arva Moore Parks in her book George Merrick: Son of the South Wind, the original painting on which the newspaper illustration was based was proudly displayed in the Coral Gables sales office on Flagler Street in downtown Miami.

The second image is a postcard showing the Venetian Pool shortly after its opening in December 1924. The postcard is from the collection of Casey Piket.

08/11/2026

A colorized view looking east along SE Second Street toward the Royal Palm Hotel in 1910.

In the foreground is a row of Flagler Palm Cottages, built by Henry Flagler’s Florida East Coast organization along SE First and SE Second Streets in downtown Miami. Flagler constructed these cottages to provide housing for his workers in the late 1890s.

The last surviving Palm Cottage, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in January 1989, is now slated for restoration at Fort Dallas Park along the Miami River. Its restoration will provide a rare surviving link to the Flagler era and the earliest days of downtown Miami.

Go to the comments for a link to read more about Flagler's Royal Palm Cottages.