1949: Difference between revisions
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* [[October 3]]–?: [[1949 Alabama State Fair]] | * [[October 3]]–?: [[1949 Alabama State Fair]] | ||
* The [[Alabama Theatre]] hosted its first [[Miss Alabama|Miss Alabama Pageant]]. | * The [[Alabama Theatre]] hosted its first [[Miss Alabama|Miss Alabama Pageant]]. | ||
* A report showed [[Bryce State Mental Hospital]] had the largest patient load in the nation by far. | |||
* [[Hardrock Gunter]] was given a television show, spinning country records on [[WABT-TV]]. | |||
* [[Mayor of Birmingham|Birmingham mayor]] [[James W. Morgan]] began an initiative to help in the planning and development of a [[Birmingham Zoo|city zoo]]. | * [[Mayor of Birmingham|Birmingham mayor]] [[James W. Morgan]] began an initiative to help in the planning and development of a [[Birmingham Zoo|city zoo]]. | ||
* A revived [[Alabama Symphony Orchestra|orchestra]] was assembled under the new [[Civic Symphony Association]]. | * A revived [[Alabama Symphony Orchestra|orchestra]] was assembled under the new [[Civic Symphony Association]]. | ||
* The [[Pleasant Grove Post Office]] was established. | |||
===Business=== | ===Business=== | ||
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* [[Shook and Fletcher Supply Company]] formed a [[Shook and Fletcher Insulation Company|commercial insulation division]]. | * [[Shook and Fletcher Supply Company]] formed a [[Shook and Fletcher Insulation Company|commercial insulation division]]. | ||
* The [[Southern Natural Gas Company]] acquired the [[Watts Building (1927)|Watts Building]] for its headquarters. | * The [[Southern Natural Gas Company]] acquired the [[Watts Building (1927)|Watts Building]] for its headquarters. | ||
* Arichtecture firm Van Keuren & Davis became [[Davis Architects|Van Keuren, Davis and Company]]. | |||
* [[George Ward]]'s former [[Vestavia]] estate was opened to the public as a roadside attraction and tea room. | * [[George Ward]]'s former [[Vestavia]] estate was opened to the public as a roadside attraction and tea room. | ||
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* [[July 28]]: Three sticks of dynamite were thrown into the [[Milton Curry, Jr residence|home]] of [[Milton Curry, Jr]] at 1100 [[Center Street North]], but did not explode. | * [[July 28]]: Three sticks of dynamite were thrown into the [[Milton Curry, Jr residence|home]] of [[Milton Curry, Jr]] at 1100 [[Center Street North]], but did not explode. | ||
* [[August 12]]: Curry's residence was again targeted by dynamite, this time damaging windows. | * [[August 12]]: Curry's residence was again targeted by dynamite, this time damaging windows. | ||
* August 12: The [[E. B. DeYampert residence|home]] of [[E. B. DeYampert]] at 1104 Center Street North was damaged by dynamite | * August 12: The [[E. B. DeYampert residence|home]] of [[E. B. DeYampert]] at 1104 Center Street North was also damaged by dynamite. | ||
===Education=== | ===Education=== | ||
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===Government=== | ===Government=== | ||
* [[Cooper Green]] won his fourth term as [[Mayor of Birmingham]]. | * [[Cooper Green]] won his fourth term as [[Mayor of Birmingham]]. | ||
* [[James Robertson]] succeeded [[Luther Davis, Sr.]] as [[Mayor of Tuscaloosa]]. | |||
===Religion=== | ===Religion=== | ||
* Interim pastor [[Vernon G. Davidson]] succeeded pastor [[Porter H. Harrison]] at [[McElwain Baptist Church]]. | * Interim pastor [[Vernon G. Davidson]] succeeded pastor [[Porter H. Harrison]] at [[McElwain Baptist Church]]. | ||
* A fire of unknown origin gutted the [[First Congregational Christian Church]]. | |||
* [[Henry Edmonds]] became pastor of [[Pilgrim Church|Pilgrim Congregational Church]]. | * [[Henry Edmonds]] became pastor of [[Pilgrim Church|Pilgrim Congregational Church]]. | ||
* [[Jonathan Silverberg]] became rabbi of [[Knesseth Israel Congregation]]. | |||
* The Young Men's Hebrew Association was renamed the [[Levite Jewish Community Center|Jewish Community Center of Birmingham]] as the first women joined the board of directors. | |||
===Sports=== | ===Sports=== | ||
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==Individuals== | ==Individuals== | ||
* Birmingham mayor [[Cooper Green]] became president of the United States Conference of Mayors. | * Birmingham mayor [[Cooper Green]] became president of the United States Conference of Mayors. | ||
* Priest [[Joseph Raya]] emigrated to the United States. | |||
===Births=== | ===Births=== | ||
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* [[Harry Brock, Jr]] from the [[University of Alabama]] with a bachelor of science in commerce and business administration. | * [[Harry Brock, Jr]] from the [[University of Alabama]] with a bachelor of science in commerce and business administration. | ||
* [[Henry Stanford]] from New York University with a doctorate in public administration. | * [[Henry Stanford]] from New York University with a doctorate in public administration. | ||
* [[Leonard Weil]] from the University of Alabama with a business degree. | |||
===Marriages=== | ===Marriages=== | ||
* [[April 1]]: [[Bobby Bowden]] eloped with the former [[Ann Estock|Ann Bowden]]. | |||
* [[October 29]]: [[Harry Brock, Jr]] to the former [[Jane Brock|Jane Hollock]]. | * [[October 29]]: [[Harry Brock, Jr]] to the former [[Jane Brock|Jane Hollock]]. | ||
* [[Henry Stanford]] to the former [[Ruth King Stanford|Ruth King]]. | * [[Henry Stanford]] to the former [[Ruth King Stanford|Ruth King]]. | ||
===Awards=== | |||
* [[Miss Alabama]]: [[Freida Roser]] | |||
===Deaths=== | ===Deaths=== | ||
* [[February 10]]: [[John Adams]], mining engineer and executive | * [[February 10]]: [[John Adams]], mining engineer and executive | ||
Revision as of 11:34, 15 October 2012
1949 was the 78th year after the founding of the city of Birmingham.
Events
- October 3–?: 1949 Alabama State Fair
- The Alabama Theatre hosted its first Miss Alabama Pageant.
- A report showed Bryce State Mental Hospital had the largest patient load in the nation by far.
- Hardrock Gunter was given a television show, spinning country records on WABT-TV.
- Birmingham mayor James W. Morgan began an initiative to help in the planning and development of a city zoo.
- A revived orchestra was assembled under the new Civic Symphony Association.
- The Pleasant Grove Post Office was established.
Business
- January 20: A new Hill's Food Store opened on Montgomery Highway in Homewood.
- April 21: A new Hill's Food Store opened on 31st Avenue North in North Birmingham.
- July 1: WAFM-TV went on the air as Birmingham's first television station.
- July 4: WBRC went on the air on VHF channel 4.
- Worcy Crawford started driving the Ensley All-Stars basketball team to games in his coal truck.
- Harbert Corporation was founded by John Harbert III.
- Loveman's opened a new "store for the home" facing 2nd Avenue North, but connected to the main store.
- Shook and Fletcher Supply Company formed a commercial insulation division.
- The Southern Natural Gas Company acquired the Watts Building for its headquarters.
- Arichtecture firm Van Keuren & Davis became Van Keuren, Davis and Company.
- George Ward's former Vestavia estate was opened to the public as a roadside attraction and tea room.
Civil Rights
- March 24: The home of Bishop S. L. Green at 1st Street and 11th Avenue West was destroyed by dynamite.
- July 28: Three sticks of dynamite were thrown into the home of Milton Curry, Jr at 1100 Center Street North, but did not explode.
- August 12: Curry's residence was again targeted by dynamite, this time damaging windows.
- August 12: The home of E. B. DeYampert at 1104 Center Street North was also damaged by dynamite.
Education
- Shades Valley High School opened, taking the place of Shades Cahaba High School, which became Shades Cahaba Elementary School.
Government
- Cooper Green won his fourth term as Mayor of Birmingham.
- James Robertson succeeded Luther Davis, Sr. as Mayor of Tuscaloosa.
Religion
- Interim pastor Vernon G. Davidson succeeded pastor Porter H. Harrison at McElwain Baptist Church.
- A fire of unknown origin gutted the First Congregational Christian Church.
- Henry Edmonds became pastor of Pilgrim Congregational Church.
- Jonathan Silverberg became rabbi of Knesseth Israel Congregation.
- The Young Men's Hebrew Association was renamed the Jewish Community Center of Birmingham as the first women joined the board of directors.
Sports
- January 1: Kentucky State defeated North Carolina A&T by a final score of 23-13 at the Vulcan Bowl.
- December 3: Auburn upset Alabama, winning the 1949 Iron Bowl 14-13, Auburn's second win of the season.
- Auburn Stadium was renamed Cliff Hare Stadium.
- A partnership of Al DeMent, Al Belcher, and Rufus Lackey purchased the Birmingham Barons and Rickwood Field from Gus Jebeles.
Individuals
- Birmingham mayor Cooper Green became president of the United States Conference of Mayors.
- Priest Joseph Raya emigrated to the United States.
Births
- January 2: Phyllis Wyne, Birmingham Board of Education member
- January 18: Steve Zaslofsky, educator
- March 2: Stan Bailey, bank executive
- April 2: Hank Erwin, state senator
- April 18: Addie Mae Collins, bombing victim
- April 24: Carole Robertson, bombing victim
- April 30: Cynthia Wesley, bombing victim
- May 14: Jim Folsom, Jr, Governor of Alabama
- May 26: Delores Manyama, educator
- June 1: William Bell, Mayor of Birmingham
- June 9: Dian McCray, educator and children's book author
- June 14: Roy L. Wood, Jr, television news anchor
- June 28: Clarence Davis, professional football player
- July 2: Curtis Rowe, professional basketball player
- July 28: Vida Blue, professional baseball player
- August 10: Ron McGuffie, law enforcement agent and dispatcher
- August 11: Lynn Edwards Angell, librarian and terrorist victim
- August 22: Eli Capilouto, college administrator
- October 6: Lonnie Johnson, inventor
- December 6: Virgil Ware, murder victim
- Barbara Allen, educator
- Gwendolyn Bell, school counselor
- Homer Brown, business owner and table tennis player
- Dyer Carlisle III, educator and assistant college football coach
- Bill Foisy, transportation director
- Jay Glass, coroner
- Keith Harrelson, commercial writer, photographer, and club owner
- Jim Neel, sculptor, photographer, and art instructor
- Bo Smith, meat market manager and murder victim
- Brenda Spahn, non-profit founder
- Burke Swearingen, Homewood Chief of Police
- Bill Terry, Jr, Vietnam War soldier killed in action
- Lou Zaden, business owner
- Evan Zeiger, Jr, neurosurgeon
Graduations
- Harry Brock, Jr from the University of Alabama with a bachelor of science in commerce and business administration.
- Henry Stanford from New York University with a doctorate in public administration.
- Leonard Weil from the University of Alabama with a business degree.
Marriages
- April 1: Bobby Bowden eloped with the former Ann Bowden.
- October 29: Harry Brock, Jr to the former Jane Hollock.
- Henry Stanford to the former Ruth King.
Awards
Deaths
- February 10: John Adams, mining engineer and executive
- May 11: B. H. Cooper, furniture dealer and civic leader
- November 27: Lloyd Noland, physician and public health advocate
Works
Buildings
- Alabama State Fair cattle barn
- Birmingham News building (1917) addition
- John Gleissner residence
- Jefferson County Courthouse Bessemer Division expansion
- McElwain Baptist Church 4-room addition
- Shades Valley High School (original campus)
- WBRC studio and tower
- Bernice Wright residence
Music
- The Gospel Harmoneers made their first recordings, for RCA.
Context
In 1949, Los Angeles, California received its first recorded snowfall. Harry S. Truman began his second term as President, which was his first elected to the position. The first Emmy Awards are presented at the Hollywood Athletic Club. Grady the Cow got stuck inside a silo on a farm in Yukon, Oklahoma and garnered national media attention. English astronomer Fred Hoyle coined the term "Big Bang" during a BBC Third Programme radio broadcast. The Tokyo Stock Exchange was founded. The North Atlantic Treaty was signed, creating the NATO defense alliance. Israel was admitted to the United Nations as its 59th member. The Soviet Union tested its first atomic bomb, code named "Joe 1". The People's Republic of China was officially proclaimed. A typhoon struck a fishing fleet off Korea, killing several thousand.
Notable fiction published in 1949 included The Man with the Golden Arm by Nelson Algren, Crooked House by Agatha Christie, Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell, Cat of Many Tails by Ellery Queen, A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute, The Second Confession by Rex Stout. New drama that debuted included Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller. Notable non-fiction published included The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell and The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir.
The top music hits of 1949 included "A Little Bird Told Me" by Evelyn Knight, "Cruising Down the River" by Russ Morgan, "(Ghost) Riders in the Sky: A Cowboy Legend" by Vaughn Monroe, "Some Enchanted Evening" by Perry Como, "That Lucky Old Sun" by Frankie Laine, and "Mule Train" by Frankie Laine.
Top grossing films in 1949 included Samson and Delilah, Battleground, Jolson Sings Again, Sands of Iwo Jima, and I Was a Male War Bride. All the King's Men won Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Actor (Broderick Crawford), and Best Supporting Actress (Mercedes McCambridge). Best Director went to Joseph L. Mankiewicz for A Letter to Three Wives and Best Actress to Olivia de Havilland for The Heiress.
Television shows that debuted in 1949 included The Goldbergs, Stop the Music, Hopalong Cassidy, This Is Show Business, Martin Kane, Private Eye, The Voice of Firestone, Bozo the Clown, and The Lone Ranger.
Notable births in 1949 included chef Wolfgang Puck, boxer George Foreman, actress Linda Lovelace, comedian Andy Kaufman, singer Robert Palmer, singer Steve Perry, actor John Belushi, actor Brent Spiner, game designer Danielle Bunten Berry, businesswoman Ivana Trump, wrestler Ric Flair, musician Eddie Money, actor Erik Estrada, musician John Oates, actress Jessica Lange, musician Billy Joel, singer Hank Williams Jr, actor Jim Varney, musician Lionel Richie, actres Meryl Streep, composer Alan Menken, musician Mark Knopfler, actress Shelley Long, musician Rick Springfield, musician Gene Simmons, actor Richard Gere, political commentator Bill O'Reilly, musician Bruce Springsteen, actress Sigourney Weaver, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, musician Bonnie Raitt, actor Jeff Bridges, musician Tom Waits, actor Don Johnson, musician Maurice & Robin Gibb, and actress Sissy Spacek.
Notable deaths included football player Bradbury Robinson, actor Seymour Hicks, actor Wallace Beery, former Secretary of Defense James Forrestal, cartoonist and entrepreneur Robert Ripley, author Margaret Mitchell, composer Richard Strauss, Supreme Court Justice Wiley Blount Rutledge, dancer Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, and musician Lead Belly.
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