1953
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1953 was the 82nd year after the founding of the city of Birmingham.
Events
- Birmingham's Western High School was renamed Western Olin High School.
- Fountain Heights Methodist Church purchased the former Weather Forecast Office Birmingham on 13th Street North.
- A. H. Parker High School was first accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges.
- November 13: A fire seriously damaged Edgewood Elementary School.
Business
- Michael Matsos opened a second location of La Paree restaurant in the Holiday Inn on Bessemer Super Highway.
- Storer Broadcasting of Toledo, Ohio purchased WBRC-TV for $2.3 million and switched it from Channel 4 to Channel 6.
- The Birmingham News Company purchased WAFM-TV, WAPI-AM and WAPI-FM and moved their studios to Red Mountain.
- Pasquale and Vincent Gramaglia founded Pasquale's Pizza & Pasta in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Government
- April: Cooper Green resigned from the Birmingham City Commission to become a vice president of the Alabama Power Company.
- May 5: 1953 Birmingham municipal election
- Jimmy Morgan succeeded Cooper Green as President of the Birmingham City Commission.
- October 6: The city of Midfield was incorporated.
Religion
Sports
- The 1953 Birmingham Barons began a three-season association with the New York Yankees.
- May 18: Harold Grote tied a Birmingham Barons record with two home runs in one inning.
- August 28: The Southside Ball Association's team won the Little League World Series.
- Sam Hairston was named Most Valuable Player of the Western League.
Individuals
- Fant Thornley succeeded Emily Danton as director of the Birmingham Public Library.
- Eloise Hanna retired from WBRC-TV.
- A. C. Keily served as president of the Professional Photographers of Mississippi-Alabama.
- W. A. Parker retired as Superintendent of Tarrant City Schools.
- Henry Stanford became president of the Georgia State College for Women in Milledgeville.
- James Permutt succeeded Fred Nichols as president of Temple Beth-El.
- U.S. Attorney Tom King was made Chief Administrative Assistant to U. S. Representative George Huddleston Jr.
Births
- March 1: Luther Strange, former Attorney General of Alabama and U.S. Senator
- May 9: Ron Jackson, professional baseball player
- June 12: Charlie Moore, professional baseball player
- December: Eli Gold, sports announcer
- Emory Anthony, attorney
- Cathy Sloss Jones, real estate developer
- Myron Massey, Fairfield Police Department
Marriages
- Actor Mary Anderson married cimematographer Leon Shamroy.
- Theodore Peoples married Annie Louise Berry.
- Freddie Rogers married Pearlie McCarthy.
Awards
- Birmingham Woman of the Year: Eleanor Bridges
- University of Alabama Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award: George Murray
Graduations
- Coach Bobby Bowden graduated from Howard College.
- Composer Ezra Sims earned a diploma in Chinese from the U.S. Army Language School.
- Pastor Fred Shuttlesworth completed a bachelor's degree in English from the Alabama State Teachers College in Montgomery.
Deaths
- June 27: Mary Anderson, real-estate developer, rancher, viticulturist and inventor
- See also: List of homicides in 1953
Works
Books
Buildings
- March 11: Howard College broke ground for its new Shades Valley campus.
- The Alabama Theatre's projection system and screen were upgraded for CinemaScope.
- The connector between U.S. Highway 31 and the "Florida Short Route" in Rosedale was begun.
- Widening of U.S. Highway 31 between Shades Mountain and the Cahaba River was begun.
- A playing field was constructed on the east side of Phillips High School.
- A parsonage for North Birmingham Church of God on 32nd Street North.
Context
1950s |
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