2014

2014 is the 143rd year after the founding of the City of Birmingham.

Events

• January 1: A plane crash in an Alabaster back yard resulted in minor injuries.
• January 1: The Homewood High School marching band made their fourth appearance in the Tournament of Roses Parade.
• January 1: Richard Shahan was arrested as a "fugitive from justice" before boarding a flight from Nashville, Tennessee to Frankfurt, Germany.
• January 1: The Blazer Express bus system went into service.
• January 27: Sibyl Temple in Vestavia Hills was first illuminated blue after a traffic fatality.
• February 6: Good Friends Chinese & Seafood Restaurant owner Chun Hin Chang shot at a customer who complained about a roach in her food.
• January 28: Unexpected snow and ice stranded thousands of people in their cars in the 2014 winter storm.
• February 12: A rare snowfall brought 4-5 inches to parts of Birmingham.
• February 14: A plane crash in northeast Jefferson County resulted in 2 fatalities.
• June 6-7: The inaugural Steel City Jazz Festival was held at Linn Park.
• October 24-27: The Dalai Lama made a four-day visit to Birmingham.
• November 3: Date set for civil trial against architects and contractors faulted for the 2013 Birmingham airport fatality.

Business

• March 1: Mark Crosswhite succeeded Charles McCrary as CEO of Alabama Power.
• Alabama Media Group moved from the 2006 Birmingham News building to the Young & Vann Building.
• Mercedes-Benz US International began producing C-Class sedans in Tuscaloosa.
• Momentum Telecom merged with Integrated Broadband Services (IBBS) of Kennessaw, Georgia.
• Direct Communications moved from Cahaba Heights to 1st Avenue South in Birmingham.
• Steyr Arms moved from Trussville Industrial Park to Bessemer.
• Storkland Furniture returned to 2nd Avenue North from Vestavia Hills.
• Dynamic Civil Solutions‎ moved from the Frank Nelson Building to 2210 2nd Avenue North.

Establishments

• January 20: The Southern opened at Uptown.
• January 21: Continental Bakery opened a second location in One Federal Place.
• February 20: Tanya Jones SalonSpa opened a second location at English Village.
• Cahaba Oaks Cafe opened at McEnally's Mercantile in Clay.
• March 11: Brick & Tin opened a second location in Mountain Brook Village.
• March 12: 24e Fitness opened their Trussville location.
• March 13: Post Office Pies opened in Avondale.
• Dupont Public House opened at SoHo Square.
• Melt opened on 41st Street South in Avondale.
• Taziki's opened five new locations, including one in Auburn.
• Saw's Street Kitchen food truck debuted.
• Rags' Bar & Grill closed.

Disestablishments

• January: Tavern on the Summit closed.
• January: All Seasons Travel merged with Christopherson Andavo of Salt Lake City, Utah.
• January 29: Produce/grocery retailer Freshfully closed.
• February 28: The Haskell Slaughter law firm closed its Park Place offices.
• The Johnston Barton law firm closed its Colonial Center offices.
• March 13: A. H. Cather Publishing Company closed.
• March 14: Surin & Company at Concord Center closed.
• March 18: Good Friends Chinese & Seafood Restaurant was shut down by the Birmingham City Council
• SpoonFed Grill was sold.
• Mia Luna opened.

Education

• Pelham City Schools broke away from Shelby County Schools.

Government

• Redistricting affected constituencies in the Alabama State Senate and Alabama House of Representatives.
• February 25: Trussville residents passed a seven mill property tax increase, earmarked for Trussville City Schools.

Sports

• January 2: The 2013 Alabama Crimson Tide football team lost to the Oklahoma Sooners 45-31 in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, Louisiana
• January 4: The Vanderbilt Commodores defeated the Houston Cougars 41-24 in the 2014 BBVA Compass Bowl at Legion Field
• January 6: Jameis Winston led the Florida State Seminoles to a 34-31 victory over the Auburn Tigers in the BCS National Championship game in Pasadena, California.
• January 8: Former Auburn and Birmingham Barons star Frank Thomas was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
• February 16: Mark Chepses of West Des Moines, Iowa won the Mercedes Marathon with a time of 2:20:36.
• March 3: The Alabama Outlawz began playing arena football in the X-League with an away game against the Georgia Rampage in Dalton, Georgia.
• March 12: Tony Barbee was fired as the head coach of the men's basketball program at Auburn University.
• March 17: Bruce Pearl was hired as the head coach of the men's basketball program at Auburn University.
• March 28: The Chicago White Sox played an exhibition against the Birmingham Barons at Regions Field.
• June 25: The 2014 Rickwood Classic was played.
• August: ESPN's SEC Network debuted, featuring Paul Finebaum's call-in show.

Individuals

• January 31: Scott Richards conducted his final broadcast on WBRC 6.
• February 2: Michael Rich became Priest in Charge of St Andrew's Episcopal Church.
• Devon Laney succeeded Susan Matlock as director of the Innovation Depot.
• Mark Crosswhite succeeded Charles McCrary as president and CEO of Alabama Power.

Births

• January 1: Griffin, a giraffe, was born at the Birmingham Zoo.
• January 29: Wynter Dobbins, born during the 2014 winter storm.

Awards

• Alabama Women's Hall of Fame:
• Alabama Lawyers Hall of Fame:
• Alabama Men's Hall of Fame:
• Alabama Sports Hall of Fame: Major Ogilvie, Ruthie Bolton, Red Cochran, Bill Cody, Eli Gold, Travis Grant, Walter Jones and David Magadan
• Birmingham Barons Hall of Fame:
• Birmingham Business Hall of Fame:
• Birmingham Gallery of Distinguished Citizens:
• Bobby Bowden Collegiate Coach of the Year Award: Gus Malzahn
• Legend of Birmingham Award: Tony Nathan
• Miss Alabama:
• Miss Alabama USA: Jesica Ahlberg
• Miss Birmingham: Chelsea Yarber
• Miss Samford: Shea Summerlin
• Miss UAB:
• Mr Football:

Retirements

• March 21: Quarterback Greg McElroy retired from the National Football League.

Deaths

• January 3: Betty Caldwell, actress, director and English teacher
• January 12: James Pittman, former dean of the UAB School of Medicine
• January 12: Bob Burton, former CEO of Hoar Construction
• January 30: Danielle Downey, former LPGA golfer and Auburn Tigers women's golf coach
• February 2: Wade Black, filmmaker and director of the Birmingham Pledge Foundation
• March 3: Joab Thomas, former president of the University of Alabama
• March 4: Jimmy Watson, owner of the Garage Café
• March 17: Johnny Kile, former chief of the Moody Police Department and Leeds City Council member

See also List of Birmingham homicides in 2014 and List of homicides in 2014

Works

• February 18: St Paul & the Broken Bones' first full-length album, "Half the City", was released.
• March 3: The vinyl-clad Pepsi billboard over the Two North Twentieth sign was dedicated.
• March 28: The second Birmingham Lights public art installation, "Positive Disruption" was dedicated in the 14th Street underpass at the downtown Railroad Reservation.

Buildings

• January 14: Green Drive reopened in Trussville.
• January 16: The Abroms-Engel Institute for the Visual Arts opened to the public.
• March 18: Gardendale Fire Station No. 2 was dedicated.
• The 34th Street North overpass in Collegeville was completed.
• The hotel at the Ross Bridge Resort completed a $5 million renovation.
• The Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport Terminal Modernization Project was completed.
• Hewitt-Trussville Stadium was completed at Hewitt-Trussville High School.
• The I-22 I-65 interchange opened.
• The Rotary Trail at 1st Avenue South was constructed.
• Trussville Civitan Park reopened after extensive renovations.
• University Flats in Glen Iris opened.

Demolitions

• March: The University of Alabama demolished the HES Design House for a new Kappa Delta sorority house.

See Also

• 2014 Birmingham Barons
• 2014 Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival
• 2014 UAB Blazers football

Context

In 2014, the Winter Olympics were held in Sochi, Russia.

Notable deaths in 2014 included former Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon and musician Pete Seeger.

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