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1941
Delta Airlines made Atlanta its base for its fleet of 21-passenger
aircraft.
1941
Actor Stacy Keach was born in Savannah.
1941
Soul singer Otis Redding was born in Dawson, Georgia.
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|
1942
The U.S. War Department began plans to build a $15 million Bell
Bomber plant in Marietta, Ga.
1942
World War II hostilities came to Georgia when the German submarine
U-123 sank the SS Oklahoma and Esso oil tanker Baton Rouge in a
torpedo attack off St. Simons Island.
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|
1944
U.S. astronaut David Walker was born in Columbus, Georgia.
1944
Rhythm-and-blues singer Gladys Knight was born in Atlanta.
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1945
On April 12th, President Franklin D. Roosevelt died at the Little
White House in Warm Springs, Ga. while sitting for a portrait.
1945
Novelist Pat Conroy was born in Atlanta on October 26.
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| 1946
Singer and guitarist Duanne Allman was born Nov. 20. |
| 1947
Jackie Robinson became the first black player in major league baseball.
He played for the Brooklyn Dodgers. |
1948
On March 11, Gov. Roy Barnes was born in Atlanta.
1948
Future U. S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas was born near Savannah,
Georgia on June 28.
1948 Owners of
Atlanta's WSB radio station launched WSB-TV -- Georgia's first television
station. |
| 1949
The author of Gone With the Wind, Margaret Mitchell died in Atlanta,
five days after being hit by a speeding taxi. |
|
1952
Gov. Herman Talmadge signed a resolution officially naming the new
multi-purpose lake north of Atlanta as Lake Sidney Lanier in honor
of the famous Georgia poet.
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1953
Blues singer, guitarist, and song writer Robert Cray was born in
Columbus, Georgia.
1953
Terry Bollea, better known as Hulk Hogan, was born in Augusta, Georgia.
1953
Actress Kim Basinger was born in Athens, Ga.
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|
1955
Iris Faircloth Blitch was sworn into office. She was the first
woman from Georgia to win a regularly scheduled election and to
serve a full term in Congress.
1955
Marvin Griffin was sworn in as Georgia governor.
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| 1956
S.B. 98 which stated that the red and white bars of Georgia's
state flag be replaced with the Confederate battle flag, was passed
by both houses and signed into law by Governor Marvin Griffin. |
|
1957
Martin Luther King, Jr. became the first president of the Southern
Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC).
1957
March 20, filmmaker Spike Lee was born in Atlanta.
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1958
Seven covered wagons brought 43 ounces of gold from Dahlonega to
Atlanta to cover the state capitol dome.
1958
Comedian Jeff Foxworthy was born in Atlanta on September 6.
1958
Joanne Woodward won the Academy Award for Best Actress for the movie
Three Faces of Eve.
|
| 1959
Ernest Vandiver was inaugurated as governor of Georgia. |
|
1960
Actress Joanne Woodward, of Thomasville, Ga., became the first personality
honored with a star in the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame.
1960
On November 25, songwriter and Christian/popular music singer Amy
Grant was born in Augusta, Ga.
|
|
1961
Charlayne Hunter and Hamilton Holmes become the first black students
to enroll at the University of Georgia.
1961
At age 74, baseball immortal Ty Cobb died of cancer in Atlanta.
|
|
1963
Attorney and former state representative Carl Sanders was inaugurated
as governor of Georgia.
1963
County singer Travis Tritt was born in Marietta, Georgia.
1963
Martin Luther King Jr. gave his memorable "I Have a Dream"
speech at the Lincoln Memorial.
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|
1964
Atlanta began building a stadium, for the Braves who were moving
from Milwaukee to Atlanta.
1964
After 36 years of sitting idle, carving began again on the Stone
Mountain sculpture by sculptor Roy Faulkner.
1964
Martin Luther King, Jr. was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 1964.
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|
1967
Lester Maddox was elected governor by the Georgia General Assembly.
1967
Actress Julia Roberts was born in Smyrna, Georgia on October 28.
|
| 1968
At age 39, civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. was shot by
a sniper while he stood on the balcony of Lorraine Motel in Memphis,
Tenn. |
|
1971
Jimmy Carter was inaugurated as governor of Georgia.
1971
Lawyer and amateur golfing great Bobby Jones died in Atlanta.
|
|
1972
Cumberland Island National Seashore was established on Georgia's
southernmost barrier island.
1972
Baseball great Jackie Robinson died.
1972
Andrew Young became the first African American elected to
Congress from the Deep South since 1870.
|
|
1973
Famed Georgia poet Conrad Aiken died in Savannah.
1973
Maynard Jackson was elected mayor of Atlanta -- becoming the first
black mayor of a major southern city.
|
| 1974
April 8, Hank Aaron of the Atlanta Braves hit his 715th lifetime home
run, breaking the long-standing record of Babe Ruth. Hank Aaron
hit a career total of 755 home runs. |
|
1976
Savannah-born Johnny Mercer died at age 66. Mercer had 702 songs
published and 13 number one songs. Among his best-remembered lyrics
were those for "Moon River," "Days of Wine
and Roses," "Charade," "That Old
Black Magic,""You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby,"
"Autumn Leaves," and "Jeepers Creepers."
1976
The Atlanta Airport was renamed Hartsfield International Airport
.
1976 Jimmy Carter
was elected President of the United States.
|
| 1977
President Jimmy Carter awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to
Martin Luther King 18 years after his death. |
|
1979
"Georgia on my Mind" was designated as Georgia's official
state song.
1979
A wagon train brought 60 ounces of gold from Dahlonega to be used
in regilding the gold dome of the Georgia state capitol.
|
| 1980
Ted Turner launched the Cable News Network, better known worldwide
as CNN. |
|
1983
Joe Frank Harris was inaugurated for his first term as governor.
1983 Alice Walker of Eatonton,
Georgia, won a Pulitzer Prize for her novel The Color Purple.
|
| 1985
On March 7, Philanthropist and former Coca-Cola CEO Robert
W. Woodruff died in Atlanta. That same year, aboard the Challenger
shuttle, Coca-Cola became the first soft drink in space. |
| 1986
On October 1, the Carter Center was dedicated in Atlanta on the birth
date of former President Carter. |
| 1987
Athens music group R.E.M. first entered the U.K. singles chart with
This One Goes Out to The One I Love. |
| 1990
The International Olympic Committee announced its decision of Atlanta
as the host city for the 1996 summer Olympics. |
| 1991
President George Bush nominated Savannah-born Clarence Thomas for
a seat on the U.S. Supreme Court. |
| 1992
Former member of the Georgia House of Representatives, Cynthia McKinney
became the first black woman elected from Georgia to the U.S. Congress. |
|
1994
On December 20, Dean Rusk, former Secretary of State, died in Athens
at age 85.
1994
Holly Hunter won the Academy Award for Best Actress for the movie
The Piano.
|
| 1995
The Atlanta Braves defeated the Cleveland Indians to win the 1995
World Series. It was their first World Series win in 38
years. |
|
1996
On July 19th, the opening ceremonies were held in Atlanta at Olympic
Stadium for the 1996 Summer Olympics.
1996
Georgia artist Lamar Dodd died in Athens, Georgia.
|
|
1997
Kim Basinger won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for
the movie L. A. Confidential.
|
| 1998
America's National Prisoner of War Museum was dedicated at Andersonville
National Historic Site in Georgia. |
| 1999
President Clinton awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to former
president Jimmy Carter. |
|
2000
Julia Roberts won Academy Award for Best Actress for the movie Erin
Brockovich.
2000
Senator Paul Coverdell died on unexpectedly July 18 in Atlanta.
2000
Civil rights leader and minister Hosea Williams died in Atlanta
on November 16.
|
| 2001
H.B. 16 was passed by both houses of the General Assembly and signed
into law by Governor Roy Barnes to change the Georgia State flag. |
