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CDC founded.
The Center for Disease Control was founded in Atlanta, and would have an impact on not just Atlanta, but the south and the whole country. The CDC was placed in Atlanta due to it's size and it's place in the south, as it was experiencing issues with malaria, a disease that made it difficult to grow the population. The CDC was originally called the Office of National Defense Malaria Control Activities. It would also be renamed several other times before settling on CDC. -
Atlanta annexes Buckhead and other areas
One of the largest reasons for Atlanta's growth is its use of annexation. In fact, it was Atlanta's main strategy for growth. Atlanta annexed a total of 210 square kilometers of land, tripling its land. Among this land was Bolton, Riverside, Chattahoochee, Cascade, Adamsville, Grove Park, and Center Hill. -
Marin Luther King Jr. begins his activism
Marin Luther King Jr. began his activism by sitting in Atlanta's segregated bus areas during his mid 20s.MLK would also go on to engage in other protests, and was one of many African American social activists at the time. King had quite the social impact in Atlanta, and more further all of America. -
Atlanta hits a population of 1 million
During William B. Hartsfield's tenure, Atlanta surpassed a population of 1 million. Atlanta took 122 years to reach, yet the next million would only take 21 more. And more recently, 5 million in 2007. -
Downtown Atlanta commercializes
Downtown Atlanta had a major boom in business during 1961. The opening of Merchandise Mart was one of the contributors to the commercialization. It was later renamed AmericasMart. Merchandise Mart is now one of the largest wholesale markets in the world. The retail store Rich's also desegregated, opening the door to many new customers. -
William B. Hartsfield finishes his tenure as Atlanta mayor
William B. Hartsfield was one of if not the most influential mayor in Atlanta. He would serve 6 terms, a total of 24 years! He would go on to create a coalition to deal with racial tensions and integrate segregated areas together. He would also go on to contribute to Candler Field, which would later be renamed after him. -
Ivan Allen Jr. desegregates city facilities.
On his first day as mayor, Ivan Allen Jr. ordered all Atlanta city buildings to take down "colored" and "white" signs. He also desegregated many other city facilities like the cafeteria. He also allowed black policemen to arrest white people. His efforts along with other civil rights activists helped previously segregated areas Atlanta expand. -
Ivan Allen Jr. elected as Atlanta Mayor
Ivan Allen Jr. had an exceptionally large impact on Atlanta. He furthered social progress and helped desegregate the city. Allen also helped create the Georgia Dome, which furthered Atlanta's growth. And he would also bring in several sports teams, which brought many sports fans and funding to Atlanta. -
Freeway construction complete
The construction of the "Perimeter" complete, it was much easier to get to and from Atlanta. The Perimeter is the colloquial term for I-20, I-75, and I-85. During the construction however, many towns such as Washington-Rawson and Copperhill were destroyed to make room. The highways were also built through African American areas, lowering property cost among other issues, -
Atlanta's African American voters gained power
By 1970, black voters comprised the majority of atlanta's voting population. This gave them an added level of political power, leading to Atlanta's first black mayor being elected. Atlanta's first black mayor, Maynard Jackson helped improve race relations and civil rights. He also modernized the Hartsfield Airport, and upon his death it was renamed to the Hartsfield-Jackson Airport.