Founded in 1871 at the crossing of two railroad lines,
Birmingham blossomed through the early 1900s as it rapidly became the South's
foremost industrial centre. Iron and steel production were natural for Birmingham. Today's Birmingham has come a
long way from inception to the 11960s the era of police dogs and fire hoses being turned on to Civil Rights
demonstrators, and the bombed-out 16th Street Baptist Church. The growing influence and reputation of the
University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and the strength of a thriving business/service economy ushered in the
new international city standard it is today.
With a metropolitan population of nearly a million people, Birmingham is Alabama's largest city and is a
world-renowned medical and financial centre. This vibrant, beautiful city is nestled in the rolling foothills
of the Appalachian Mountains and serves up nationally recognized dining, excellent lodging facilities, shopping
and entertainment, world-class attractions, events and other things to see and do.
