Timeline of Montgomery, Alabama
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Montgomery, Alabama, USA.
19th century
- 1819 - Montgomery incorporated.[1]
- 1821
- 1824 - Presbyterian church[4] and Montgomery Light Infantry[3] established.
- 1828 - Alabama State Library headquartered in Montgomery.[5]
- 1833 - Montgomery Advertiser newspaper in publication.[citation needed]
- 1847 - Sons of Temperance formed.[3]
- 1850 - Lehman Brothers in business.
- 1851 - Alabama State Capitol built.[citation needed]
- 1861
- February: Montgomery becomes capital of the Confederate States of America; First White House of the Confederacy established; Jefferson Davis sworn in as president.[6]
- May 21: Confederate capitol relocated from Montgomery to Richmond, Virginia.[7]
- 1864 - Atlanta-Montgomery railroad destroyed by Union forces.[7]
- 1867 - Swayne School built.[4]
- 1870 - Population: 10,588.[4]
- 1873 - Chamber of Commerce established.[citation needed]
- 1877 - Second Colored Baptist Church established.
- 1887 - Normal School for Colored Students opens.
- 1889 - Hale Infirmary founded.[5]
- 1898 - Confederate monument dedicated.[4]
- 1899 - Montgomery Library Association organized.[8]
- 1900 - Population: 30,346.[4]
20th century
- 1901 - Alabama Department of Archives and History headquartered in Montgomery.[8]
- 1902 - St. Margaret's Hospital founded.[5]
- 1907 - Bell Building constructed.[citation needed]
- 1910
- Wright Flying School begins operating.[9]
- William Gunter becomes mayor.[4]
- 1913 - Rotary Club of Montgomery organized.[10]
- 1914 - Empire Theater built.[11]
- 1916 - Commission form of government adopted.[4]
- 1923 - Community Chest of Montgomery was established to address the needs of the community (known now as the River Region United Way) https://coc.centralalabamainc.com/river-region-united-way/
- 1926
- Junior League of Montgomery organized.[12]
- Scottish Rite Temple constructed.[13]
- 1927 - Jefferson Davis Hotel built.[citation needed]
- 1929
- Municipal airport begins operating.[14]
- State Teachers College active.[citation needed]
- 1930
- WSFA radio begins broadcasting.[15]
- Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts established.[citation needed]
- 1938
- 1940
- Population: 78,084.[citation needed]
- Veterans hospital begins operating.[14]
- 1941 - Mayor William Gunter dies.[1]
- 1942 - Montgomery Bible College founded.[13]
- 1946 — A devastating and deadly tornado struck the western portion of the city. The tornado killed 26 people, injured 293 others, and caused a city-wide blackout which lasted for hours.[16][17]
- 1947 - Alabama Historical Association headquartered in city.[citation needed]
- 1948 - U.S. Maxwell Air Force Base established.[13]
- Chiles-Whitted UFO encounter occurs. [18]
- 1949 - City of Montgomery Library established.[citation needed]
- 1950 - Population: 106,525.[citation needed]
- 1953 - WCOV-TV (television) begins broadcasting.[19]
- 1954 - WSFA television begins broadcasting.[19]
- 1955 - December 1: Rosa Parks arrested; Montgomery bus boycott begins.[citation needed]
- 1956 - December 20: Racial segregation lawsuit Browder v. Gayle verdict takes effect; bus boycott ends.[20]
- 1960 - Population: 134,393.[citation needed]
- 1961 - May 20: Freedom Riders attacked.[6]
- 1964 - WKAB-TV begins broadcasting.[citation needed]
- 1965
- March 7–25: Selma to Montgomery marches for voting rights.[6]
- March 25: Martin Luther King Jr. delivers "How Long, Not Long" speech.[6]
- 1967
- February 7: Dale's Penthouse fire.[13]
- Auburn University at Montgomery established.[citation needed]
- Alabama Historical Commission headquartered in city.[citation needed]
- 1968 - Landmarks Foundation of Montgomery established.[21]
- 1971 - Southern Poverty Law Center founded.[citation needed]
- 1972 - Montgomery Zoo opens.[22]
- 1977
- Wynnsong 10 cinema in business.[11]
- Emory Folmar becomes mayor.[citation needed]
- 1978 - Montgomery Genealogical Society established.[23]
- 1980 - Population: 177,857.[citation needed]
- 1984 - Masjid Qasim Bilal El-Amin established.[24][25]
- 1985 - Alabama Shakespeare Festival active.[citation needed]
- 1986 - Montgomery Area Food Bank established.[26][27]
- 1989 - Civil Rights Memorial dedicated.[citation needed]
- 1990 - Population: 187,106.[citation needed]
- 1992 - Montgomery County Historical Society organized.[28]
- 1995 - Equal Justice Initiative and F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald Museum[21] established.
- 1997 - City website online (approximate date).[29][chronology citation needed]
- 1999 - Bobby Bright becomes mayor.[citation needed]
- 2000 - Population: 201,568.[citation needed]
21st century
- 2005 - Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama factory begins operating.[citation needed]
- 2009
- Todd Strange becomes mayor.[citation needed]
- Sister city agreement established with Pietrasanta, Italy.[30]
- 2010 - Population: 205,764.[31]
- 2011 - Martha Roby becomes U.S. representative for Alabama's 2nd congressional district and Terri Sewell becomes U.S. representative for Alabama's 7th congressional district.[32]
- 2018 - April: National Memorial for Peace and Justice unveiled.[citation needed]
- 2019 - Steven Reed becomes mayor.[citation needed]
- 2020 - Population: 200,603.[33]
- Montgomery records highest homicides total.[34]
- 2021 - Montgomery records highest homicide rate in history. At 77 homicides.[citation needed]
- 2023 – On August 5, a viral brawl on a riverfront dock between the owners of a pontoon boat and the co-captain of the city-owned riverboat, Harriot II, gained national attention due to the violent nature and racial undertones.[35]
- 2025 – On October 4, a shootout between multiple individuals in downtown Montgomery killed two people and injured 12 others.[36]
