1968
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1968 was the 97th year after the founding of the City of Birmingham.
Events
- February 16: The nation's first 911 call was taken at the Haleyville police station.
- Birmingham voters approved $400,000 in bonds for the purchase of land to expand the Birmingham Museum of Art.
- Branchville was incorporated.
- Green Valley elected to incorporate but was struck down after challenged by nearby Hoover.
- Margaret Walker founded the Institute for the Study of History, Life, and Culture of Black People.
Business
- July: South Central Bell was founded as a split from Southern Bell.
- BASS was founded by Ray Scott in Montgomery.
- Big B Drugs began operation as part of Bruno's Supermarkets.
- Cinema West opened.
- Mercy Home was renamed Gateway.
- Sol's Sandwich Shop opened on the bottom floor of the John A. Hand Building.
- SMI Steel merged with CMC Steel Alabama.
- Sikes & Youngs Shoe Company opened in Vestavia Hills.
- Thunderbird Drive-In opened.
Education
- Helen Fuller succeeded Estelle McNutt as principal of Edgewood Elementary School.
- Robert F. Henry succeeded Howard M. Phillips as president of Birmingham-Southern College.
- Ann Jordan succeeded Aleen Mitchell as principal of Hall-Kent Elementary School.
Government
- May 7: Albert Brewer was appointed Governor of Alabama upon Lurleen Wallace's death.
- June: Attorney Arthur Shores became the first black Birmingham City Councilor after being appointed to fill the seat vacated upon the death of R. W. Douglas.
- Edward Ernest succeeded Don Watts as Mayor of Hoover.
Religion
- Reverend John Cross left as pastor of 16th Street Baptist Church.
- Philip Silverstein became rabbi at Temple Beth-El.
Sports
- May 23: Groundbreaking was held for Talladega Superspeedway.
- September 22: A NFL regular season game was played at Legion Field.
- December 3: Auburn lost to Alabama by a score of 24-16 in the 1968 Iron Bowl at Legion Field.
- The final NASCAR race was held at Birmingham International Raceway.
Individuals
- April 1: John Garrett became a traffic engineer for the City of Birmingham.
- Charles E. Bugg and William Bridgers accepted positions at UAB.
- Bull Connor was re-elected as Alabama Public Service Commission director.
- Newton H. DeBardeleben succeeded John A. Hand as CEO of First National Bank of Birmingham.
- Reverend Edward Gardner became president of the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights.
- Leonard and Bettie Lawley purchased the R. F. McKibbon residence in Montevallo.
- Don Morrison served as president of AIA Birmingham.
- Sonia Sanchez married poet Etheridge Knight.
- Muzaffar I. Sheikh arrived in the United States for graduate study.
- Judge Robert Vance led the first racially mixed Alabama delegation to a Democratic National Convention.
- Marvin Warner was appointed a delegate to the 23rd General Assembly of the United Nations.
Births
- January 3: Thomas Rayam, football player and coach
- February: Thomas Robey, chef
- April 20: DeDee Nathan, Olympic heptathlete
- April 24: Todd Jones, baseball player
- May 6: Tyler Layton, actor
- May 27: Frank Thomas, baseball player
- June 14: Slade Blackwell, lobbyist
- August 6: Siran Stacy, football player
- August 24: Zeb Little, attorney and politician
- August 25: Jeremy Erdreich, architect
- August 27: Randy Sandford, UAB staffer
- September 6: Kevin Dudley, robber
- September 14: DeMond Winston, football player
- November 21: Candace Michelle Brown, Miss Alabama USA 1992
- Johnny Brown, Columbiana police chief
- Ann Hodges Goolsby, Maytown mayor
- Jeff Hager, Jefferson County CFO
- Julie Keith, magazine editor
- Eric Major, politician
- Hoyt Sanders, Mayor of Pinson
- Ken Shaia, retailer
- Pam Siddall, newspaper publisher
- John Trobaugh, photographer
Graduations
- June: Mountain Brook High School's first graduation ceremoney was held.
- Nell Carter from A. H. Parker High School
- Howard Cruse from Birmingham-Southern College
- Richard North Patterson from Ohio Wesleyan University
- Don Siegelman from University of Alabama
Deaths
- April 12: Victorine, gorilla
- May 7: Lurleen Wallace, Governor of Alabama
- November 6: Chauncey Sparks, former Governor of Alabama
- December 12: Tallulah Bankhead, actress
- Martha Fort Anderson, printmaker
- See also List of Birmingham homicides in 1968
Works
Buildings
- Calder Building renovated as Citizens Federal Savings Bank's headquarters
- Green Acres Baptist Church education building
- Inglenook Community Center
- Lawson Field
Books
- September: Early Days in Birmingham
Films and TV
- The Alabama Television Corporation, headed by John Jemison, was awarded the broadcast rights to UHF Channel 21 by the FCC.
Music
- Dennis Edwards replaced David Ruffin as lead singer of The Temptations.
- Samford Memorial Pipe Organ was constructed at Southside Baptist Church.
- The Torquays disbanded.
Theater
- Birmingham Dinner Theatre was founded.
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