2000

2000 was the 129th year after the founding of the City of Birmingham.

Events

• January 29: A rare snowfall brought 3 inches to Birmingham.
• April: A tornado caused major damage to Vestavia Hills Baptist Church and homes on Shades Crest Road.
• June 13: Forever Wild acquired a 227-acre addition to Ruffner Mountain Nature Preserve.
• The remains of Medal of Honor recipient Matthew Leonard were moved from Shadow Lawn Memorial Gardens to Fort Mitchell National Cemetery in Russell County.
• August 30: The 2000 Gaither Christmas Homecoming was taped before a sold-out crowd at the Alabama Theatre.
• September: Richard Scrushy initiated the creation of 3rd Faze, a pop trio featured in a motivational touring show sponsored by HealthSouth.
• Valley Intermediate School was established in Pelham.
• Allan Lowe was elected Mayor of Columbiana.
• A flock of chickens which had taken up residence at Birmingham Fire Station No. 2 was removed to Sylvan Springs.
• The Oblong rocksnail was declared to be extinct.
• Songwriter and vocalist Dan Lord dissolved the pop-punk band Pain.

Business

• March 8: The Briary relocated to an 1899 farm house.
• April 1: Andy Straynar retired from Bogue's and sold it to his son, Greg.
• May 15: Ted and Litsa Sarris sold Ted's Restaurant to Tasos and Beba Touloupis.
• May 31: Alpine Ice Arena closed.
• June: The Magic City Brewery closed.
• August 3: Daniel George restaurant opened in Mountain Brook Village.
• August: Leslie Scrushy launched her Uppseedaisees clothing label.
• August: Café on Main opened in Trussville.
• October: Impact Mortgage Group was founded.
• Morgan Creek Vineyards began producing wine commercially.
• Rebecca J's gift shop in Clay opened.
• SPOC Automation in Trussville opened.
• Fuad and Paul Shunnarah opened The Baskits.
• Justin Cordes and Chris Toro founded Toro-Cordes Iron Arts.
• Pat and Mike Sanford and Tim Pegg opened SanPeggio's Pizza in Chelsea.

Education

• Paul Bryant Jr was appointed to the University of Alabama Board of Trustees.

Religion

• July 1: Reverend James Naughton succeeded Reverend Peter MacCarthy as pastor of St Theresa Catholic Church in Leeds.
• Al Sutton succeeded the retiring John Porter as pastor of 6th Avenue Baptist Church.
• The Church at Cahaba Bend was organized with 12 members.
• Roebuck Park Baptist Church moved to Hewitt-Trussville High School.

Sports

• March 31: The Birmingham Steeldogs played their first game
• June 11: The Birmingham Barons lost to the Mobile BayBears in the 2000 Rickwood Classic
• November 18: The 2000 Iron Bowl was played in Tuscaloosa for the first time since 1901
• December 10: The WWF Armageddon wrestling tournament was held at the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center.

Individuals

• William Cobb retired after 37 years at the University of Montevallo.
• Jimmy DeButts was hired as an Auburn Tigers beat reporter for the Birmingham Post-Herald.
• Al Denson was promoted to president and CEO of Birmingham International Airport.
• Dan Holliman retired after 38 years as a Birmingham-Southern College professor.
• Ben McKinnon replaced Bill Hardekopf as general manager of WRRS-FM.
• Lloyd Noland was inducted into the Alabama Healthcare Hall of Fame.
• Bill Steltemeier succeeded Mother Angelica as Chairman and CEO of EWTN.

Births

• March 28: Chris Richards, professional soccer player
• Ajabu, Birmingham Zoo rhinoceros
• Ajani, Birmingham Zoo elephant
• Callee, Birmingham Zoo elephant
• J-R, Irondale Police Department drug detection dog
• Juno, Birmingham Zoo giraffe
• Miss Ellie, Birmingham Zoo giraffe

Awards

• Bert Bank was inducted into the Alabama Communication Hall of Fame.
• Alabama Press Association Best Opinion Columnist: Joey Kennedy
• Tom Banks, Bubba Church, Terry Henley, Marty Lyons, Mac McLendon, Jim Pyburn and Chase Riddle were inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame.
• Miss Shelby County: Katietie Carradine McNeil
• Birmingham Business Hall of Fame: Henrey Goodrich, Wallace Malone, Katherine McTyeire, Louis Pizitz, and Louis Willie

Graduations

• Shwetak Patel from Jefferson County International Baccalaureate
• Basketball coach Jerod Haase from the University of Kansas with a master's in business.
• Michael Morrison from Calera High School.

Marriages

• Michael Dubruiel to Amy Welborn

Deaths

• February 8: Derrick Thomas, linebacker
• February 21: Ron Casey, Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial writer
• March 28: George Seibels, Mayor of Birmingham from 1967 to 1975
• May 2: Laurie Battle, U.S. Congressman (1947-1955)
• May 9: Chris Evans, former Birmingham Bulls defenseman
• May 13: Fred Bonnie, Southern Living garden editor and author
• June 9: David Vann, Mayor of Birmingham from 1975 to 1979
• June 30: Minnie Gaston, director of Booker T. Washington Business College
• August 30: Bob Cain, musician and club owner
• September 16: Rumplesealskin, California sea lion at the Birmingham Zoo
• September 21: Organist and composer Lee Erwin died in Greenwich Village, New York.
• November 15: Former Mayor of Vestavia Hills Robert Guillot died.
• November 30: Jazz drummer Wilson Driver died in Harlem, New York.
• October 20: Delos Culp, President of the University of Montevallo from 1963 to 1968
• December 24: John Rice, Jr, pastor of Westminster Presbyterian Church from 1951 to 1965

See also List of Birmingham homicides in 2000

Works

• "Beautiful Something", album by Mars Electric
• November 25: The 2000 Gaither Christmas Homecoming aired on TNN as "Gaither Gospel Hour: Christmas in the Country".

Buildings

• Birmingham Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta at Liberty Park
• Charles Forman Investigation Center (St Clair County Coroner's Office)
• Colonial Promenade at Trussville
• Colonial Promenade at Tutwiler Farm
• Oak Grove High School

See Also

• 2000 City Stages
• 2000 Birmingham Barons
• 2000 Birmingham Steeldogs
• 2000 UAB Blazers
• 2000 Iron Bowl

2000s

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Births - Deaths - Establishments - Events - Works