2019

Sunset view of the activity building and plaza at One Pratt Park

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

Events

The 2019 Mulberry Fork fish kill.

January 21-March 2020: The I-20/59 downtown viaduct was closed for replacement of the bridge spans.
February 16: The Birmingham Committee for Truth and Reconciliation hosted the 2019 Conversation with Dr Angela Davis‎ at Boutwell Auditorium.
February 19-March 8: Donald Watkins and Donald Watkins Jr were tried and convicted on federal fraud and conspiracy charges in Judge Karon Bowdre's court.
February 27: The Birmingham Water Works' Shades Mountain Filter Plant experienced a major chlorine gas leak, causing U.S. Highway 280 to shut down.
March 3: At least 23 people were killed by the 2019 Lee County tornado outbreak.
March 7: The "Kiwanis Special" tourist train at Noccalula Falls Park derailed, injuring 10 people.
March 12: The former Hospitality Inn on 7th Avenue South was burned by arson, damaging the adjacent Yum Yai restaurant, Chai Market, and the former 22nd Street Jazz Cafe.
May 7-9: The 2019 Aerospace Innovative Technology Summit Alabama was held at the BJCC.
May 8-9: The 2019 Automotive Advanced Technology Summit Alabama was held at the BJCC.
May 17: The special exhibit, "Terminal Station: Birmingham's Great Temple of Travel" opened at Vulcan Park & Museum.
June: A two mile segment of the Five Mile Creek Greenway opened in Gardendale.
June 6: A wastewater spill at Tyson's River Valley Ingredients chicken rendering plant in Hanceville caused a massive fish kill on the Mulberry Fork.
June 8: The Central Alabama Pride Parade rolled through the Lakeview district.
June 11-12: The 2019 Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting was held at the BJCC.
June 17-21: The 2019 Cooperative Baptist Fellowship General Assembly was held at the BJCC.
June 28-29: Eucharistic Congress of the Diocese of Birmingham in Alabama
July 16: Donald Watkins and Donald Watkins Jr were sentenced by Judge Karon Bowdre to 60 months and 27 months respectively in federal prison.
July 27: The first Birmingham Freedom Fest was held at Kelly Ingram Park.
August 6: A major fire damaged the Hawthorne at Wisteria apartment complex in Hoover.
August 19-25: 2019 Sidewalk Film Festival
October 14: A customer struck gas station owner Susil Rupasinghe with her car, resulting in his death.
December 3: The Birmingham Direct microtransit service was launched.
September 6-7: ArtWalk
December 6-8: The 2019 Young Democrats of America National Committee Meeting was held at the Sheraton Birmingham.
December 14: Birmingham was represented in the State of Alabama Bicentennial celebration that took place in Montgomery.
PEN Birmingham was founded by Alina Stefanescu and Ashley Jones.

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.
March: NXTSoft acquired Integrated Legacy Solutions of Birmingham and the Digitel Corp. of Atlanta, Georgia.
March: Process Barron was acquired by Carousel Capital of Charlotte, North Carolina.
March 11: Kelly Caruso succeeded Bill Smith as CEO of Shipt.
March: Daxko acquired GroupEx PRO of Boulder, Colorado.
March: The Onin Group acquired Labor Temps and LTI Services of Chicago, Illinois.
March: Prepaid Technologies acquired the dash portfolio from Karmic Labs of San Francisco, California.
April: Workplace Advisors acquired Everett Advisory Partners of Dallas, Texas.
April: The YMCA of Greater Birmingham sold its 179-acre Hargis Retreat in Chelsea to Eddleman Properties.
May: Daxko acquired SugarWOD of Boulder, Colorado.
May: Birmingham Rail & Locomotive Co., a division of the A. Stucki Co. of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, acquired Austintown Rail Supply of Austinville, Ohio.
2nd Quarter: Encompass Health acquired Alacare Home Health & Hospice.
June: BBVA Compass rebranded as BBVA.
June: Massey Stotser & Nichols acquired the Kee Law Firm.
July 1: The Walter Schoel Engineering Company acquired 4Site of Huntsville.
July: InCare Technologies acquired Memphis IT Solutions of Collierville, Tennessee.
July: Rock Apartment Advisors rebranded as Harbert Multifamily Advisors.
August 1: Bluestone Resources Inc. acquired the former ERP Compliant Coke Plant at 3500 35th Avenue North.
August: Trattoria Centrale expanded and re-opened as Trattoria ZaZa.
August: Hatton Smith II launched his Campesino Rum brand.
September: B Group Architecture merged with Barrón Collaborative.
September: O'Neal Industries acquired Mill G & L Manufacturing of Cookville, Tennessee.
September: Turner Supply Co. acquired Mitchell Tools of Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
September: After closing on August 31 Nino's Italian Restaurant reopened with new owners.
An employee trust took a 51% stake in Teksouth.
Daxko acquired TennisSource of Fort Collins, Colorado.

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: Rodney Scott’s BBQ opened on 3rd Avenue South.
February 18: Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken opened at The Battery.
March: Adam Evans and Suzanne Humphries Evans opened Automatic Seafood and Oysters at 2824 5th Avenue South in Lakeview.
1st Quarter: Altitude Trampoline Park in Pelham.
The Simpson Door Company of McCleary, Washington opened a distribution center on 13th Street Ensley.
April: Tostadas opened at SoHo Square in Homewood.
April: Katherine Mattrella opened Branch Boutique at the Village at Lee Branch.
April: Rosati's Authentic Chicago Pizza opened at the Village at Lee Branch.
Spring: Bendy's Cookies & Cream opened at 3029 Pumphouse Road in Cahaba Heights.
May: Mikey's at Fox Valley opened at 6754 Shelby County Highway 17 in Maylene.
May: The Armory opened on Pelham Parkway in Pelham.
May: La Conchita Bakery opened at 609 Main Street in Montevallo.
May: Station 31 Kitchen opened at 104 Chesser Drive in Chelsea.
June: Ryan Pryor opened Hush Lounge in Pickwick Plaza.
July: The Mississippi Lime Co. of St Louis, Missouri acquired Southern Lime in Calera from the Covia Holdings Corporation of Independence, Ohio.
July 20: Gatos and Beans opened in East Avondale.
Summer: Dread River Distilling Company opened on 7th Avenue South.
August: Yummefy opened at The Waites.
September: Andrew Smith, Bob Jacobus, and Paige Severino founded AI Metrics at the Innovation Depot.
October: Bobby Carl's Table opened on Cahaba Road in English Village.
October 5: Matthew and Lauren Zauchin opened Village Drug Co. at the Dunnavant Square Shopping Center in Mt Laurel.
October 11: Billy Reid opened a retail boutique at Pepper Place.
October 24: Altitude Trampoline Park opened on Helena Road in Pelham
October 25: Premiere Lux Ciné opened on Lakeshore Parkway.
November 1: The Magic City ePLEX esports arena opened at the Crestwood Festival Center.
November 1: Bandit Patisserie opened at 2821 Central Avenue in Homewood.
November 11: The TC Transformational Center opened at 2008 21st Street Ensley.
November 25: Farrelly's Southern Bar & Kitchen opened in Hoover.
November: Carolyn Linski and Nathan O'Connor opened Beignets & Lattes in Helena.
December 6: Mayawell opened at 2900 4th Avenue South.
December 16: UAB Medicine Hoover Primary and Specialty Care opened at Stadium Trace Village.
December: Cook Out opened its first Birmingham area location at the Wildwood Centre South shopping center.
Elliott Potter, Jared Mattsson and Patrick D. Sullivan founded Linq.
Patrick Cooney and Blake Patterson founded Simpeo.
Peter Kuhn founded The Barn Smith Lake.

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.
March: The Burke Harvey law firm was acquired by Crumley Roberts of Greensboro, North Carolina.
March: Metro Diner at the Shoppes at City Hall in Vestavia Hills closed.
March: Jackson's Bar & Bistro at SoHo Square in Homewood closed.
March 22: Niki's Restaurant on 2nd Avenue North closed.
March 29: O'Carr's downtown location closed.
April 1: CenterState Bank of Davenport, Florida completed its acquisition of the National Bank of Commerce.
April: Business Electronics was acquired by RJ Young of Nashville, Tennessee.
May 1: Naked Art closed.
May 10: Rogue Tavern closed.
May 26: Seafood Chicken Box closed.
May: Birmingham Tank Wash was acquired by Quala of Tampa, Florida.
2nd Quarter: American Lumber Distributors and Brokers Inc. was acquired by the Boise Cascade Co.
June: Highland Associates was acquired as a subsidiary of Regions Bank.
July 2: Jubilee Seafood was acquired by Fortune International LLC of Chicago, Illinois and began operating as a subsidiary of Fortune Fish & Gourmet.
July: The Salvatore's Pizza & Pasta in Trussville closed.
August: The Sears Auto Center at the Riverchase Galleria closed.
August: Warren Manufacturing was acquired by Kentucky Trailer of Louisville, Kentucky.
August: Hospice Partners of America was acquired by Addus HomeCare Corp. of Frisco, Texas.
September 8: 1st & 23rd in downtown Birmingham closed.
September 10: MAFIAoZA's in Crestline Village closed.
September 19: Lucky Cat in Homewood closed.
September: The Preservery at Five Points South closed.
October: Water Science Technologies was acquired by Italmatch Chemicals of Genova, Italy.
October: The Sears at the Riverchase Galleria closed.
October: Medicare Advantage Specialists was acquired by Integrity Marketing Group of Coppell, Texas.
November: Birmingham Internal Medicine Associates was acquired by Complete Health of Jacksonville, Florida.
December: McMillan’s Big & Tall closed its last store
December: Del Toro Mexican restaurant in Alabaster closed.
December: Pho Pho restaurant at Five Points South closed.
December: Rosati's Authentic Chicago Pizza at the Village at Lee Branch closed.
December: Wintzell's Oyster House in Fultondale closed.
Tuscaloosa's Cypress Inn restaurant closed.

Education

UAB celebrated their 50th anniversary as an independent university.
July 1: Andrew Butler became dean of the UAB School of Health Professions.
August 8: Classes began at the Riverchase Career Connection Center.
Steven Leath was dismissed as president of Auburn 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."
March: Vestavia Hills annexed the Magnolia Cove subdivision.
March 8: 6-year-old cancer patient Khy White was honored as "Mayor for a Day" at Birmingham City Hall.
April 18: The Jefferson County Commission approved the takeover of Cooper Green Mercy Health Services by the UAB University Healthcare Authority.
May 15: The Alabama Human Life Protection Act was signed into law by Governor Kay Ivey.
Summer: The City of Birmingham launched the Academy of Civic Engagement.
July 23: The Birmingham City Council passed the $451 million 2020 Birmingham budget.
August 8: The Jefferson County Commission passed the $700 million 2020 Jefferson County budget.
September 24: Mountain Brook voters approved a 10-mill property tax increase for schools by 1,824 to 968.
October 8: The 2019 Birmingham special election was held to fill vacancies in three Birmingham City Council seats and to conduct a referendum on renewing the city's ad valorum tax for Birmingham City Schools.
November: Mayor Randall Woodfin announced the Pardons for Progress program to clear the records of low-level drug offenders convicted in municipal court.
December 3: Governor Kay Ivey announced the launch of "Born Ready", a statewide campaign to promote early childhood development.
December 3: Mayor of Birmingham Randall Woodfin delivered a "Big Picture" policy update at Haven.

Religion

June 11-12: The 2019 Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting was held at the BJCC in Birmingham for the first time since 1941. The Southern Baptist Pastors' Conference preceded the convention and was held on June 9-10 at the BJCC.
July 1: Doug Sweeney succeeded Timothy George as Dean of the Beeson Divinity School at Samford University.
December 16: The permanent building for the Church of the Highlands Fultondale campus opened.

Sports

The Birmingham Iron played their sole season in 2019.

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.
April 2: The Alliance of American Football suspended operations, ending the Birmingham Iron's tenure.
May 18: Deontay Wilder knocked out Dominic Breazeale to retain his WBC heavyweight title.
May 29: The 2019 Rickwood Classic was played at Rickwood Field.
August 24: The first BCS Kick-Off Classic was held at Legion Field.
November 23: Deontay Wilder knocked out luis Ortiz to retain his WBC heavyweight title.
December 17: The inaugural Chick-fil-A Birmingham High School Showcase was held at Legacy Arena.
December 18: The inaugural Chick-fil-A Birmingham Classic was played at Legacy Arena.
December 21: The 2019 UAB Blazers football team faced the Appalachian State Mountaineers of the Sun Belt Conference in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl.

Individuals

January: Javier Soler succeeded Onur Genç as CEO of BBVA Compass.
April: David Luker resigned as head of the Jefferson County Public Defender's Office.
April: Michael Birrer resigned as head of the O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center and was succeeded by Ravi Bhatia.
July 1: Michael Göbel succeeded Jason Hoff as CEO of Mercedes-Benz US International
September 1: LaRhonda Magras began her term as CEO of YWCA Central Alabama.
December 1: Phil Hutcheson succeeded Roy Clem as interim CEO of Alabama Public Television.

Births

Ruby, a giraffe at the Birmingham Zoo

Awards

Fred L. Shuttlesworth Human Rights Award: Angela Davis

Graduations

Marriages

Retirements

January 11: Randy Christian, chief deputy for the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office
March: Hibbett Sports CEO Jeff Rosenthal announced his retirement.
June: Wenonah High School head football coach Ronald Cheatham retired.

Deaths

Larry Langford

Art Clarkson

Gip Gipson

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, musician, instrument maker, and "Onewheel Jesus"
February 16: Anthony Bruno, grocer and CEO
February 21: Bettie Hurd, real estate agent
February 25: Thomas Christian, attorney
March 16: Stephen Rolfe Powell, glass artist and educator
March 17: Andre Williams, R&B musician
March 23: James Owens, Auburn Tigers football player and Miles Golden Bears football coach.
March 24: Tony Tarver, owner of Emmanuel's Barbering Salon.
March 30: June Wetzel, former DJ and news anchor
March 31: Dick Pigford, architect
March 31: Lois Coleman, founder of Grace House Ministries
April: Davey Williams, improvisational musician
April 6: Jim Houston Day, optometrist
April 14: Bob Eskew, contractor and Master Rosarian
April 18: Dytricia King
April: Jessie Nelson, owner of Nelson Brothers Café
April 23: Ken Robinson, founder of Command Alkon
May 3: Andy Kimbrel, Vestavia Hills Police Department
May 4: Rachel Held Evans, author
May 5: Khy White, former "Mayor for a Day"
May: Jessie Mack, former Homewood Police officer
May 8: Chris McNair, photographer, state legislator and Jefferson County Commissioner
May 25: Rod Bramblett, Auburn Tigers sports announcer
May 26: Bart Starr, former Alabama and NFL Hall of Fame quarterback
May 31: Francis Hare Jr, attorney
June 4: Frank Bromberg Jr, chairman of Bromberg & Co.
June 21: Bob Friend, former Tuskegee Airman
July 9: Lisa Mason, radio host
July 24: Glenn Bishop, engineer
September 4: Van Davis, attorney
September 6: Ross Neely Jr, trucking company owner
September 11: Anne Rivers Siddons, novelist
September 12: Gary Morris, former judge and Gardendale City Councilman.
September 27: Jack Edwards, former U.S. Representative
September 30: Pete Turnham, former Alabama State Representative
September 30: Hal Guthrie, founder of Guthrie's
October 7: Art Clarkson, sports promoter
October 8: Gip Gipson, blues musician and juke joint owner
October 24: Libertee Belle, drag performer and activist
October 24: William Daniels, US Navy Rear Admiral
November 5: Dorothy Levy, co-founder of United Ability
November 7: Robert Luckie III, advertising executive
November 7: Kim Walker, bartender
November 16: Jimmy Koikos, restaurateur
November 16: Alice Williams, civic leader
November 17: Tracy Ford, Fairfield City Schools administrator
November 26: Howard Cruse, cartoonist and author
November 28: Sherry Traywick, Homewood City Councilor
December 1: Pat Sullivan, Heisman winning quarterback and football coach
December 7: Gerald Barrax, poet and educator
December 20: Frazier Christy, civil engineer
December 23: Elmer Harris, Alabama Power Company CEO
December 26: Ed Jones, Birmingham News photographer
December 31: Reggie Kellum, veterinary technician
List of homicides in 2019

Works

"Frank's Table" sculpture on the east end of the Rotary Trail
"Iron Grit" documentary film
"Sword of Trust" feature film
Live Free, gospel album by Pastor Mike Jr
Room Enough, album by The Burnells

Context

In 2019, the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris was grievously damaged by fire. Massive wildfires raged across arctic areas. President Trump was impeached in the U.S. House of Representatives. White supremacist mass shooters killed dozens of people at a Wal-Mart in El Paso, Texas and at a mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand. A Global Climate Strike was held on September 20. On December 31 the United States Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq was stormed by militants.

Notable deaths in 2019 included those of actors Danny Aiello, René Auberjonois, Diahann Carroll, Carol Channing, Tim Conway, Doris Day, Albert Finney, Peter Fonda, Rutger Hauer, Peter Mayhew, Luke Perry, Rip Torn and John Witherspoon; architects Phil Freelon, Florence Knoll, I. M. Pei and Stanley Tigerman; baseball manager Frank Robinson; cartoonist Gahan Wilson; composers Michel Legrand and André Previn; director John Singleton; former Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi; former Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe; fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld; federal reserve chair Paul Volcker; industrialists David Koch and T. Boone Pickens; journalist Cokie Roberts; musicians Ginger Baker, Dick Dale, Marie Fredriksson, João Gilberto, Mark Hollis, Daniel Johnston, Keith Flint, Eddie Money, Art Neville, Jessye Norman, Ric Ocasek, Mac "Dr John" Rebennack, and Leon Redbone; novelists Toni Morrison and Herman Wouk; poet Mary Oliver; politicians John Conyers, Elijah Cummings, John Dingell, Kay Hagan, and H. Ross Perot; puppeteer Carroll Spinney; restaurateur Leah Chase; and scientists Wally Broecker and Murray Gell-Mann.

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Births - Deaths - Establishments - Events - Works

2019

Contents

Events

Business

Establishments

Disestablishments

Education

Government

Religion

Sports

Individuals

Births

Awards

Graduations

Marriages

Retirements

Deaths

Works

Books

Buildings

Demolitions

Context

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2019

Events

Business

Establishments

Disestablishments

Education

Government

Religion

Sports

Individuals

Births

Awards

Graduations

Marriages

Retirements

Deaths

Works

Books

Buildings

Demolitions

Context

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