March 30, 1975
Some familiar downtown landmarks started vanishing.
Morrison's Cafeteria closed it doors. The restaurant's owner said there just wasn't enough nighttime business.
Soon after, Ivey's department store also announced that it too would be shutting down.
The S. H. Kress department store, the San Juan Hotel, and Beachman Theater soon followed suit, forever changing the look of downtown.
March 31, 1989
Famous television evangelists Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker go on a crusade around Central Florida.
They were looking for a space to rebuild their ministry, which became troubled after Jim Bakker was arrested for fraud.
The Bakkers owned a home in Orlando at the time, but their group eventually folded.
April 1, 1974
A 14-acre park opens in the Washington Shores community.
The park was named in honor of Dr. Sylvester Hankins, a prominent African-American physician and community leader.
It was well received by community residents. A year later, they added a swimming pool to the property, which is still being used today.
April 2, 1942
A group of local residents, with a love for history, came together to form the Antiquarian Society.
The group worked to display our area history, chronicling Orange County and its changes through time.
The Antiquarians were the precursors for the Orange County Regional History Center, which now have a large museum and research center at the old 1927 courthouse on Central Avenue.
April 3, 1930
Governor Lawton Chiles was born in Lakeland.
Chiles was given the nickname "Walkin' Lawton" after he campaigned for the U.S. Senate on foot. He walked more than 1,000 miles across the state.
Chiles served 18 years in the Senate before becoming governor of the Sunshine State. He would go on to serve two terms, but died in 1998 at the age of 68.
April 4, 1968
The Apollo 6/Saturn mission was launched.
It was unmanned but would help NASA move closer to performing a manned Apollo mission.
Apollo 6 had many objectives, including demonstrating the compatibility of launch vehicle and spacecraft.
The mission was a success and the command module was later recovered in the ocean in good condition.
April 5, 1990
Orlando police increased their measures to stop International Drive weekend gridlock.
I-Drive had become a hot spot for Orlando teens as well as tourists, causing Friday and Saturday night traffic jams.
So the police department hired off-duty police to beef up their traffic patrols.
Officers cracked down on all violators, from those not wearing seatbelts to teens hanging out of their car windows.