5 Random Things About Gainesville, Florida

Gainesville highlighted in red

Gainesville, Florida is the 14th largest city in Florida and according to National Geographic Adventure, is the #1 place to live and play in the U.S. Since the only other 5 Random Things post that I’ve written about a city was for Fort Worth, Texas, let’s examine another place that I’ve lived before. Here are 5 random things about Gainesville, Florida.

1. Gainesville was founded in the 1850s as a stop on the railway that connected the Atlantic Ocean with the Gulf of Mexico. However, it was not incorporated as a city until 1869.
2. Gainesville is home to the University of Florida, the sixth-largest university in the United States based on 2009-2010 enrollment.
3. The Independent Florida Alligator, the newspaper for the University of Florida and Santa Fe College, is the largest student-run newspaper in the United States.
4. In August 1990, The Gainesville Ripper murdered five people, becoming one of the most notorious serial killers in state history. The murders were notorious for the brutal manner in which they were committed, and the fact that the bodies were posed post-mortem. Danny Rolling was eventually convicted of the murders, and was executed on October 25, 2006.
   

   Danny Rolling, the Gainesville Ripper

5. Famous people born in Gainesville (Gainesvillians?) include Tom Petty, Maya Rudolph, and Brittany Daniel, whose father ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 2004.

Bonus: Gainesville is the county seat of Alachua County, the only county in Florida that starts with the letter ‘A’.

I know I’ve missed a few important facts about this fair city, and I’m sure my friends will let me know about it in the comments.

You may also like:

1. (More Than) 5 Random Things About Deltona, FL In keeping with reporting about 5 random things in the...
2. 5 Random Things About The University of Florida People who go to the University of Florida get all...
3. 50 Years of 50 States: Florida Nickname: The Sunshine State Date Ratified: March 3, 1845 (27th)...
4. 5 Random Things About the Heisman Trophy This past weekend, Mark Ingram became the first University of...