1965
1965 was the 94th year after the founding of the city of Birmingham.
Events
- The Alabama Pops Orchestra was founded.
- The first Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center Authority was assembled.
- Jefferson State Community College was established.
- The 1965 Parade of Homes was held.
Business
- December 6: Television station WBMG 42 began broadcasting.
- The original Devinci's Pizza opened in Homewood.
- Architecture and planning firm KPS Group was founded as a sole practitioner's office by Murray Kidd.
Non-profits
- The Bluff Park Art Association was established.
- The Freunde Deutscher Sprache und Kultur (Birmingham German Club) was begun.
Sports
- See also: 1965 Birmingham Barons
Individuals
Births
- February 20: Martha Bozeman, attorney
- March 6: Allan Lowe, Mayor of Columbiana
- April 1: Marija Lunetti, visionary
- May 26: Mitch Gaspard, college baseball coach
- June 3: Mike Shula, football coach
- August 22: Dave Rossi, radio personality and program director
- August 23: Arthur Price, minister
- August 25: Cornelius Bennett, football player
- September 6: Van Tiffin, football player
- October 28: Gus Malzahn, college football coach
- November 6: Ever Magallanes, baseball player and manager
- Howard Bayless, businessman
- Allison Black-Cornelius, advocate
- Wes Chapman, ballet master
- Andy Craig, school superintendent
- Bernard Frei, businessman
- Randy Gachet, sculptor
- Pamela Harman, high school teacher
- Roderick Jackson, high school teacher and coach
- Roderick Royal, Birmingham City Councilor
- Isabel Rubio, social activist
- Karim Shamsi-Basha, photographer
- Geoff Stone, police officer
- Keith Thomson, writer
- Harry Turner, Jr, postal employee and evangelist
Deaths
- May 26: Homer Norton, college football coach
- May 29: Gordon Persons, former Governors of Alabama
- June 25: Joseph Woodward II, business executive and historian
- July: Sigmund Nesselroth, architect
- July 17: James Saxon Childers, journalist and author
- November 14: Ewart Walker, baseball player
- December: Clarence Going, educator
- Courtney Shropshire, physician and founder of Civitan International
Works
Buildings
- Birmingham Board of Education Building
- Ensley Community Center
- First Federal building
- Long-Lewis Ford, 4200 Bessemer Superhighway
- Mount Lebanon Baptist Church (destroyed by a fire in 2005)
- Pizitz Alberta
- Pizitz building parking deck
- Town and Country
- Trussville Public Library
Context
In 1965, the Vietnam War continued. Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in for his own full term as U.S. President. The state funeral of Sir Winston Churchill featured the largest assembly of statesmen in the world up until that time. A new red and white maple leaf design was inaugurated as the flag of Canada. Some 200 Alabama State Troopers clashed with 525 civil rights demonstrators in Selma, Alabama during Bloody Sunday. NASA launched Ranger 8 and Ranger 9, the last in a series of unmanned lunar space probes. The Astrodome opened in Houston, Texas. Muhammad Ali knocked out Sonny Liston in the first round of their championship rematch with the "Phantom Punch". The Second Kashmir War fought by India and Pakistan over the disputed region of Kashmir.
Also in 1965, Mariner 4 flies by Mars, becoming the first spacecraft to return images from the Red Planet. Bob Dylan elicits controversy among folk purists by "going electric" at the Newport Folk Festival. The Social Security Act of 1965 was signed into law, establishing Medicare and Medicaid. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was signed into law. The Watts Riots in Los Angeles resulted in 34 deaths, 1,032 injuries, 3,438 arrests and over $40 million in property damage. The Beatles performed the first stadium concert in the history of rock, playing before 55,600 persons at Shea Stadium in New York City. Sandy Koufax pitched a perfect game against the Chicago Cubs. Hurricane Betsy roared ashore near New Orleans, Louisiana with winds of 145 mph (233 km/h), causing 76 deaths and $1.42 billion in damage. Comet Ikeya–Seki became one of the brightest comets seen in the last thousand years. Rhodesia caused on international furor by declaring independence from the United Kingdom. Five Gemini space flights were launched, which included the first American space walk.
The top-grossing films in 1965 included The Sound of Music, Doctor Zhivago, Thunderball, Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines, A Thousand Clowns, and The Great Race. The Sound of Music won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director (Robert Wise). Best Actor went to Lee Marvin for Cat Ballou and Best Actress to Julie Christie for Darling.
Television premieres in 1965 included Lost in Space, Green Acres, Tom and Jerry, The Dean Martin Show, Hogan's Heroes, I Dream of Jeannie, Get Smart, Days of Our Lives, and A Charlie Brown Christmas.
Top pop music hits in 1965 included "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" by the Rolling Stones, "Downtown" by Petula Clark, "Yesterday" and "Help!" by The Beatles, and "Unchained Melody" by the Righteous Brothers. The top selling albums included were the Mary Poppins soundtrack, Beatles '65 by the Beatles, The Sound Of Music soundtrack, the My Fair Lady soundtrack, and the Fiddler On The Roof original cast album. Other notable albums released included Today! by the Beach Boys, Rubber Soul by the Beatles, Mr. Tambourine Man and Turn! Turn! Turn! by the Byrds, Highway 61 Revisited by Bob Dylan, and My Generation by the Who.
The Grammy for Record of the Year went to "A Taste of Honey" by Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass. Album of the Year was "September of My Years" by Frank Sinatra. Song of the Year was "The Shadow of Your Smile" (Love Theme From The Sandpiper) performed by Tony Bennett. The Best New Artist Grammy went to Tom Jones.
Notable births in 1965 included musician Rob Zombie, actor Chris Rock, film director Michael Bay, rapper Dr. Dre, actress Sarah Jessica Parker, actor Robert Downey Jr, actor Martin Lawrence, musician Trent Reznor, actress Brooke Shields, author J. K. Rowling, singer Shania Twain, actor Charlie Sheen, basketball player Scottie Pippen, television presenter Ty Pennington, musician Björk, and actor Ben Stiller. Notable deaths included writer T. S. Eliot; actress Jeanette MacDonald; former U.K. Prime Minister Winston Churchill; singer Nat King Cole; activist Malcolm X (assassinated); actor Stan Laurel; King Farouk I of Egypt; journalist Edward R. Murrow; musician Spike Jones; author Shirley Jackson; baseball player Moonlight Graham; physician, philosopher, and musician Albert Schweitzer; animated film producer Fred Quimby; silent film actress Clara Bow; and magician Harry Blackstone, Sr.
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