

Establishment	Town of Cocoa Beach was established on June 5, 1925
First Settlers	The first settlers were Indians, who were then captured by the Spaniards, they were then followed by freed slaves following the Civil War. In 1888, a group of Cocoa men bought the entire track of land. It was only when a prominent attorney arrived that the area started to develop
City Founder	Gus Edwards
First Bridge	In 1920, bridge construction to Cocoa Beach started, and it was completed in 1922
Lots cost - 1922	$100 each
Access	By the masses, on July 4th, 1922, when road access was given to the new casino
Bus Tours	Gus Edwards bought a bus in 1924 and offered tours to the beach
Racing on the beach	Racing on the beach was welcomed in 1924, with cars driving up to 180 miles per hour on the beach - then known as the world's greatest speedway
Electricity	Came in 1925
Roads	S.R. A1A - funding was approved in 1932, then known as Route 104
Population 1939	49 residents
Naval Air Station	October 1939 - New Banana Naval Air Station was commissioned
Water	1947 - water lines were installed
Police	1947 - one part-time police officer protected the town
Naval Air Station	Banana River Base - 1948 re-named as Patrick Air Force
Missiles	To the North of the City - May 11, 1949, President Harry Truman created a Long-Range Proving Ground for missiles at Cape Canaveral
Population 1949	246 residents
Telephone	Came in 1951
Lots Cost	$750 - $900
Sewage	1954 - Overflowing septic tanks became a problem - a sewage treatment plant is to be constructed
First Town Manager	1955 Rodney Ketcham, also acted as Town Clerk
Incorporation	Town incorporated into City in 1957
First Motel	100 Rooms - Starlite Motel 1956
Hospital	1957 - Committee recommended construction
First Bank and Store	1957
First School	Cocoa Beach Elementary School 1958
Beach Driving	Part of beach closed to driving - drunk driver struck and killed a 4-year old girl while driving 70 miles per hour
First Rocket Flight with Human	May 5, 1961 - Alan Shepard - Freedom 7
First Comprehensive Plan	1961
Cocoa Beach Pier	1962 - constructed for $150,000
First Orbit	1962, 75,000 people came to Cocoa Beach to see Friendship 7 with Astronaut John Glen - Orbit of the Earth
Cape Canaveral	City incorporated in 1962
Bridge Expansion	S.R. 520 bridge expanded to 4 lanes in 1962
Surfside Playhouse	Constructed in 1963
Schools	Dredge and Fill area and Cocoa Beach Junior Senior High School was constructed in 1963
Recreation Complex	Dredge and Fill area and Complex built in 1966, Golf Course opened in 1968
TV Show	"I Dream of Jeanie" Show aired in Hollywood, story based on Cocoa Beach 1965
Municipal Pool	Dedicated in 1966
Schools	Roosevelt Middle School opened in 1967
Population	12,000 people in 1968
First Armed Robbery	1968 Gunmen robbed United National Bank - criminals were apprehended
Beach Driving	Banned in 1969
Space	Apollo 11, July 16, 1969, 1st lunar landing
Founder	1969 First Mayor Gus Edwards dies
Recession	May 29, 1970 - Thousands laid off at Kennedy Space Center - lasted through 1971
Population	1970 - decrease in population to 9,442
Roads	S.R. 528 - new - road cleared permit issued
Density	Clashes between residents and Commission on density issues
Unemployment Rate	14.3% in 1975
Population	12,000 in 1975
Speed Limit	Lowered to 35 mph on A1A from 45 mph, Mayor's wife had died in car accident
Time Capsule	1975 - Buried at Fischer Park to be re-opened on July 4, 2076
Indian Mounds	Found in 1976 - at South Orlando Avenue between Fourteenth Street and Fifteenth Street
Hurricane	1977 - Space Coast most destructive weather - extensive erosion and damage to nearly all of the City's beachfront structures
Space	Space Shuttle Columbia maiden voyage
Fire Station	New Fire Station South Orlando Avenue completed in 1984
Population	12,800 in 2003
Hurricanes	2004 - 4 in one Season - Four hurricanes have made landfall in August and September. All of them hit Florida. Three passed through Brevard County. Hurricane Ivan, Hurricane Charley, Major damage by Hurricane Frances - Cocoa Beach incurred an estimated damage of $40 Million, Major damage by Hurricane Jeanne