In 1871, 3 towns amalgamated to form Birmingham. It was named after Birmingham in Warwickshire, England, as many of its early settlers were of British ancestry. The town soon became a leading 'New South' and developed rapidly with the expansion of railroads. The city was connected with the Gulf of Mexico by a canal and became a major trade and communications center.

Birmingham was the scene of unrest during the civil-rights struggles of the 1960s. On 15 September 1963, four young black girls were killed there in a church bombing. In 1979 the city elected its first African-American mayor. The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, comprising a museum, archives of the period and research facilities, opened in 1992.

Local educational institutions include the University of Alabama Medical Center, Birmingham-Southern College, Miles College and Samford University.

Birmingham is currently the largest city in Alabama. It has long been a leading iron and steel center and it is still often referred to as the 'Pittsburgh of the South'. Industry has diversified since the 1970's to include textiles, chemicals, automotive parts and aircraft production. Health-care services, commerce, banking, insurance, research and government are also important. Birmingham is also the cultural and entertainment capital of Alabama and there are many art galleries.

• The Alabama Theatre is a movie palace that was built in 1927. It can seat 2,500 spectators and it is located at 1817 Third Avenue North.
• The Alys Robinson Stephens Performing Arts Center (ASC) is located on the campus of the University of Alabama at 1200 10th Ave South. It opened in 1998.
• The 16th Street Baptist Church is located next to the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute.
• The Birmingham Botanical Gardens is home to more than 12,000 plant species. The Botalical Gardens cover 27.3 ha (67.5 acres) and it is located at 2612 Lane Park Road, at the southern foot of Red Mountain, adjacent to Lane Park. The gardens were laid out in 1963.
• The Birmingham CrossPlex is an indoor track and aquatic facility. It opened in 2011.
• The Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex is an entertainment, sports and convention complex, located at 2100 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd N. It opened in 1976.
• The main building of the Birmingham Public Library is the Linn-Henley Research Library. it was constructed in 1927 and it was renovated in 1985.
• The Boutwell Memorial Auditorium is a multi-purpose arena that can seat 5,000 spectators. It was constructed in 1924 and it is located at Linn Park.
• The Carver Theatre opened in 1935. By the 1980s it had been ran down an it was closed. It was renovated and reopened in the 1990s and nowadays houses the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame.
• The Cathedral of Saint Paul was completed in 1893.
• Kelly Ingram Park was formerly known as West Park. It measures 1.6 ha (4 acres) and it is located in the Birmingham Civil Rights District, adjacent to the 16th Street Baptist Church. The park was the location of large-scale demonstrations during the American Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. The park was laid out in 1871 and in 1932, it was renamed for firefighter Osmond Kelly Ingram, who was the first sailor in the United States Navy to be killed in World War I.
• The Oak Mountain Amphitheatre is an outdoor amphitheater, located at 1000 Amphitheatre Drive in Pelham, several miles south of Birmingham. It was built in 1986 and it is the largest outdoor music venue in Alabama.
• Overlooking the city, on nearby Red Mount, is a huge iron Statue of Vulcan, the Roman god of the forge. It was originally cast for the 1904 St. Louis Exposition and moved to Vulcan Park in 1938. It is the world's largest cast iron statue.
• The Shipt Tower is the tallest building in Birmingham. It is 138 m (454 ft) tall and it has 34 storeys. It was built in 1986 and it is located at 420 20th Street North.
• The W.F. 'Bill' Harris State Fair Arena is usually referred to as Bill Harris Arena, or Fair Park Arena. It is an indoor arena that can seat 5,000 spectators and it is located at 2331 Bessemer Road, at the Birmingham CrossPlex. It opened in 1987.

• The Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame is dedicated to the jazz musicians from Alabama. It is housed in the historic Carver Theatre.
• The Alabama Museum of Health Sciences.
• The Alabama Sports Hall of Fame.
• The Arlington Home.
• The Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum contains the world's largest collection of antique motorcycles.
• The Bessemer Hall of History.
• The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute has exhibitions on Birmingham's history in the context of the U.S. Civil Rights Movement. It is located on Kelly Ingram Park adjacent to the 16th Street Baptist Church.
• Birmingham Museum of Art is the largest museum in Birmingham. The building dates from around 1750.
• The Iron & Steel Museum of Alabama is located at the Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park, not far from McCalla.
• The exhibits of the McWane Science Center require active participation of its visitors. The science museum also includes an IMAX dome theater. The exhibitions include fossil specimens that are available for researchers.
• The Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark.
• The Southern Museum of Flight.
• The Talladega Superspeedway International Motorsports Hall of Fame is actually a museum.

There are several hotels and numerous restaurants in Birmingham. The city's nightlife is primarily clustered around Five Points South and Lakeview. Numerous stores and restaurants are located in The Summit. Birmingham is in north-central Alabama, in the Jones Valley near the southern end of the Appalachian system. It is 135 km northwest from Montgomery and 1,070 km southwest from Washington D.C.

Birmingham ©Alabama Extension

Birmingham ©T.K. Mc

Birmingham ©David Wilson

Birmingham ©T.K. Mc