Former United States Senator for Florida George A. Smathers was born in Atlantic City, New Jersey on this date. Smathers and his family moved to Miami Beach in 1919 where he attended Miami High School. He later graduated from the University of Florida. During WWII, Smathers served as an officer in the Marine Corps. In a bitter campaign against Claude Pepper, Smathers was elected to the U.S. Senate on November 7, 1950.  Prior to his senatorial service, he had served as Assistant U.S. District Attorney, as a special assistant to the Attorney General, and as a two-term member of the United States House of Representatives.