Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs on Thursday commemorated the 500th anniversary of Juan Ponce de León’s landing on Florida’s east coast, during a special celebration on the lawn of the Orange County Administration Center.
Jacobs issued a proclamation and placed commemorative items in a time capsule, following a brief re-enactment of Ponce de León’s arrival to Florida.
The time capsule will house items that mark life in present day Orange County and will include drawings from students of downtown Orlando area schools of what they think life will be like 50 years from now. The time capsule is expected to be filled by the end of this year and will be displayed in a public county facility until 2063, organizers say.
Today’s event is part of the 18-month Viva Florida 500 campaign launched by the state to highlight the 500 years of historic people, places and events in present-day Florida since the arrival of de León in 1513. It was delivered in partnership with the Orange County Library System and the Orange County Regional History Center.
