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Florida Man Challenge: Which ridiculous headline matches your birthday?

We can thank a viral tweet for bringing some of Florida’s most bizarre news stories back on our screens and in our hearts.
 
Images from some of our most widely shared Florida stories: the man who broke into the Chattaway to eat soup and play the bongos naked, Miami's 'Florida Joker,' and a couple that planned a Florida Man-themed maternity shoot.
Images from some of our most widely shared Florida stories: the man who broke into the Chattaway to eat soup and play the bongos naked, Miami's 'Florida Joker,' and a couple that planned a Florida Man-themed maternity shoot.
Published March 21, 2019|Updated March 23, 2019

Today, the Times’ digital team noticed something strange. Our top stories of the day?

All Florida Man.

“Naked Florida man revealed on video sneaking into restaurant and munching on ramen.” (November 12, 2018)

“Florida man throws bicycle, then other man off bridge.” (September 25, 2018)

“Police: A Florida man thought a neighbor stole his lawn mower, so he set his Corvette on fire.” (February 27, 2018)

And the surprisingly wholesomeFlorida man reunites with pet cat that ran away 14 years ago (March 22, 2018)

Thousands and thousands of people were reading these stories…from last year.

Why?

Turns out, we can thank this viral tweet for bringing some of these gems back on our screens and in our hearts.

All you have to do is google “Florida Man” and your birthday, and boom. You have your Florida Man horoscope. (Mine, for example, was “Florida man ends argument with chainsaw strike.”)

Screenshoot of the Florida Man Twitter account.
Screenshoot of the Florida Man Twitter account.

It’s been just a few days since the challenge was first tweeted out, but already thousands of people have retweeted it. #FloridaMan is trending.

READ MORE: We’re not just ‘Florida Man’: The biggest innovations and people from the Sunshine State

It makes sense that Florida Man is getting a boost from the social media site. The Florida Man meme itself originates from Twitter, when the @_FloridaMan account started tweeting headlines about "the world’s worst superhero.” (Although former Times reporter Ben Montgomery discovered that the Florida Man account’s Twitter photo is actually based on a mug shot of Indiana man Ricky Lee Kalichun.)

Luckily, there’s no shortage of Florida Man headlines. If you don’t like the one that matches your birthday, why not adopt one of these Tampa Bay-focused Florida Men and Women?

We want to hear from you: What’s your birthday Florida Man? Let us know in the comments below.