Timeline of Birmingham, Alabama facts for kids
The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Birmingham, Alabama, USA.
19th century
- 1871
- Birmingham founded and incorporated.
- Robert Henley becomes mayor.
- 1874
- Birmingham becomes seat of Jefferson County.
- First Colored Baptist Church founded.
- Cholera epidemic.
- Birmingham Iron Age newspaper in publication.
- 1880 - Population: 3,086.
- 1881 - Alabama Christian Advocate newspaper begins publication.
- 1882
- Sloss Furnace begins operating.
- O'Brien's Opera House opens.
- 1887 - Howard College active in East Lake.
- 1888 - Evening News and Birmingham Age-Herald newspapers in publication.
- 1890
- Population: 26,178.
- Labor Advocate newspaper begins publication.
- 1891 - Birmingham Commercial Club incorporated.
- 1893
- Cathedral of Saint Paul built.
- St. Mark's School opens.
- 1895
- Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Company headquarters relocated to Birmingham.
- Birmingham Conservatory of Music established.
- 1896 - Spencer Business College established.
- 1900 - Population: 38,415.
20th century
1900s-1950s
- 1901 - March 25: Storm.
- 1907
- Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Company acquired by United States Steel Corporation.
- Miles Memorial College active in nearby Fairfield.
- 1909
- City expands to include Ensley, North Birmingham, Pratt City, Woodlawn.
- Birmingham Terminal Station and Empire Building constructed.
- 1910 - Population: 132,685.
- 1912 - John Hand Building constructed.
- 1913 - City Federal Building constructed.
- 1916
- October 18: 1916 Irondale earthquake.
- Robert E. Lee Klan No.1 formed.
- 1917 - Civitan Club founded.
- 1918 - Birmingham–Southern College established.
- 1919 - Alabama Federation of Business and Professional Women's Clubs formed in Birmingham.
- 1920
- Progressive Farmer magazine headquartered in Birmingham.
- Population: 178,806.
- 1922 - WAPI radio begins broadcasting.
- 1923 - Traffic lights installed.
- 1924 - Avondale Sun newspaper begins publication.
- 1925 - WBRC radio begins broadcasting.
- 1927 - Alabama Theatre opens.
- 1928 - Exchange-Security Bank established.
- 1929 - Thomas Jefferson Hotel built.
- 1930
- Southern Worker newspaper begins publication.
- Population: 259,678.
- 1933 - Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers Union active.
- 1936
- Local Steel Workers Organizing Committee formed.
- Vulcan statue erected atop Red Mountain.
- 1940 - Population: 267,583.
- 1942 - Birmingham Historical Society founded.
- 1949 - WAPI-TV and WBRC-TV (television) begin broadcasting.
- 1950
- Birmingham Post-Herald newspaper in publication.
- Population: 326,037.
- 1955 - Birmingham Zoo established.
- 1956
- Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights headquartered in Birmingham.
- Alabama Symphony Orchestra active.
- 1958 - EBSCO Industries in business.
- 1959 - West End Hills Missionary Baptist Church built.
1960s-1990s
- 1960
- Briarwood Presbyterian Church (later megachurch) established.
- Eastwood Mall in business.
- Population: 340,887.
- 1961 - First Baptist Church, Kingston built.
- 1962 - Two North Twentieth built.
- 1963
- April 3: Birmingham campaign for civil rights begins.
- April 16: Martin Luther King Jr. writes his "Letter from Birmingham Jail", first published in June 1963 issues of Liberation, The Christian Century, and The New Leader.
- May: Birmingham riot of 1963.
- September 15: 16th Street Baptist Church bombing.
- Birmingham Botanical Gardens open.
- 1965
- Airport Drive-In cinema opens.
- Southern Museum of Flight established.
- 1966 - Southern Living magazine headquartered in Birmingham.
- 1969 - Birmingham Terminal Station demolished.
- 1970
- Daniel Building constructed.
- Population: 300,910.
- 1971 - First Alabama Bancshares headquartered in city.
- 1972 - South Central Bell Building and First National-Southern Natural Building built.
- 1975 - Birmingham Vulcans football team formed.
- 1979 - Richard Arrington, Jr. becomes mayor.
- 1980 - Population: 284,413.
- 1982
- Community Food Bank of Central Alabama and Bama 6 cinema open.
- Sister city agreement established with Hitachi, Japan.
- 1986
- South Trust Tower built.
- Alabama Humanities Foundation headquartered in Birmingham.
- 1988 - AmSouth-Harbert Plaza (hi-rise) built.
- 1990
- Birmingham Islamic Society formed.
- Population: 265,968.
- 1992 - Birmingham Civil Rights Institute established.
- 1993
- Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame opens.
- Spencer Bachus becomes U.S. representative for Alabama's 6th congressional district.
- 1995 - Sister city agreement established with Székesfehérvár, Hungary.
- 1996
- City website online (approximate date).
- Sister city agreement established with Anshan, China.
- 1997 - Sister city agreement established with Gweru, Zimbabwe.
- 1998
- April 6–9, 1998 tornado outbreak.
- Establishment of sister city agreement with Pomigliano d'Arco, Naples, Italy, and friendship city agreements with Chaoyang District, Beijing, China, and Maebashi, Japan.
- 1999 - Friendship city agreement established with Krasnodon, Ukraine.
- 2000 - Population: 242,840.
21st century
- 2001 - Church of the Highlands (megachurch) founded.
- 2003 - Sister city agreement established with Vinnytsia, Ukraine.
- 2005
- Birmingham Post-Herald newspaper ceases publication.
- Locust Fork News-Journal begins publication.
- Sister city agreements established with Al-Karak, Jordan; Guédiawaye, Senegal; Plzeň, Czech Republic; and Rosh HaAyin, Israel.
- 2009 - Sister city agreement established with Winneba, Ghana.
- 2010
- Alabama Symphony Youth Orchestra formed.
- William A. Bell becomes mayor.
- Population: 212,237.
- 2011 - Terri Sewell becomes U.S. representative for Alabama's 7th congressional district.
- 2015
- Minimum wage approved in city.
- Sister city agreement established with Liverpool, England.
- 2017 - Randall Woodfin becomes mayor.
- 2020 - Population: 200,733.
- 2021 - Birmingham Stallions football team is formed
- 2022 - 2022 World Games were hosted.
Images for kids
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
Timeline of Birmingham, Alabama Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.