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9 facts about Brevard County: Beaches, cruise ships and spaceships, oh my!

By Kelly Healey
By Kelly Healey
Known for its beautiful beaches, ports and Kennedy Space Center, Brevard County has a lot to offer. (Source: Brevardfl.gov)
1. The Florida Legislature established Brevard County in 1854, and it was signed into law in 1855. The origin of the county's name is attributed to Theodore W. Brevard, a Florida comptroller at the time of the county's creation.
2. Brevard extended southward along the state's Atlantic east coast all the way down to present day Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It took on its current shape in 1905.
3. The earliest inhabitants of the Indian River region, which is present-day Brevard County, were Native Americans who ventured into the area about 12,000 years ago.
4. The Windover site in Titusville garnered international attention with the discovery of nearly 200 remarkably preserved indigenous burials dating bback 7,000 to 8,000 years, making them 3,200 years older than King Tutankhamen.
5. After World War II, the undeveloped coastal scrub of Cape Canaveral became the home to America’s missile testing program. By the 1960s, it was the home of America’s human space flight program and the launch site for the first U.S. astronauts.
6. On July 16, 1969, Apollo 11 took off from Kennedy Space Center with astronauts Neil Armstrong, Edwin Aldrin Jr. and Michael Collins aboard. Days later, on July 20, the Eagle began its descent to the lunar surface and Armstrong radioed to Mission Control in Houston, “The Eagle has landed.”

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — 7. Remember the TV show, "I Dream of Jeannie?" Cocoa Beach holds an annual Ron Jon Half Marathon, where many participants wear genie apparel and others wear military uniforms in honor of Maj. Anthony Nelson. They also hold a Jeannie look-alike contest. (More information)

8. The historic Cocoa Beach Pier was built in 1962 and is the site of popular annual surfing, fundraising and social events. Cocoa Beach evolved into the “Surfing Capital of the East Coast.”
9. Port Canaveral is one of the world’s busiest cruise ports with 4 million revenue cruise passengers per year and the most port-of-call ship visits of any Florida home port.

Pre-start video from last weekend’s 4th Annual Ron Jon Half Marathon. Circle October 20, 2019 and we will do it all over again!

Posted by Cocoa Beach Half Marathon on Sunday, October 14, 2018

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