1967- A three-day riot pitting collegians against police during Spring Break began in Fort Lauderdale on this date.  At least 500 people were arrested as a result. The riot was sparked when a student lay in the middle of A1A and the police got involved. By the 1960s, sun, beaches, and beer made south Florida THE destination for college students on Spring Break. The tradition began when the City of Fort Lauderdale began hosting dances during the seasonal spring break period.  As one coed quoted in Time magazine explained, “It’s where the boys are.”  The quote prompted a book and movie that put a winsome face on a seasonal influx of tourists who were becoming increasingly unwelcome in Fort Lauderdale.