Miami has many nicknames, but perhaps the most enduring is "Magic City". Originally proposed by Ethan V. Blackman in 1896, the name rang true to Miami's winter visitors, who often remarked that the city grew so much from one year to the next that it was like magic.

Julia Tuttle, a local citrus grower, was the original owner of the land upon which Miami was built. After the Great Freeze of 1894-95, the crops in what was then known as "Biscayne Bay Country" were the only ones in Florida that survived. Tuttle subsequently convinced railroad tycoon Henry Flagler to extend his Florida East Coast Railway to the region, for which she became known as "the mother of Miami".

Miami's unique geographic position makes its ports easily accessible to Caribbean and Latin American markets, as well as those of Asia and Europe by way of the Panama Canal. In fact, PortMiami is the busiest cruise port in the world in both passenger traffic and cruise lines, and touts itself as the "Cruise Capital of the World" as well as the "Cargo Gateway of the Americas".

The city has the third-largest skyline in the U.S. with over 300 high-rises, 58 of which exceed 491 ft (150 m).

In the 1940s, Miami pharmacist Benjamin Green pioneered the use of red veterinary petrolatum to protect WWII airmen from the sun. Back home, he perfected his sunscreen formula, adding cocoa butter and coconut oil. His recipe eventually became Coppertone.

January 19, 1977 was the only time snow has been recorded in Miami's meteorological history, making it the southernmost snow on record for the United States. It was such an unusual event that it was on the front page of every Florida newspaper!

Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994) features Jim Carrey as Ace Ventura, an animal detective who is tasked with finding the abducted dolphin mascot of the Miami Dolphins football team. The film co-stars Courteney Cox, Tone Loc, Sean Young, and then-Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino.

Thanks to an aggressive artificial reef program, Miami Beach has over 75 divable wrecks within minutes of the shoreline. As a result, Miami has become known as the "Wreckreational Dive Capital of the World".

According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the Hispanic population in Miami accounts for 70% of its total population, with 34.4% of the city's residents being of Cuban origin, making it the second-largest U.S. city with a Spanish-speaking majority (after El Paso, Texas), and the largest city with a Cuban-American plurality.

Hurricane season officially runs from the beginning of June through the end of November, but hurricanes can develop beyond those dates. The most likely time for Miami to be hit is mid-August through the end of September. If you do plan a trip during hurricane season, travelers insurance is recommended.