This year marks Florida Trend’s 50th anniversary. As part of our celebration, we’ll be producing stories that look back at previous issues to highlight how much Florida has changed in the past half-century — and to spotlight issues that have persisted.
Spring Flings— May Covers Through the Years
No one can accuse Florida Trend of not following up on earlier reporting. Our cover story this month on the last big player in Florida’s phosphate industry comes 42 years ago to the month after another phosphate cover story (below-left). The magazine’s May 1966 cover feature, “Fertilizer: How Florida Helps Feed a Hungry World” chronicled how “rising worldwide demands for food spur increased big company production of Florida phosphate. ... Phosphate will be a prime ingredient in the coming agricultural revolution, which is inevitable if the world is to be fed and famine prevented. Florida’s phosphate industry at this time is in a favorable position to lead this humanitarian revolution. The state’s deposits are being mined and processed by more than a dozen great industrial firms.”
1966: Chronicled how “rising worldwide demands for food spur increased big company production of Florida phosphate.
1968: Lots of questions about computers, like “Should everybody use them?” and “What do they really do?”
1974: “The bottom has dropped out of the world price structure and left Florida growers unable to harvest and store their near-record crops at a profit.”
1976: The Keys have lured so many “that there is barely enough housing, food or water.”
1982: GTE’s communications revolution “will make Dick Tracy’s wrist phone seem old hat.”
1991: “Playing off the value of his musical image, Buffett is profiting nicely from the popular practice of brand name extension. ..."
1995: The issue featuring
Florida’s film industry and this
picture of Cindy Crawford on a movie set was one of our best
sellers — imagine that.
1998: “From
Republic Bank to
Winn-Dixie, companies are marketing across ethnic boundaries.”
[Flash animation: Robb Brown]
More from 50 Years of Florida Business:
Small Screen Florida: 50 Years of TV Explore TV shows from "Sea Hunt" to "CSI: Miami" that were filmed here in the Sunshine State with this interactive map. See clips and vote for your favorite, too. »Click here.
PRINT READERS: Looking for answers to our quiz on page 28 (April 2008)? - Click here.
Submarine Travel Didn't Pan Out
As part of its 10th anniversary issue in 1968, Florida Trend made a number of predictions about the state’s future.How did we do — and how will you do on some related questions you can use to test your Florida Business IQ?
» Try the quiz.
Football's Old College Try
A startup professional league hopes to capitalize on Florida's passion for college football....
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Politics' Hired Guns
Today, Florida's professional political consultants know more about voters than the voters might like. But for all the tools at their disposal, it's...
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University Spin Game
Success is rare and slow for spinoff companies, but the potential rewards -- visibility and income -- keep schools...
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