2019

2019 is the 148th year after the founding of the City of Birmingham.

Events

• January 21-March 2020: The I-59/20 downtown viaduct was closed for replacement of the bridge spans.
• February 16: Activist Angela Davis spoke at an event organized by the Birmingham Committee for Truth and Reconciliation after her announced presentation of the Fred L. Shuttlesworth Human Rights Award was withdrawn by the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute's board of directors.
• February 19-: Donald Watkins and Donald Watkins Jr represented themselves in a federal criminal trial before Judge Karon Bowdre.

Business

• January 1: Barfield, Murphy, Shank & Smith accountants merged with Albright Garrison & Barnes of Huntsville to form BMSS LLC.
• January: Burr & Forman acquired 7 McNair Law Firm offices in North and South Carolina.
• January: Bradley Arant Boult Cummings opened an office in Dallas, Texas.
• January: The Chelsea General Store relocated to Columbiana as "Masters General Store".
• January: Hargray Communications of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina acquired the Alabama assets of USA Communications.
• January: EBSCO Health acquired HealthDecision of Madison, Wisconsin.
• February: Southern Research relocated its Sustainable Chemistry and Catalysis Laboratory from Durham, North Carolina to Birmingham.
• February: Medical Properties Trust acquired 11 hospitals from Healthscope Ltd. of Melbourne, Australia.
• February: EBSCO's S. S. Nesbitt & Co. risk consulting division rebranded as the Valent Group.
• February: U.S. Steel announced it was resuming construction of an Electric Arc Furnace at its Fairfield Works plant.
• February: Matthew Allen acquired Birmingham Fun and Family magazine from Jay Carr.
• February: EBSCO Information Services acquired Stacks Inc. of Edmonton, Alberta.

Establishments

• January 7: Filter Coffee Parlor opened in the Munger Building at Five Points South.
• January 9: Bullet Coffee Co. opened at 5299 U.S. Highway 280
• January: Mile End Deli opened in LIV Parkside across from Railroad Park.
• January: Luna Latin Cuisine opened in the former Birmingham Fire Station No. 10 in Avondale.
• January 17: The law firm of Clark May Price Lawley Duncan Paul LLC opened.
• January 19: Full Moon Bar-B-Que opened in the Trussville Shopping Center on Chalkville Mountain Road.
• February: A second location of The Three Earred Rabbit opened in Leeds.
• February 18: Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken opened at The Battery.
• 1st Quarter: Altitude Trampoline Park in Pelham.

Disestablishments

• January 2: Emergency & Specialty Animal Medical Center closed.
• January 4: Western Supermarkets announced its closure.
• January: Swamp Monster BBQ in Hoover closed.
• January: Influence Health (formerly Medseek) was acquired by Healthgrades of Denver, Colorado.
• January: Dominion Partners sold its Somerby Senior Living Co. to the Bridge Investment Group of Salt Lake City, Utah.
• January: Smartlink of Annapolis, Maryland acquired the Brogdon Group.
• January: The 29 Seven and 11th Avenue South locations of Jimmy John's closed.
• January: Which Wich at The Waites closed.
• January: Kinnucan's Specialty Outfitters at Lane Parke closed.
• January 31: Jefferson Title Corp. closed.
• February: The 20th Street North location of Jimmy John's closed.
• March: The Academy Sports & Outdoors at the Lee Branch Shopping Center closed.
• May 1: Naked Art closed.
• 2nd Quarter: National Bank of Commerce was acquired by CenterState Bank of Davenport, Florida.

Education

• UAB celebrated their 50th anniversary as an independent university.

Government

• January 14: Mayor of Birmingham Randall Woodfin delivered his "2019 State of the Community Address" at Boutwell Auditorium.
• February 5: Attorney General Steve Marshall released his department's "Report Regarding the Officer-Involved Shooting Death of Emantic ('E.J.') Bradford, Jr. At the Riverchase Galleria on November 22, 2018."

Sports

• January 7: The Clemson Tigers defeated the Alabama Crimson Tide 44-16 to claim the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship.
• February 10: The Birmingham Iron shut out the Memphis Express 26-0 in their debut game at Legion Field.
• March: The Birmingham Legion FC played their first game at BBVA Compass Field.
• May 29: The 2019 Rickwood Classic was played at Rickwood Field.

Individuals

• January: Javier Soler succeeded Onur Genç as CEO of BBVA Compass.
• July 1: Michael Göbel succeeded Jason Hoff as CEO of Mercedes-Benz US International

Awards

• Fred L. Shuttlesworth Human Rights Award: Angela Davis

Retirements

• January 11: Randy Christian, chief deputy for the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office

Deaths

Larry Langford

• January 8: Larry Langford , former Mayor of Birmingham and Jefferson County Commission president
• January 13: Wytasha Carter, a Birmingham Police sergeant killed in the line of duty.
• January 21: Gary Ivey, former Mayor of Hoover.
• January 22: Jim Mitchell, architect
• January 31: Emanuel Bell, Wenonah High School basketball coach
• January 31: Caroline P. Ireland, philanthropist
• February 8: Walter Caron, restaurateur
• February 14: Mark Lindsey, "One-wheel Jesus"

Works

Buildings

• January 13: UAB Gardendale Clinic
• January 17: Pell City Premiere Lux Cine, Bowl & Pizza Pub
• January 19: Full Moon Bar-B-Que in the Trussville Shopping Center on Chalkville Mountain Road.
• January: Innovative Combustion Technologies' catalyst testing facility in Pelham
• Asian Passage at the Birmingham Zoo
• Bell Center for Early Intervention Programs in Homewood
• Christ Health Behavioral Health Center in Woodlawn
• Enterprise South-Central Regional Headquarters
• Firehouse Shelter
• Hollywood Boulevard pedestrian bridge
• Iron Age Project on 20th Street North
• Lakeshore Foundation addition
• Lakeshore Pavilion shopping center in Oxmoor
• One Pratt Park
• UAB Proton Therapy Center on 20th Street South
• Veterinary Surgery of Birmingham at 146 Resource Center Parkway

Demolitions

• The Break, for 1001 20th Street South

Context

In 2019, a feud between President Trump and Congress over the Mexican border wall led to the then-longest ever federal government shutdown.

Notable deaths in 2019 included those of actors Carol Channing and Albert Finney; architect Florence Knoll; baseball manager Frank Robinson; composer Michel Legrand; fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld; poet Mary Oliver; politician John Dingell; and scientist Wally Broecker.

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