2004

2004 was the 133rd year after the founding of the City of Birmingham.

Events

Cover of the "City Center Master Plan", presented in 2004

• February: The Jefferson County Commission placed the Jefferson Metropolitan Health Care Authority in charge of the county's health operations.
• June: City Stages returned to Father's Day Weekend
• September 23, 24, 25: The 6th annual Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival was held downtown
• October 20: Bernard Kincaid presented the City Center Master Plan at the Alabama Theatre.
• December 15: Forever Wild acquired the 462-acre Turkey Creek Tract at the Turkey Creek Nature Preserve.
• Deputy Chief Robert Walker, Sr retired from the Birmingham Police Department.
• The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources contributed $10,000 to secure the Steven C. Minkin Paleozoic Footprint Site.
• The Marvel slab, damming a section of the Cahaba River, was demolished.
• Cartoonist Frank Cummings began assisting John Marshall to draw the daily "Blondie" newspaper comic.
• Integrated Medical Systems president Gene Robinson founded Instruments of Mercy.
• Wild Sweet Orange began performing as "Old American Dream".

Business

• May: Yanni's restaurant closed.
• May 24: McCormick & Schmick's opened at Brookwood Village.
• May 26: Tuscaloosa's Vinyl Solution record shop closed its doors.
• Naked Art Gallery moved to the house fomerly occupied by Zoe's Forest Park on Clairmont Avenue.
• Frontier Cafeteria (formerly Pioneer Cafeteria) on Parkway East in Roebuck closed.
• Frank Carnaggio sold Carnaggio's to Jerry Mead.
• Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama leased the 101,000-square foot Meadow Brook 300 building for its Cahaba Government Benefit Administrators division.
• Rob Henrikson became President and Chief Operating Officer of MetLife, Inc.
• Brownell Travel merged with Sterling Travel of Atlanta, Georgia.
• Mark's Outdoor Sports was named Fishing Tackle Retailer magazine's "Independent Retailer of the Year".
• Vamp & Tramp bookseller closed their retail store and moved to Hoover.

Sports

• June 17: The 9th annual Rickwood Classic was played
• June 21, 22, 23: The second North America Cup was held at Lakeshore Foundation

Works

Buildings

• Summer: Patton Creek Shopping Center
• Shelby Hall at the University of Alabama
• Ensley Library closed for renovations
• The Phoenix Building was renovated as the Phoenix Lofts
• Birmingham-Southern College vacated the Simpson Building

Individuals

• Irvin Penfield retired from the provostship of Birmingham-Southern College.
• Frank Poe resigned from the executive directorship of the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex.
• Doris Powell was appointed to the Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority.
• Tim Ritchie became CEO of the McWane Science Center.
• Jason Simpson became morning meteorologist for ABC 33/40.

Births

• December 24: Kwanza, the Birmingham Zoo's male African lion

Awards

• Alabama Press Association lifetime achievement: Joel Smith
• Alabama AGC Construction Hall of Fame: Miller Gorrie
• Alabama Community College Conference Hall of Fame: Donald Green

Graduations

• Al Sutton earned his doctorate in ministry at Virginia Union School in Richmond, Virginia

Deaths

• January 29: Dick Hawley, sportscaster
• February 6: Humphry Osmond, psychiatrist and coiner of the word "psychedelic"
• March 25: A. C. Keily, photographer
• March 25: Max Sokol, retailer
• March 31: Aquil Abdur-Rasheed, music store owner
• May 13: Helen Saxon, dance instructor
• May 27: John C. Fletcher, Jr, biomedical ethicist
• June 26: Marie Ingalls, socialite, philanthropist, civic leader
• November 8: Jack Farr, educator
• November 18: Bobby Frank Cherry, church bomber
• December 29: Freddie C. Rogers, first mayor of Roosevelt City

See also List of Birmingham homicides in 2004

See also List of Jefferson County homicides in 2004

See Also

• 2004 City Stages
• 2004 Birmingham Barons
• 2004 Birmingham Steeldogs
• 2004 UAB Blazers
• 2004 Iron Bowl

2000s

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Births - Deaths - Establishments - Events - Works