2020

2020 is the 149th year after the founding of the City of Birmingham.

Events

• January 5: Two people died in a plane crash at Cullman Regional Airport.
• January 21: The new I-20/59 downtown viaduct opened after a year of construction.
• April 1-3: Frontier Conference 2020 was held at the Lyric Theatre.
• July 11: The first Alabama Jazz Festival was held at Railroad Park.

Business

• January 1: TTL Inc. of Tuscaloosa acquired DBS & Associates Engineering of Tennessee.
• January 1: Graham & Co. acquired the Brookmont Realty Group.
• January 14: ProctorU announced a merger with Yardstick Assessment Strategies of Ottawa, Ontario to form Meazure Learning.
• January: Daxko acquired PlayerSpace of Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina.
• Regions Bank consolidated workers at its Regions Riverchase Operations Center and closed its Regions Lakeshore Operations Center.
• GoodJob acquired Fetch Talent.

Establishments

• January 7: Art's Barber Shop reopened at 3301 Crestwood Boulevard
• January 7: Yum Yai reopened at 5426 U.S. Highway 280
• January 20: Dave Horn and Taylor Hughes opened SoHo Standard at SoHo Square
• Spring: Gardendale Pickers opened in the former K-Mart at 901 Decatur Highway.

Disestablishments

• ISCO Industries of Louisville, Kentucky acquired M. T. Deason.
• Zula's Mart on Highland Avenue closed.
• January 8: Magic City Krabs at 2201 4th Place West closed.
• January 15: Charlemagne Records on 11th Avenue South closed.
• January 18: Hot Diggity Dogs of 5th Avenue South closed.

Government

• January 7: Randall Woodfin delivered the 2020 State of the City address.

Sports

• January 1: The Alabama Crimson Tide defeated the Michigan Wolverines 35-16 in the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida.
• January 1: The Auburn Tigers lost to the Minnesota Golden Gophers 24-31 in the Outback Bowl in Tampa, Florida.
• January 2: The Cincinnati Bearcats defeated the Boston College Eagles 38-6 in the 2020 Birmingham Bowl at Legion Field.
• January 6: Alabama Crimson Tide juniors Henry Ruggs III, Jerry Jeudy and Tua Tagovailoa announced for the 2020 NFL Draft.
• February 22: Deontay Wilder fought Tyson Fury to defend his WBC heavyweight title.
• 2020 Birmingham Legion FC season
• June: The 2020 National Indoor Pickleball Championship was held at the Finley Center in Hoover.

Individuals

• Chef Brandon Cain left Roots & Revelry.
• January 27: Ginny Tucker succeeded interim Brooke Bowles as CEO of Impact America.
• February 3: Cory Moon was sworn in as Chief of the Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service.

Awards

• Alabama Music Hall of Fame: Gary Baker, Mervyn Warren, Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton and Elton B. Stephens

Deaths

• January 10: John Bresnan, Chief of the Homewood Fire Department
• January 13: Doug Barnes, street character
• January 21: De'Runnya Wilson, former college football player
• See also:
  • 2020 Folsom Field plane crash
  • List of homicides in 2020

Works

The completed I-20/59 downtown viaduct on January 16, 2020. Photograph by Joe Songer.

Buildings

• 1001 20th Street South at Five Points South
• 20 Midtown Phase 3
• AIDS Alabama Way Station in Smithfield
• A. G. Gaston Boys & Girls Club at CrossPlex Village
• Redevelopment of American Life Building as "workforce" apartments
• Bessemer Amazon Fulfillment Center
• Firehouse Shelter
• I-20/59 downtown viaduct
• Macaroni Lofts
• New Ideal Lofts
• UAB Technology Innovation Center
• Valley Hotel on 28th Avenue South Homewood
• Wylam Library renovations

Demolitions

• January: Ensley High­lands Presbyterian Church

Context

In 2020 the United Methodist Church split over acceptance of gay marriage. President Trump approved a drone strike that killed Qasem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis at Baghdad International Airport. Massive bushfires spread across Australia. The 2020 Olympic Summer Games were held in Tokyo, Japan.

Notable deaths in 2020 included basketball star Kobe Bryant; journalist Jim Lehrer; memoirist Elizabeth Wurtzel; Monty Python founder Terry Jones; former NBA commissioner David Stern; and rock drummer Neil Peart.

2020s

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