April 23

The April 23, 1925 fire at Birmingham City Hall

April 23 in the history of the Birmingham District:

2004: The Paul Bryant Bridge was opened in Tuscaloosa.
1982: Birmingham signed a sister city agreement with Hitachi, Japan.
1976: The feature Stay Hungry, filmed in Birmingham and based on Charles Gaines' novel, was released.
1963: Judge Edgar Bowron ruled that the outgoing Birmingham City Commission was illegitimate.
1957: A minor earthquake centered near the Tennessee River below Guntersville Dam alarmed residents across the Birmingham area.
1951: Marine platoon sergeant Harold Wilson displayed fearless and untiring leadership while wounded, rallying his men as they held off a Communist onslaught during the Korean War. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his service.
1926: The Birmingham Jubilee Singers released a first group of singles on Columbia Records.
1925: Birmingham City Hall (1901) was heavily damaged by a fire.
1890: Two Georgia Pacific Railroad freight trains collided near Pell City with no injuries.

Gene Crutcher, born April 23, 1925

Births

1967: Siberian tigers Peggy and Sally were born at the Birmingham Zoo.
1964: Former Homewood City Council member Vance Moody was born.
1958: Basketball player Carl Bailey was born in Birmingham.
1945: Operatic tenor and "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" character François Clemmons was born in Birmingham.
1942: Author Barry Hannah was born in Meridian, Mississippi.
1933: NASA computer scientist Annie Easley was born in Birmingham.
1929: Protective Life CEO William Rushton III was born.
1925: Bookstore owner Gene Crutcher was born in St Louis, Missouri.
1886: 1910 Birmingham Barons star pitcher Harry Coveleski was born in Shamokin, Pennsylvania.

2013: Real estate executive and philanthropist Marvin Engel died in Birmingham.
2010: Fabric artist Toni Tully died.
2006: Birmingham Children's Theatre actor John Hallum died in Birmingham.
2005: National States Rights Party official J. B. Stoner died in a Georgia nursing home.
2002: Actor and real estate salesman Tod Griffin died in Bishop, California.
1998: James Earl Ray died in prison in Tennessee.
1823: United States Senator John Williams Walker, namesake of Walker County, died in Huntsville.