By 1950, Orlando, with a population of 51,826, was the financial and transportation hub of central Florida. The city shared the bullish economy of the 1950s with the rest of the nation. In the face of the Cold War, the Orlando air base remained and grew, funneling millions of dollars into the local economy. Florida's population increased by a whopping 78.7% during the decade -- making it America's 10th most populated state -- and tourists came in droves, nearly 4.5 million in 1950.

One reason for the influx was the advent of the air conditioner, which made life in Florida infinitely more pleasant. Also fueling Orlando's economy was a brand-new industry arriving in nearby Cape Canaveral in 1955 -- the government-run space program. Cape Canaveral became NASA's headquarters, including the Apollo rocket program that eventually blasted Neil Armstrong toward his "giant leap for mankind." During the same decade, the Glenn L. Martin Company (later Martin Marietta), builder of the Matador Missile, purchased 10 square miles for a plant 4 miles south of Orlando. Its advent sparked further industrial growth and property values soared. More than 60 new industries moved to the area in 1959. But even the most optimistic Orlando boosters couldn't foresee the glorious future that was the city's ultimate destiny.