Few people know that the city of Miami was founded by aSspanish-speaking woman 125 years ago.

This beach and vacation city, emblem of retirees and an important part of Cuban exile history, was founded on July 28, 1896 by Julia DeForest Tuttle, a hotel businesswoman who gave part of her land to Henry M. Flagler in exchange for the railroad line reaching that remote and disconnected part of the city. 

In celebration of the city's 125th anniversary, Miami's mayor, Cuban-American Francis Suarez, invited everyone to celebrate the city's history and cultural diversity. Suarez is leading efforts to diversify the city's economy and position it as a center of technology and innovation.

As the first act of the 125th anniversary program, technology start-ups in the area received $2 billion in funding from venture capital firms in the last year.

Despite the ongoing health crisis, the city is celebrating 125 years, albeit with limitations.

Events are varied — from an art workshop at the Bakehouse Art Complex, the celebration outside the Perez Art Museum, events in its various neighborhoods, some, like Little Havana and Little Haiti, tied to migration and communities arriving from other countries, and even tours and events at historic sites.

"It's a great opportunity to celebrate what unites us all, a shared sense of pride in this place that is our home," said Suarez.

The initiative pays tribute to the diversity within the city's 55 square miles. Miami is on the international map as a city of Hispanic culture in the United States, an international financial center and the seventh largest metropolis in the country, with nearly 3 million residents of diverse backgrounds.