# Timeline of Birmingham, Alabama

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.
* 2024 - September 2024 Birmingham shooting: Four people are killed and seventeen others are injured during a mass shooting.

## Images

* Overview of Birmingham, 1907
* Ensley, Birmingham, 1937
* Overview of Birmingham, 1972
* Southside, Birmingham, 2010
* Bird's-eye view of Samford University campus