How long did Cape Canaveral carry a different name before its original name was restored?

  • A. 5 years
  • B. 10 years
  • C. 20 years
  • D. 30 years

💡 Need a hint?

Think of the place where space launches take place. The renaming happened in late 1963, and the state of Florida reversed the decision in the early seventies.

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The correct answer is B. 10 years.

Cape Canaveral was given a presidential name in late 1963. Ten years later, in 1973, the state of Florida decided to restore the original name. Notably, it was not the federal government in Washington that made that decision, but the state itself.

📚 More background information

The name Canaveral traces back to Spanish explorers, making it one of the oldest place names on this stretch of coastline. That centuries-long historical connection carried weight when Florida decided to bring back the original designation.

What makes the matter extra complicated is that the nearby space centre retained the presidential name. As a result, the cape and the centre carry different names to this day. Two objects within a stone’s throw of each other, each bearing a name from a different era. That kind of detail tends to go down a treat at a pub quiz.