1989

1989 was the 118th year after the founding of the city of Birmingham.

Events

• April: Festival of Arts Salute to France.
• May: I Cover the War published its final issue.
• May 24: Cobb Festival 12 Cinemas opened at Eastwood Festival Centre and Books-A-Million opened at Eastwood Mall, which underwent a major renovation.
• June 16-18: The first City Stages was held at Linn Park.
• July 4: Statue of Liberty was dedicated at Liberty Park.
• December 9: Bishop Raymond Boland announced that John Carroll Catholic High School would relocate to Wildwood.
• Bonds were issued for expansion of the Birmingham Museum of Art.
• James Andrews purchased the Wofford residence on Salisbury Road.
• Omicron Lambda chapter of Chi Omega was founded at Birmingham-Southern College.
• A new Birmingham City Council was seated.
• WBRC-6 premiered its Sideline high school football reports.
• Barrett Elementary School was converted from a K-8 to a true elementary school.
• Rock band Remy Zero was founded.
• The Sardis Christian School was founded at Sardis Missionary Baptist Church.
• Jessica Hahn appeared as the grand master of the Do Dah Day parade.
• Joe Minter began constructing his "African Village in America".
• The first funds for feasibility studies were earmarked for the Northern Beltline.
• 1-gallon jugs of Milo's Tea appeared in grocery stores.
• The first trail was cut through the Boulder Canyon Nature Area in Vestavia Hills.
• Pinky Bass constructed her "Portable Pop-up Pinhole Camera and Darkroom".

Business

• Coats & Co. was founded by Rob Coats.
• Benny LaRussa purchased the Jack's franchise.
• Barnes & Associates was founded by Anthony Barnes.
• WTTO-21 was sold to ABRY Broadcasting Partners.
• Airwave Recording Studios was founded by Marc Phillips and Joel Bouchillon.
• Antique Super Mall was opened in Hoover.
• Compass Bank acquired the City National Bank of Plano, Texas.
• The Alabama Power Foundation was established.
• 55th Place thrift shop was opened by the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama.

Sports

• January 29: "Demolition" defended their WWF Tag-Team Championship.
• October: The 1989 Birmingham Barons won the Southern League title.
• October: Alabama A&M defeated Alabama State 17-10 in the Magic City Classic at Legion Field.
• December 2: The Auburn Tigers won the 1989 Iron Bowl 30-20, the first to be played at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
• Mike Davis was hired as an assistant basketball oach at Miles College.
• Murry Bartow joined the staff of the UAB Blazers, under his father, Gene Bartow
• Texas Tech defeated Duke 49-21 in the All-American Bowl at Legion Field.
• 9,010 fans watched the UAB Blazers play Alcorn State at Bartow Arena.
• Davey Allison won the Winston 500.
• Bo Jackson named MVP of the MLB All-Star Game

Works

• Sex and Buttered Popcorn, documentary about David F. Friedman
• "After All"/"True Believer in Love", single by Sam Dees
• "Singin' in the Bathtub", audiocassette of the Alabama Theatre's Wurlitzer Organ by Jim Riggs
• Elvis' Grave, feature film shot in Birmingham
• The Inner Frontier, sound recording by Timothy Leary and Robert Anton Wilson

Books

• Designs on Birmingham: A Landscape History of a Southern City and Its Suburbs. by Philip Morris and Marjorie Longenecker White
• Place Names in Alabama by Virginia O. Foscue
• Women, Culture and Politics, book by Angela Davis
• Back to Birmingham: Richard Arrington, Jr., and His Times., book about Richard Arrington, Jr
• This Boy's Life, memoir by Tobias Wolff
• Wendel on the Rebound, comic strip anthology by Howard Cruse
• Returning to Earth by Charles Ghigna
• Streets of Fire by Thomas H. Cook
• Julia Tutwiler: the Pathfinder by Rusty Bynum
• The Wolf's Hour and Blue World by Robert R. McCammon
• This Is My Century: New and Collected Poems by Margaret Walker
• Fish and Purple Dreams by Mary Ann Sampson
• Feminine Ground: Essays on Women and Tibet by Jan Willis
• Paladin comic boook, issue no. 1, by Lee Walser

Buildings

• AmSouth-Harbert Plaza
• Festival 18
• Expansion of Jack Wood Stadium
• Interior renovation of the Linn-Henley Research Library

People

• Condoleezza Rice was named Director of Soviet and East European Affairs in the National Security Council.
• Eric Robert Rudolph was discahrged from the Army.
• Elmer Harris became President and CEO of Alabama Power.
• Kay Tiption was named chair of the Vestavia Hills High School math department.
• Wes Chapman was promoted to principal dancer in the American Ballet Theatre.
• Juan M. Navia was named acting dean of the UAB School of Public Health.
• Pat Byington became executive director of the Alabama Environmental Council.
• Glen Browder was elected to represent the 3rd Congressional District of Alabama.
• Larry David served as president of AIA Birmingham.
• Hank Hartsfield appointed Director of Technical Integration and Analysis for NASA.
• Davey and Liz Allison married.
• James Spann returned to the Birmingham market at WBRC

Awards

• Alabama Walk of Fame: (17 honorees)
• Birmingham Association of Realtors Realtor of the Year: Jim Lawrence

Deaths

• November 30: John Farr, Sr, auto dealer
• December 13: Circuit Court Judge Robert Vance was killed by a mail bomb.

See also: List of Birmingham homicides in 1989

Context

In 1989 the Showa period in Japan ended with the death of Hirohito. George H. W. Bush was sworn in as president. The USSR pulled out of Afghanistan. The first GPS satellite was launched. Author Salman Rushdie went into hiding. Time Inc. merged with Warner Communications. The Exxon Valdez ran aground in Prince William Sound. The Gameboy debuted in Japan. Disney-MGM studios opened in Orlando. The Chinese government was defied by student protesters in Tiananmen Square. Seinfeld premiered on NBC and The Simpsons debuted on FOX. Pete Rose was banned from baseball. Hurricane Hugo hit South Carolina. The Velvet Revolution brought democracy to Czechoslovakia. Notable 1989 births include actors Jake Lloyd and Daniel Radcliffe and golfer Michelle Wie. Notable deaths in 1989 included Emperor Hirohito of Japan, the Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran, Salvador Dalí, Ted Bundy, Robert Mapplethorpe, Lucille Ball, Sergio Leone, Gilda Radner, Mel Blanc, Laurence Olivier, Irving Berlin, Secretariat, Bette Davis, Alvin Ailey and Samuel Beckett. The Nobel Peace Prize went to the Dalai Lama. I. M. Pei's Louvre pyramid was completed. The top films were Batman, and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Driving Miss Daisy was Best Picture at the Academy Awards. Top pop singles included Madonna's "Like a Prayer", Phil Collins "Another Day in Paradise", and Milli Vanilli's "Girl I'm Gonna Miss You," "Baby Don't Forget My Number," and "Blame it on the Rain." The Booker Prize for literature went to Kazuo Ishiguro for Remains of the Day.

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