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Interesting Facts
- Birmingham was named for a British industrial city and gained its nickname, Magic City, shortly after its incorporation in 1871.
- Birmingham is home to the University of Alabama at Birmingham, allowing the city to be claimed as one of the leading medical and technological centers. The university houses the Reynolds Historical Library that boasts one of the finest medical collections in the nation. Miniature mannequins made from ivory that were used for medical instruction in the 17th and 18th centuries are just part of this rare collection.
- As Alabama's largest city, it should come as no surprise that the city claims the world's largest cast iron statue. Cast from Birmingham iron, Vulcan represents the mythological god of metalworking, fire and forge. The "Iron Man" also serves as a reminder to motorists to drive carefully. His torch, which usually burns green, turns red after an auto fatality.
- Now this is Southern Living! The popular magazine is headquartered in Birmingham and maintains demonstration gardens at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Stop by for some helpful hints that you can take home to your own garden!
- For a real taste of down-home cooking, a stop at the Irondale Café will certainly tempt your tastebuds! The Irondale is the inspiration for the Whistle Stop Café in the movie, Fried Green Tomatoes.
- When it comes to football, most Alabama natives will agree that it is more of a religion than a sport! The long running battle between the War Eagles of Auburn and the Crimson Tide of The University of Alabama commenced on February 22, 1893 and has been a vicious war ever since!
- The Birmingham Museum of Art boasts over 21,000 pieces of art – far too many to appreciate in just one day! The museum, the largest municipally operated museum in the Southeast, houses the largest collection of Wedgwood pottery outside of England.
- You will eat this up! Golden Flake, Alabama's largest producer of potato chips and other popular snacks, is also the second largest in the Southeast. The factory, which produces 100,000 pounds of chips each day, provides tours at no cost!
- In the early days, Birmingham's emergence as the industrial center of the South was due to iron production. It is no coincidence that limestone, iron ore, and coal are found together naturally in Birmingham. So what? These three natural resources are the three necessary components for iron production. Birmingham just happens to be the only place in the world where the three are found together.
- At one time, Birmingham was known as the "most segregated city in America, " a tagline they have fought to overcome. It was on September 15, 1963 that a bomb exploded at the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church. Four young girls were killed in the blast. The church, the oldest black church in Birmingham, was a center for black cultural activity. Today the church serves as a reminder of the horrendous act – a memorial for the girls is placed to the right of the altar.
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