At Florida's half-millenium anniversary big hopes on increased tourism

Florida officials are rolling out a vast history lesson to commemorate the first wave of Europeans to hit the state's beaches half a millennium ago. The officials on Monday unveiled a series of events starting this week as part of a statewide campaign called Viva Florida 500, a yearlong commemoration to mark the 500th anniversary of Juan Ponce de Leon's landing on the state's east coast. The Spanish explorer became the first recorded European to arrive on Florida's shores on or around April 2, 1513. He is responsible for giving Florida its name, calling it "La Florida" in part because of the land's lush plant life. A replica of a 16th-century Spanish galleon will make port calls up a strip of the Florida coast in coming weeks, and a three-day exhibit this week will feature rarely seen historical documents. Florida Secreta