Did you know Tampa has a tropical climate?
Nah, just kidding. If you know us, you know we’re here for the deep cuts — and there’s plenty of interesting factoids to go around. As connoisseurs of the quirky and unconventional, we put together a list of some of Tampa Bay’s history, oddest characteristics, and more. Maybe you’ve lived here your whole life and know some of this, or maybe you’ll learn something new.
Either way, test your local knowledge with these 15 interesting facts.
- Tampa’s temperature has never surpassed 99º. It might seem unlikely because, well — it’s Florida, but it’s true. The last time it reached that number in Tampa was on June 5, 1985.
- The world’s longest uninterrupted pedestrian walkway — meaning no vehicle or road interruptions — is along Tampa Bay’s waters. Bayshore Boulevard is ideal for a stroll and stretches approximately 4.5 miles.
- St. Pete holds the official Guinness World Record for the most consecutive days of sunshine. There were an impressive 768 sunny days in a row starting in 1967.
Florida’s oldest restaurant is located in Ybor City. The Columbia Restaurant has been serving Cuban sandwiches, Spanish bean soup, and its famous 1905 Salad for 119 years. Fun fact: It’s also the largest Spanish restaurant in the world and can accommodate 1,700 diners.- Lindsay Lohan’s dad jumped from the third-floor balcony of the Tahitian Inn to avoid rearrest in 2011. When placed in the TPD squad car, he remarked, “I’m an idiot.”
- The world’s first passenger flight took off from St. Pete. On January 1, 1914, the first-ever passenger flight departed from the Burg and landed in Tampa.
- Why is it called Tampa? There’s no definitive answer. Some believe the name is a loose translation of “sticks of fire” in the language of the Calusa — a Native American tribe indigenous to southwest Florida.
- Our region is often called the lightning capital of North America — possibly explaining the Calusa’s name. It’s estimated that Tampa Bay residents are within half a mile of 10-15 strikes annually.
Legend has it that St. Petersburg was named by Peter Demens, an exiled Russian aristocrat, after a coin flip. His rival — John Constantine Williams — lost the 50/50 and instead got to name the city’s first hotel after his hometown, Detroit.- “Goodfellas,” “Dolphin Tale,” “Edward Scissorhands,” “Magic Mike,” “My Girl,” and “The Parent Trap II” (another nod to Lindsay Lohan’s dad) are a few of the movies filmed in TBAY.
- Busch Gardens began as a brewery and botanical garden before evolving into the theme park we know today. Yuengling, America’s oldest brewery, operates a bottling plant next door. And just behind them, Pepsi has a facility too.
- Several famous authors have called this area home, including Jack Kerouac, a novelist of the 1960s who lived in St. Petersburg. A short drive away, you can find Stephen King’s lavish estate in Sarasota, far from the eerie New England settings of many of his stories.
- Here’s an old-school meme. Remember the “You know I had to do it to em,” guy? He’s from Tampa. What a throwback. The meme started when Twitter user @LuckyLuciano17k posted a photo of himself dressed sharply with that unforgettable caption.
- Terry Bollea, better known as Hulk Hogan, is a Tampa native. He began his wrestling career in 1977 and gained international fame in 1983 when he joined the World Wrestling Federation.
It took the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 32 seasons to return a kickoff for a touchdown. In 2007, Michael Spurlock returned one for 90 yards from a kick by Falcons kicker Morten Anderson.
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