A Brief History of Atlanta

A BRIEF HISTORY OF ATLANTA In 1837 the town of Terminus sprang up at the end point of a railroad line. The name was changed from Terminus to Marthasville to Atlanta. In 1847 Atlanta was incorporated and quickly became an important regional transportation hub. When the Civil War erupted, Atlanta was a town of fewer than ten thousand inhabitants but it had already billed itself as the "Gate City of the South." The slogan was a bit of self-promotion but was grounded in truth; the region's major railways converged in the city. During the Civil War, Union General William Tecumseh Sherman apparently believed the city's promoters and recognized the city's strategic importance. He laid siege to Atlanta in July of 1864 and, after more than a month of fighting, succeeded in capturing the city. Atlanta was later burned before Sherman and his troops began their infamous "March to the Sea." Today, the city's seal includes a fiery Phoenix rising from ashes. After the Civil War, the city was indeed, rebuilt from ashes. With tireless work and promotion by its residents the city continued to prosper and grow. Atlanta became the capital of Georgia in 1868. Like every great city, Atlanta has always been equal parts reality and aspiration. The city's promoters continually dreamed of ways to expand Atlanta's influence. The city hosted the Cotton States and International Exposition in 1895. The regional branch of the Federal Reserve Bank located here in 1914 and by the 1920's Atlanta began to aggressively recruit businesses and industries to relocate to the city. Emory University was brought to Atlanta from Oxford, Georgia, in 1915 By the mid-twentieth century the city was of national importance. Few things illustrate this more than the city's role in the Civil Rights movement. For many years, the city has had one of the nation's most influential and well-organized African American communities. In the 1950's that community nurtured many of the civil rights movement's leaders, chief among them was Martin Luther King Jr. In 1959 Mayor William Hartsfield called Atlanta "a city too busy to hate." Indeed, desegregation was a relatively peaceful process for the city. Though there have been unfortunate exceptions during the South's history, Atlanta has been and remains a progressive and welcoming community. In 1990 Atlanta won the bid to host the 1996 Centennial Olympic games. This feat announced to the world that the city was not only a regional city but also an international city. The Olympic bid was once again a combination of reality and aspiration, but the dreamers made it happen. Today the city boasts four professional sports teams. It is also home to the first 24 hour television news coverage and the first all-news television network in the United States. Atlanta is truly of international importance. ATLANTA STATISTICS 5.3 million residents 9th largest metro Largest city in Southeast Established 1837 DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR Martin Luther King, Jr. was born in 1929 in a two-story Queen Anne style house at 501 Auburn Avenue in a neighborhood known as the "Sweet Auburn District." The Ebenezer Baptist Church, where for eight years he shared the pulpit with his father, is a short walk away at the corner of Auburn Avenue and Jackson Street. Martin Luther King, Jr. was considered to be the most important leader in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950's and 1960's. In April of 1968 King traveled to Memphis, Tennessee to lead a protest march in sympathy with striking garbage workers. On the evening of April 4, 1968, while standing on the balcony of his motel room in Memphis, Dr. King was assassinated. The King family determined that Atlanta would be the fitting place to bury Dr. King. His grave site occupies most of the cleared lot east of the Ebenezer Baptist Church to Boulevard Street. In 1976 a memorial park was installed around the marble crypt. The park consists primarily of a brick and concrete plaza with an arch- covered walkway and chapel partially surrounding a reflecting pool. In the center of the pool, on a raised pedestal rest the crypts of Dr. King and his wife, Coretta Scott King. On his is engraved the inscription: "Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. 1929-1968, "Free at last, free at last, thank God almighty, I'm free at last" The Historic Site includes the Center for Nonviolent Social Change, Inc., which continues King's legacy and work. Martin Luther King, Jr. worked tirelessly to assure the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. At the age of thirty-five, Martin Luther King, Jr. was the youngest man to have received the Nobel Peace Prize. When notified of his selection, he announced that he would turn over the prize money of $54,123 to the furtherance of the civil rights movement. The King Center, established in 1968 by Coretta Scott King, is the official living memorial dedicated to the advancement of the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. leader of America's greatest nonviolent movement for justice, equality, and peace. WORLD OF COCA-COLA In May of 1886 Coca-Cola was invented by Doctor John Pemberton, a pharmacist from Atlanta, Georgia. He concocted the Coca-Cola formula in a three legged brass kettle in his backyard. In 1887, another Atlanta pharmacist and businessman, Asa Candler bought the formula for Coca-Cola from inventor John Pemberton for $2,300. By the late 1890s, Coca-Cola was one of America's most popular fountain drinks, largely due to Candler's aggressive marketing of the product. Since its grand opening in 1990, World of Coca-Cola Atlanta has welcomed nearly ten million visitors and has become one of Atlanta's most visited indoor attractions. Today, the World of Coca-Cola Atlanta traces the century-old history of the world's most popular soft drink and is designed to showcase the rich heritage and global reach of Coca-Cola, with exhibits that appeal to both young and old. In addition to interactive exhibits and video presentations, the attraction features the largest collection of Coca-Cola memorabilia ever assembled containing over 1,000 Coca-Cola artifacts presented in chronological order. Visitors are taken on a virtual journey from the invention of Coca-Cola to its present proliferation throughout the world. An average of 9,600 Coca-Cola Company beverages are consumed every second. There is a fully functioning bottling plant in the museum. The Pop Culture Exhibit (2nd Floor) contains computers that allow students to make their own pop culture products. The museum is laid out in galleries called "Milestones of Refreshment." Gallery 1 (Invention) showcases the time in which John Pemberton invented Coca-Cola. Gallery 2 (Developing a Logo) showcases the importance of a logo. Gallery 3 (Early Marketing) showcases how Asa Candler used new types of marketing to grow The Coca-Cola Company. Gallery 4 (Early Bottling) showcases how bottling operations expanded throughout the United States and the world. Gallery 5 (1916 - the Contour Bottle) showcases how the innovation of the contour bottle design was accomplished. Gallery 6 (Lifestyles of Entertainment) showcases how advertising reflects desired lifestyles at the time the advertisement was used. Slogans as well as the importance of automobiles are displayed. Gallery 7 (Within an Arms Reach of Desire) showcases how innovations have been used to change how customers purchase the Coca-Cola product. Gallery 8 (International Expansion) World War II case showcases Coca-Cola's efforts to bring the product to soldiers in World War II. Gallery 9 (Sports & Entertainment) showcases both sports and entertainment figures who were important in Coca-Cola advertising. CNN STUDIO TOUR In 1980, R.E. (Ted) Turner broke new ground with the launch of CNN, the first 24- hour all-news network, forever changing the way the world saw breaking news. Today, CNN services reach nearly one billion people around the globe. Journey into the heart of CNN Worldwide and get an up-close look at global news in the making. Inside CNN Studio Tour is a 55-minute guided walking tour offering guests exclusive behind-the-scenes views of Atlanta's CNN studios. Get an exciting glimpse of news gathering and broadcasting in action from the world headquarters of CNN, the Most Trusted Name in News. Students will get an insiders look at how an event becomes news that reaches you. Every element of live news coverage comes together in CNN's Control Room. See Studio 7E where personnel create memorable broadcasts through advanced computer technology. Students may be asked to give a broadcast or weather report in front of a studio camera. THE GEORGIA AQUARIUM Bernie Marcus, cofounder of Atlanta-based Home Depot wanted to give a gift to Atlanta. The son of Russian Jews, he grew up in New York remembering the aquarium from his days as a youth at Coney Island. He decided to give Atlanta a world-class attraction that would serve to educate and thrill both locals and visitors. The Georgia Aquarium, the largest aquarium in the world, opened in 2005. With more than eight million gallons of fresh and salt water and more aquatic life than found in any other aquarium, you are sure to see things you have never seen before. The Georgia Aquarium promises wonder and excitement around every corner. The Cold Water Quest gallery features fish and marine mammals from cold ocean waters worldwide. Beneath the waves, curious animals such as Australian Weedy Sea Dragons, Beluga Whales, giant Pacific Ooctopus, Garibaldi Damselfish and Japanese Spider Crabs hang among rocky ledges and kelp forests.

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