Miami, Florida

Top 10 Most Important Events for Miami, Florida

1926Great Miami Hurricane: A Category 4 hurricane struck Miami with 150 mph winds, killing over 370 people and ending the speculative Florida land boom. It remains one of the costliest hurricanes in U.S. history when adjusted for inflation.

1959Cuban Exile Community Established: Following Castro's revolution, hundreds of thousands of Cuban exiles fled to Miami. They built Little Havana and transformed Miami into the unofficial capital of Latin America.

1992Hurricane Andrew: A Category 5 hurricane devastated South Florida, causing $27 billion in damage and leaving 250,000 people homeless. Andrew exposed critical flaws in building codes and disaster preparedness.

1980Mariel Boatlift: 125,000 Cuban refugees arrived in Miami over five months in a chaotic mass migration. The sudden influx strained resources but ultimately enriched Miami's Cuban-American community.

1896Flagler's Railroad Creates Miami: Henry Flagler extended his railroad to Biscayne Bay, incorporating Miami as a city with just 444 registered voters. The railroad transformed the swampy settlement into a resort destination.

1980Liberty City Riots: The acquittal of police officers who beat Arthur McDuffie to death triggered three days of riots in Liberty City, killing 18 people and causing $100 million in damage.

1985Miami Vice Era: The TV show Miami Vice transformed the city's image from retirement community to glamorous, neon-lit cultural capital. The show boosted tourism and reshaped South Beach's art deco revival.

2000Elián González Custody Battle: A custody battle over six-year-old Cuban refugee Elián González riveted the nation and divided Miami's Cuban community when federal agents seized the boy at gunpoint to return him to Cuba.

1935Labor Day Hurricane: The most powerful hurricane to ever hit the United States made landfall in the Florida Keys near Miami, with wind speeds over 185 mph, killing over 400 people.

2021Surfside Condo Collapse: The 12-story Champlain Towers South condominium partially collapsed in Surfside near Miami, killing 98 people. It was the deadliest structural failure in Florida history.

Population Over Time

Complete Historical Timeline

1896 Transport

Flagler's railroad reaches Miami; city incorporated

1926 Disaster

Great Miami Hurricane kills 370+, ends land boom

1935 Disaster

Labor Day Hurricane strikes Florida Keys

1942 Government

Military training bases established in Miami

1959 Culture

Cuban exiles begin arriving after Castro's revolution

1961 Politics

Bay of Pigs invasion organized from Miami

1980 Culture

Mariel Boatlift brings 125,000 Cuban refugees

1980 Civil Rights

Liberty City riots after McDuffie verdict

1985 Culture

Miami Vice transforms city's image

1992 Disaster

Hurricane Andrew devastates South Florida

2000 Politics

Elián González custody battle

2006 Sports

Heat win first NBA championship

2021 Disaster

Surfside condo collapse kills 98

Did You Know?

Miami is the only major American city founded by a woman — Julia Tuttle convinced Henry Flagler to extend his railroad south by sending him fresh orange blossoms after a devastating freeze killed crops further north.

Over 70% of Miami's population speaks Spanish at home, making it the most linguistically diverse major city in America and the de facto capital of Latin America.

Miami Beach's Art Deco Historic District contains the largest collection of Art Deco architecture in the world — over 800 buildings — saved from demolition by preservationists in the 1970s.

Top 10 Most Important Events for Miami, Florida

Population Over Time

Latest News in Miami

Complete Historical Timeline

Did You Know?