Helen Keller (1880 - 1968)
Left blind and deaf by an illness in infancy, Keller learned to read, write and speak. Later she was graduated from Radcliffe College and earned a living by lecturing and writing.
Joe Louis (1914 - 1981)
The Brown Bomber, world heavy-weight boxing champion from 1937 to 1949, lost only 3 of 71 professional fights.
Willie Mays (1931-)
Superior center fielder and daring base-stealer, Mays slammed 41 homers, batted .345, and led the N.Y. Giants to a world championship in 1954. He was named the National League's Most Valuable Player that year, and again in 1965.
Hank Williams (1923 - 1953)
Through his success as a singer and composer - he wrote more than 400 songs, including "Your Cheatin Heart" - Williams helped to popularize country music outside the South.
Jesse Owens (1913 - 1980)
His prowess in track and field won this legendary black athlete four gold medals and two new records at the 1936 Olympics, held in Nazi Germany.
W.C. Handy (1873 - 1958)
Often called the Father of the Blues, Handy brought traditional black musical form into mainstream by writing it down and performing it with his band. His most famous composition is "St. Louis Blues."
Pattio Malone (1858 - 1896)
Born a slave on the plantation of Colonel James Malone in the Tennessee valley of Alabama, she was educated by her master and became a world-famous contralto.
Julia Strudwick Tutwiler (1841 - 1916)
Author of the state song,"Alabama".
Established the admittance of women students to the University of Alabama.
She was an educator and social reformer.
John Archibald Campbell (1811 - 1889)
He was permitted to practice law at the age of 13.
He later became a brilliant lawyer, judge, and statesman.
The country music group, "ALABAMA".
Oddities
Long before the white man came to what is now Alabama, the Cherokee, Creek, Choctaw, and Chickasaw Indians lived in the region. They built stockades around their villages and raised corn, beans, squash, and tobacco. Today, fewer than 1,000 Indians live in Alabama.
There were no newspapers in Alabama for more than 100 years after the first permanent white settlement.
The first licensed radio broadcasting station in the state was WBRC, established at Birmingham in 1925. WAPI was established in 1926, by Alabama Polytechnic Institute. WSGN was established in 1927, by the Birmingham News.
On November 13, 1833, "stars fell on Alabama" in the heaviest meteor shower ever recorded.
In the 1850's farmers in northern Alabama considered forming a new state, "Nickajack," which would be loyal to the Union.
Alabama produces 1 of every 8 broiler chickens eaten in the U.S.
In Birmingham, medical schools and hospitals now employ more people than the steel industry.
People And The Land
Alabama is named for a tribe of Indians of the Creek Confederacy who once lived in the region. They called themselves the Alibama, meaning thicket clearers or plant gathers. Because cotton was the chief crop on its plantations for many years, Alabama is sometimes called The Cotton State. Alabama lies in the heart of the Deep South.
In 1817, U.S. Congress creates Alabama Territory, with St. Stephens as temporary capital.
In 1819, Alabama joined the Union as the 22nd. state.
Now:
Population: 4,180,000 +
Area: 51,705 sq. mi.
Capital: Montgomery
Largest city: Birmingham
Major rivers: Alabama, Coosa, Mobile, Tennessee and Tombigbee
Ocean: Gulf of Mexico (borders in South Alabama)
States bordering Alabama: Tennessee, Mississippi, Florida & Georgia.
Leading industries: Pulp and paper, agriculture (soybeans, peanuts, cotton), textiles and electronics.
Motto: We dare defend our rights.
Nicknames: Cotton State, Heart of Dixie, & Yellowhammer State.
Song: Alabama
Information
Alabama bureau of Tourism and Travel
532 South Perry Street
Montgomery, Alabama 36104
Alabama Forestry Commission
1-800-292-6653
Alabama State Troopers
1-205-322-4691
Civil Defense
1-205-384-7233
Poison Control Center
1-800-292-6678 or 1-800-462-0800
FBI
1-205-326-6166
Family Violence Shelter
(Collect Calls Accepted) 1-205-387-1157
