1970
1970 was the 99th year after the founding of the city of Birmingham.
Events
- The National Civic League named Birmingham an All-American City.
- The U. S. Census counted 300,910 residents in Birmingham.
- The town of Eldridge in Walker County was incorporated.
- The Gulf South Conference was founded in Hammond, Louisiana.
- Elton B. Stephens Expressway and Malfunction Junction opened to traffic.
- UAB's graduate school was founded.
- George Scofield purchased the George Wofford residence.
- The First National Bank Building was renamed the John A. Hand Building.
- Homewood and Vestavia Hills formed their own independent school systems.
- Chilton County was added to the Birmingham planning and development district.
- January 3: The remains of Vietnam Veteran Bill Terry, Jr were moved to Elmwood Cemetery from Shadow Lawn Cemetery following a court battle that barred the cemetery's owners from closing the cemetery to African Americans.
- July 1: The Homewood Board of Education assumed authority over Homewood City Schools.
- The Birmingham Dinner Theatre closed.
- October: The Jaycee's Haunted House debuted in Lakeview.
- A special ceremony honoring Vietnam War hero Matthew Leonard was held in Birmingham.
- Dawson Memorial Baptist Church began broadcasting Sunday services on WBMG-TV.
- November 25: The Allman Brothers played a UAB SGA-sponsored show at the Oporto Armory.
- December 17: A downtown fire destroyed three stores on the 1800 block of 3rd Avenue North.
- December 31: Operation Pride, a federally-funded housing improvement program in three Northside neighborhoods, expired.
Business
- John W. Woods succeeded Newton DeBardeleben as president of the First National Bank of Birmingham.
- Etheridge Brothers Barber & Style founded by Willie Etheridge, Sr and Joe Etheridge.
- Michael Matsos purchased the Golden Rule Bar-B-Q chain from Jabo and Ellene Stone.
- Metalplate opened a facility in Atlanta.
- Sammy Graphos opened a second Sneaky Pete's location in Homewood.
- Park Communications purchased WBMG 42 and changed it over to full time CBS programming.
- Florida Capital purchased the Jack's chain from Jack Caddell.
- Arthur Serwitz founded the Riverview Animal Clinic.
- March 20: Constantine's opened in the Travelodge Motel in Vestavia Hills.
Sports
- A Poly-Turf artificial surface was installed at Legion Field.
- Donnie Allison recorded three NASCAR wins.
- Rose Fiorella started the volleyball program at Ramsay High School.
- Pat Sullivan led the country in total offense and yards per play for the Auburn Tigers.
- Gene Bartow became the head basketball coach at Memphis State University.
- Kenny Stabler began his Oakland Raiders career.
- John Hannah became a starter for the Alabama Crimson Tide.
- Jim Davenport played his last season with the San Francisco Giants.
- March 24: Buddy Baker broke the 200 mph barrier at the Talladega Superspeedway
- October: Alabama A&M defeated Alabama State 26-18 in the Magic City Classic at Legion Field.
- December: Auburn won the 1970 Iron Bowl, 33-28.
- December: Bear Bryant begins planning to install the wishbone offense after losing to Oklahoma in the Bluebonnet Bowl.
Works
- "Touch Me", sculpture by Yaacov Agam
- Holiday for Soul Dance, album by Sun Ra and his Intergalactic Arkestra
- The Long Swift Sword of Siegfried, film produced by David F. Friedman
- The Bronx is Next, play by Sonia Sanchez
- You Can Be Anyone This Time Around audio recording by Timothy Leary
- "Tops & Button" comic strip by Howard Cruse debuted in the Birmingham Post-Herald.
- "People and Things" column by Clettus Atkinson debuted in the Birmingham Post-Herald.
Books
- Birmingham's First Magic Century: Were You There? by Bertha Bendall Norton
- We a BaddDDD People, poems by Sonia Sanchez
- Prophets for a New Day, by Margaret Walker
- Jail Notes by Timothy Leary
- "Mary Gordon Duffee's Sketches of Alabama, edited by Virginia Pounds Brown and Jane Porter Nabers
Buildings
- Construction began on the Airport Highway Park (industrial park).
- Elton B. Stephens Expressway (Red Mountain cut)
- Renovations to the Jefferson County Courthouse Bessemer Division
- Loveman's parking deck
- Malfunction Junction
- St Clair Regional Hospital in Pell City
- Vestavia Hills High School
- Western Hills Mall
- The City of Birmingham approved $1 million for renovations to Vulcan Park.
- A 900-pound cast concrete owl was replaced atop Shades Cahaba School.
- May 7: Dressler Hall at the University of Alabama burned down.
- September Loew's Temple Theater was demolished.
- Arlington Antebellum Home & Gardens was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
People
- Angela Davis appeared on the FBI's Most Wanted list.
- Kate Jackson appeared in the television series Dark Shadows.
- Philip Alford appeared in the television series' The Intruders, and The Virginian.
- Shin Oh joined the faculty of UAB.
- Fannie Flagg appeared in the feature film, Five Easy Pieces.
- Arthur Serwitz opened his veterinary practice.
- Hudson Baggett served as interim pastor of McElwain Baptist Church.
- Hugo Black ruled in Oregon v. Mitchell that states should set the voting age for their elections.
- Neal Berte became dean of the New College at the University of Alabama.
- Gail Patrick chaired the national Christmas Seals campaign.
- Edna Snow succeeded Helen Fuller as principal of Edgewood Elementary School.
- Timothy Leary was sentenced for a 1968 drug conviction.
- Ida Moffett retired as director of the Birmingham Baptist Hospital School of Nursing
- Chuck Wingate joined the Bluff Park Fire Department.
- Thompson Reynolds became head football coach and athletic director for the new Vestavia Hills High School.
- Wallace Wirtz left the pulpit at St Andrew's Episcopal Church.
- Principal Desmond Regan left John Carroll Catholic High School.
- Mark Elovitz succeeded Philip Silverstein as rabbi of Temple Beth-El.
- Wilson Fallin, Jr succeeded Talmadge Bussey as president of the Birmingham Baptist College.
Births
- January 13: James Williams, radio personality
- February 27: Deborah Vance, television reporter and Larry Langford's chief of staff
- June 15: Chris Hartsell, hospital administrator and Larry Langford's chief of operations
- June 20: Matthew Myers, owner of Magic City Motor Scooters
- August: Jody Trautwein, pastor, activist and politician
- September 8: Latrell Sprewell, basketball player
- September 9: Warren Kidd, basketball player
- November 6: Kevin McGowin, author
- November 8: Michael Miller, banker and former radio host
- November 17: Paul Cordes Wilm and Peter Wilm, artists and musicians
- November 22: Chris Fryar, percussionist
- December 11: Jay Taylor, community activist and author
- Jennifer Parsons Champion, Jefferson County treasurer
- Bill Cleveland: Homewood City Schools superintendent
- Jon Darnell, musician
- Lee Loder, former Birmingham City Council president
- Christy Opara, fitness coach
- Jeffrey Ronilo, bookkeeper
Graduations
- Hilbun Adams graduated from Mountain Brook High School.
- David Carrington earned a bachelor's degree in economics at the University of Houston.
- Glenn Garrett graduated from Woodlawn High School.
- Elmer Harris earned his MBA from Auburn University.
- Earl Hilliard earned his MBA from Atlanta University
- Bernard Kincaid earned his bachelor's degree from Miles College.
- Henry Parsley earned his bachelor's degree from Sewanee University.
- Condoleezza Rice graduated from St Mary's Academy in Denver, Colorado
- Luther Strange graduated from Shades Valley High School.
Awards
Deaths
- Fant Thornley, librarian
- January 18: David O. Whilldin, architect (born 1881)
- February 5: Rudy York, baseball player (born 1913)
- October 28: Wedo Martini, baseball player (born 1913)
- November 24: Ivy Andrews, baseball player (born 1907)
- See also: List of Birmingham homicides in 1970
Context
In 1970 Paolo Soleri began constructing Arcosanti in Arizona. The Chicago Seven were found not guilty of inciting a riot at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. Guyana and Rhodesia became independent republics. The World's Fair was held in Osaka, Japan. A postal workers strike suspended mail in several major cities. Earth Day was recognized nationally. The Concorde broke the sound barrier. Cigarette ads were banned from TV. The Beatles disbanded. Apollo 13 was aborted after an explosion. Four student protesters were shot and killed at Kent State University. The national voting age was lowered to 18. Brazil won the World Cup in Mexico City. The US withdrew ground forces from Cambodia. Egypt completed the Aswan High Dam. PBS premiered on television and Doonesbury debuted in print. The Environmental Protection Agency was founded. The World Trade Center North Tower was topped out.
Notable 1970 births include actors Vince Vaughn, Minnie Driver, Matt Damon, River Phoenix, Heather Graham and Uma Thurman; musicians Queen Latifah, Beck, Debbie Gibson; and golfer Annika Sörenstam. Deaths in 1970 included Mark Rothko, Erle Stanley Gardner, E. M. Forster, Vince Lombardi, Jimi Hendrix, John Dos Passos, Janis Joplin, and Charles de Gaulle. Top grossing films of 1970 included M*A*S*H, Airport, Catch-22 and Hello, Dolly. Patton won Best Picture at the Academy Awards. Deliverance by James Dickey was published. Ursula K. Le Guin's The Left Hand of Darkness won the Pulitzer Prize for Literature.
1970s |
<< 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 >> |
Births - Deaths - Establishments - Events - Works |