Florida celebrates 500th anniversary

Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon was only 4-foot, 11-inches (1.5 meters) tall, a trolley tour operator told his passengers as they rolled down a picturesque street in St. Augustine lined with moss-draped live oak trees.

But the Timucuan Indians he encountered when he set foot in Florida towered over him, standing 7 feet (2.1 meters) tall, the tour guide said.

Turning into the Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park, he noted: No wonder the explorer thought these tall, robust natives were drinking enchanted water.

Statue of Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon located at the foot of the Bridge of Lions in St. Augustine’s Plaza de La Constitucion, Florida. (Image provided by the St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra & The Beaches Visitors and Convention Bureau) This week Florida celebrated the 500th anniversary of the day when Ponce de Leon stepped onto the...

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There is an saying, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." It means that each person has their idea of what it beautiful. It seems that the same can be said of history - the story of what happened in the past may change depending on who is telling it.