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As of January 19, 2008 at 7:30 AM
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In the beginning Cape Canaveral was without name....

Since this is a long entry, I'll save the pictures for next time.

Although maps containing the rough geographic boundaries of Cape Canaveral, albeit without a name, are dated as early as 1502, Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon has been credited with first exploring the region in 1513. His second landing in Florida was just south of Cape Canaveral, probably near the present day town of Melbourne Beach.

Ponce de Leon was forced to retreat hastily from the area after being attacked by fierce inhabitants, probably the Ais "indians." He did, however, have time to secure water and food, but no information on the famed "Fountain of Youth" treasure for which he was looking.

The oldest known map containing the name Cape Canaveral was made in 1564, well after the initial landing by Ponce de Leon. While the reason behind the name is unknown, it is of Spanish origin.

The name "Cape" is Spanish for a point of land jutting out into the sea. "Canaveral", literally translated is "canebrake", thus Cape Canaveral has been roughly translated as "Point of Reeds" or "Point of Canes".

So it was... Cape Canaveral.

Cape Canaveral, along with the rest of Florida, became a possession of the United States as a result of the Revolutionary War. In fact, the last naval battle of the Revolutionary War was fought about 72 miles southeast of Cape Canaveral.

On March 10, 1783 the British ship HMS Sybil challenged the French-built ship Duc de Lausun and the American ship Alliance. The British ship, as well as three others which gave chase later, were successfully outgunned and driven off by the Alliance.

In 1843, the U.S. government selected Cape Canaveral as the site for a permanent lighthouse. The eastern tip of the Cape made a natural choice for this vital aid to navigation. Construction of the original Cape Canaveral Lighthouse, made of brick, was completed in 1847.

As post-World War II development of missile weapons progressed, a site became necessary to develop tactics and techniques for guided missile operations, train personnel, test equipment used to operate the missiles and conduct functional and tactical tests of new guided missiles to determine their effectiveness.

On May 11, 1949 President Harry S. Truman signed legislation establishing the Joint Long Range Proving Ground at Cape Canaveral. The Banana River Naval Air Station, established during the war and transferred from the Navy to the Air Force on September 1, 1948 was renamed the Joint Long Range Proving Ground Base on June 10, 1949.

An announcement by President John F. Kennedy on May 25, 1961 that the U.S. would send men to the Moon and return then safely to Earth by the close of the 1960's forced NASA to construct a new launch facility as soon as possible.

As a result, NASA requested appropriation for initial land purchases on Merritt Island on September 1, 1961. The first request was for a 200 square mile area immediately north and west of existing launch sites on Cape Canaveral.

In January, 1962 the Saturn V was officially selected as the rocket which would be used to support manned flights to the Moon. With the decision in hand, NASA began refining its design of Launch Complex 39 on Merritt Island.

On November 28, 1963 President Lyndon B. Johnson announced in a televised address that Cape Canaveral would be renamed Cape Kennedy in memory of President John F. Kennedy, who was assassinated six days earlier. President Johnson said the name change had been sanctioned by the U.S. Board of Geographic Names.

NASA Launch Operations Center (LOC), including facilities on Merritt Island and Cape Canaveral, were renamed the John F. Kennedy Space Center, NASA and the Air Force subsequently changed the name of its separate facility called the Cape Canaveral Missile Test Annex to Cape Kennedy Air Force Station (CKAFS).

So it was... Cape Kennedy.

However, on May 18, 1973 Florida Governor Rueben Askew signed a Florida Statute requiring that Cape Kennedy be renamed back to Cape Canaveral on all State of Florida official documents and maps.

The U.S. Board of Geographic Names responded on October 9, 1973 by agreeing to officially recognize the name change from Cape Kennedy back to Cape Canaveral at the national level. The name John F. Kennedy Space Center, NASA remained the same.

Cape Kennedy Air Force Station was subsequently renamed Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS).

So there you have it. It is offically Cape Canaveral now... with the NASA facility called the John F. Kennedy Space Center.

Cape Kennedy is no more. It is Cape Canaveral.

Fickle politicians.