Happy National Alabama Day!

Travel 4 Minutes

Alabama used to be covered in grassland.

When the first Europeans came to Alabama, it looked so very different from how it does today. Once the early settlers arrived, they cut down the trees and burnt off the grass to turn it into farmland. Originally more than half of the state was covered in grasslands, wetlands, and open grassy woodlands. Of all the prairie land there was originally, sadly, only about 1 percent now remains.

It was in Alabama that Rosa Parks started a civil rights movement by refusing to give up her seat to a white man.

Referred to as the “Mother of civil rights movements,” Rosa Parks played an incredibly important part in American history.At a time when public buses were still segregated into zones for white or colored people, Rosa stood up for her rights. On December 1, 1955, Rosa refused to give up her seat in the colored area to a white man when the white zone’s seats were full.

The first Europeans to find Alabama were Spaniards, but it was settled by the French.

A Spanish expedition led by the Spanish conquistador Hernando de Soto first passed through parts of Alabama in the 16th century. Hernando wasn’t interested in founding any settlements, though – he was in search of gold, as well as a passage through to the Pacific coast.

Alabama is home to the largest cast-iron statue in the world.

In 1904, the city of Birmingham, Alabama, constructed a 56-foot (17 m) statue of the Roman god of fire and forge Vulcan. Once completed, the statue was shipped to St. Louis as Birmingham’s entry into the 1904 World’s Fair.

Alabama’s first permanent state capital is now a ghost town.

After Alabama was admitted into statehood, a site for a state capital had to be chosen.On November 21, 1818, the site of Cahaba (also known as Cahawba) was chosen. The capital was planned out, plots of land were auctioned off, and the town was up and running by 1820.

Cahaba was Alabama’s state capital for a very short time, though, from just 1820 to 1825, before it was relocated due to frequent floods. The town never really recovered from this, and after another severe flood in 1865, it was all but abandoned. By 1880 Cahaba had been removed from the US census rolls.

The first civil aviation school in the United States was opened in Alabama.

Orville and Wilbur Wright, more commonly known as the Wright Brothers, opened the very first US civil aviation school outside of Montgomery, Alabama. The Wright Brothers were famous for many things, but their greatest legacy is being the fathers of flying itself.

One of Alabama’s nicknames is “The Yellowhammer State.”

While Alabama’s state bird is the Yellowhammer, this isn’t the direct cause of its nickname. The origins are said to lie with the Civil War. A uniform worn by a company of soldiers from Huntsville, Alabama, had yellow trim, and thus they were nicknamed “Yellowhammers.”

Alabama is home to the only bookstores in the world that only sells signed copies.

Hidden away on a dead-end street in Birmingham, Alabama, lies a bookstore with a unique twist. Jacob Reiss, the owner of Alabama Booksmith has been in the business of selling books for 25 years. Originally selling rare and used books, it was only in 2012 that Jacob made the change to selling signed-only copies.

The first successful heart surgery on a live patient was in Alabama.

Dr. Luther Leonidas Hill Jr, a doctor from Montgomery, Alabama, was the first to achieve this impressive feat. It all started when a 13-year-old boy by the name of Henry Myrick was involved in a fight and stabbed through the heart. What’s even more impressive, though, is that the operation wasn’t even performed straight away – Myrick had been stabbed the previous afternoon!

Alabama is the most religious state in the US.

According to research from the Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan fact tank that conducts research into demographics and public opinions, Alabama comes up as the most religious state. According to their data, 86% of the state’s residents are Christian, with 49% of those being Evangelical Protestants.

The first operational windshield wipers were invented in Alabama.

Mary Anderson, an Alabama native, is credited for the invention back in 1903. This was way back in the day when automobiles were starting to really gain some popularity, just before the famous Ford Model T was released. She tried to sell her patented invention to a number of companies, but they rejected the idea as they thought it would be too distracting to drivers.

Montgomery, Alabama, was the capital of the Confederate States of America.

Alabama seceded from the United States on January 11, 1861.

In February of the same year, Alabama and 6 other states (South Carolina, Mississippi, Georgia, Florida, Texas, and Louisiana) formed the Confederate States of America, an unrecognized republic in the lower southern region of the now USA.These states were pro-slavery and relied heavily upon African American slaves for their vast agricultural industries.

The first-ever submarine to sink an enemy ship was constructed by Confederates in Alabama.

In its first test run, it sank, killing 5 crew members, and its second trial saw it sink again, killing all 8 crew members. Undeterred by the rising body count, the Confederates raised the submarine to the surface and tried again. The H.L. Hunley finally saw success in 1864, yet it was to be a bittersweet victory. On one hand, it was able to torpedo the United States Navy’s sloop-of-war, the USS Housatonic, sinking it. On the other hand, due to damages suffered during the attack, the H.L Hunley sank again, killing all crew members, again.

Alabama is the home of the longest NASCAR oval in the USA, if not the world.

The Talladega Superspeedway, previously known as the Alabama International Motor Speedway, has a NASCAR oval with a length of 2.66 miles. This Motorsports complex is located just outside of Talladega, Alabama, where it was built on the site of a former air force base in 1969. In its many years of operation, the track has been home to countless broken records, as well as first-time winners. The speeds at this track often reach a whopping 200 mph or more!

There actually is a sweet home in Alabama.

Here’s one for you if you’re a fan of the song Sweet Home Alabama by Lynyrd Skynyrd. In 1906 a man by the name of H.W. Sweet had a home built for him in the town of Bessemer, just outside of Birmingham, Alabama. Sweet had his home built for $10,000 US, which is the equivalent of about $266,000 dollars today. Talk about a sweet deal!

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Published by pat frederick

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81 thoughts on “Happy National Alabama Day!”

  1. Good Morning All!

    it’s dark, about 10* again and looks like we got another inch of snow overnight.

    Mom’s surprise Christmas party was a success–she was so happy she cried–everybody came to see me! she said over and over again.

    We did have several “uninvited guests” as well. The activities room (and most of the open spaces do not lock) so residents were wandering in when they saw the food on the table. Some were downright angry when they could not get a place at the table, but we gently told them their lunch was waiting for them in the cafeteria. We offered some cookies and sent them on their way.

    After the rest of the family left, we walked back to Mom’s room and I put the walker bag on her walker and it was a really good fit. She really loves it. Then we sat and chatted for about another half hour and then we left.

    We didn’t hit much bad weather though, so the overnight snow was a surprise.

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      1. Morning Filly!

        2/3 of it was. Our son and his wife, our daughter, her husband and our granddaughter and my sister’s son and his wife. My brother, the prince, his wife and kids were not invited–they do their own thing with mom and visit her a few times a week here and there.

        but to be fair, when she lived in her house, my brother lives less than 5 minutes away, we never invited him to Christmases either.

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  7. E X X ➠A L E R T S
    @ExxAlerts
    ALERT: A federal appeals court blocked a ruling that would’ve required hundreds of migrants apprehended during Operation Midway Blitz to be released.

    In the 2-1 opinion, the appeals court said the lower court overstepped their authority on the blanket release of the detainees without assessing each case individually.

    Liked by 1 person

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  8. Liked by 1 person

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    1. Good Morning!

      me either. When we were younger (much younger) we would take the Harley on 10 day bike tours and we hit the Northeast states and as far south as Tennessee and as far west as Minnesota. Now we’re happy to stay here.

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    2. Good morning! I spent a few days in Alabama when my granddaughter was delivered – my son passed out so I pulled her from the birth canal and laid her on my DIL’s tummy. What an exciting time!!!

      Liked by 1 person

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  10. Andy Ogles, Rep from Tennessee has had enough.

    FTA

    At that moment, Ogles stopped performing for Washington and spoke directly to the American people.“I’ve had enough,” he said. “I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again. Deport them all.”

    He did not hedge. “This is our country. We get to decide who comes in, and we get to decide who has to leave.”

    Then he repeated it for emphasis. “And I say deport them all.”

    https://rairfoundation.com/this-is-our-country-rep-andy-ogles-drops/

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    1. “Campus Massacre: Two students dead, nine wounded in Brown University shooting, manhunt underway. Police are on the scene, though no other details were public as of press time.”

      Just The News, By Ben Whedon, December 13, 2025 4:58pm; Updated 10:06 pm

      ENTIRE ARTICLE: “Police were conducting a massive manhunt Saturday night at Brown University in Rhode Island after a man dressed in black opened fire on students in an engineering school building classroom. Two students are dead, eight victims are in critical but stable condition at a hospital and a ninth student was wounded with shrapnel, Providence Mayor Brett Smiley said.

      Smiley said FBI Director Kash Patel and President Donald Trump had offered the full resources of the federal government.

      The university remained on lockdown more than five hours after the shooting as police had not identified or located the suspect. Authorities said at least 400 police officers from local, state and federal agencies had joined the manhunt and the probe. Police said they have video footage of the suspect leaving the shooting scene and believe he may be a male in his 30s but do not yet know his identity or the weapon he used.

      The University and President Donald Trump initially stated that a suspect was in custody, though school officials subsequently clarified that the suspect was still at large, according to the Associated Press.

      “I have been briefed on the shooting that took place at Brown University in Rhode Island. The FBI is on the scene. …. God bless the victims and the families of the victims!” he posted on Truth Social.

      Authorities said the shooting occurred in one classroom at an engineering school building as students were preparing for final exams. They said the outer door of the building was unlocked because exams were ongoing. 

      The Providence, R.I., university is part of the Ivy League. It has about 7,000 students.”

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  14. now that their protected status has changed can a total welfare charge be deported?

    Like

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  15. Just The News: “The Department of War on Saturday confirmed that two American soldiers and a civilian translator were killed in an attack as part of ongoing anti-ISIS operations in the country (Syria). A further three personnel were wounded.

    “The attack occurred as the soldiers were conducting a key leader engagement,” Department of War spokesman Sean Parnell confirmed. “Their mission was in support of on-going counter-ISIS / counter-terrorism operations in the region.”

    “The soldiers’ names, as well as identifying information about their units, are being withheld until 24 hours after the next of kin notification. This attack is currently under active investigation,” he added.

    Joe Kent, the chief of the U.S. National Counter Terrorism Center, said the attack was carried out by a security insider. “Today, our nation grieves the loss of two U.S. Army soldiers and a civilian interpreter, killed in an insider terrorist attack in Palmyra, Syria ” Kent said on X. “Three others were wounded while conducting a critical counter-ISIS engagement.”

    U.S. officials said they believe the attacker was a former ISIS member who had joined the current ruling party HTS’ security apparatus but recently was expelled.

    American forces have been stationed in Syria for years amid the civil war. The attack follows the rapid collapse of the Assad government earlier this year.”

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    1. Just The News: “President Donald Trump on Saturday vowed retaliation after three American personnel were killed in an attack in Syria, with three others sustaining injuries.

      “We mourn the loss of three Great American Patriots in Syria, two soldiers, and one Civilian Interpreter. Likewise, we pray for the three injured soldiers who, it has just been confirmed, are doing well,” he posted on Truth Social. “This was an ISIS attack against the U.S., and Syria, in a very dangerous part of Syria, that is not fully controlled by them. The President of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa, is extremely angry and disturbed by this attack. There will be very serious retaliation. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

      The Department of War confirmed that two members of the military and one civilian translator were killed. The identities of the victims have not been made public as of press time.”

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  16. Just The News: “Police early Sunday apprehended a person of interest in a mass shooting at Brown University in Rhode Island that killed two students and wounded nine others preparing for final exams. Providence Mayor Brett Smiley announced a man still believed to be in his 30s was detained but offered no details details in his identity or where he was apprehended.

    But police in Coventry, R.I., about 20 miles away from the shooting scene confirmed to local TV station WPRI that they assisted the FBI in the apprehension at a hotel in their community about 3:45 AM on Saturday.

    “This is exactly the kind of collaboration that we train for and that we hope for,” Smiley told a news conference. “Our partnership with the FBI, with the state police, and obviously, the heroic actions of the Providence police have brought us to this point.”

    The mayor confirmed that a shelter in place order which had been issued after the shooting occurred late Saturday afternoon has now been lifted. 

    Police spent hours conducting a massive manhunt Saturday night for a man dressed in black clothing seen on security video leaving an engineering school building where the shooting occurred. Two students were killed, eight victims were shot and a ninth student was wounded with shrapnel, Smiley said.

    Authorities said at least 400 police officers from  local, state and federal agencies had joined the manhunt and the probe. Authorities said the shooting occurred in one classroom at an engineering school building as students were preparing for final exams. They said the outer door of the building was unlocked because exams were ongoing. 

    The Providence, R.I., university is part of the Ivy League. It has about 7,000 students.”

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  19. Just The News: “At least two gunmen opened fire on a Jewish holiday celebration Sunday on a beach in Sydney, Australia, killing at least 11 revelers and injuring 29 in what authorities immediately declared a terror attack. One of the gunman was killed at the scene by police, and the other was wounded as citizens intervened to stop the attack. 

    The massacre at the popular Bondi Beach came amid a wave of antisemitic attacks that have rocked Australia in recent months. “This attack was designed to target Sydney’s Jewish community,” Premier Chris Minns said. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese decried the “act of evil, antisemitism, terrorism that has struck the heart of our nation.” 

    Hundreds had gathered for the event called “Chanukah by the Sea” marking the start of the eight-day Hanukkah festival. 

    The New South Wales Police Force said 12 people were killed in the shooting, including one of the two suspected gunmen, and that authorities are open to the possibility a third gunman had escaped.”

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  21. “The legal challenge, filed on Friday by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in the US district court for the District of Columbia, represents the most significant attempt yet to stop Trump’s 90,000-sq-ft addition to the White House complex. The organization is seeking a temporary restraining order to freeze all construction activities until ‘proper federal oversight procedures’ are completed.

    “No president is legally allowed to tear down portions of the White House without any review whatsoever – not President Trump, not President Joe Biden, and not anyone else,” the complaint reads. “And no president is legally allowed to construct a ballroom on public property without giving the public the opportunity to weigh in.”

    The organization was chartered by Congress in 1949 to facilitate public participation in preserving sites of national significance.

    So is he preserving it the way it was, or improving it? And with no Federal money at all. It’s all done with donated funds. These TDS motherfuckers will never, ever stop. I betcha they hound him even after he’s out of office. Why can’t somebody just slap the fuckin’ stupid outta these people once and for all? Juss’ sayin’…”

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  22. RJH

    December 14, 2025 9:23 am

    Jeffrey Epstein files reveal a woman named Kathy Ruemmler was one of the people who had the most communication with Epstein

    Over 100 emails and more than 50 meetings in just 5 years after he was a convicted sex offender
    She was White House counsel to Barack Obama

    https://truthsocial.com/@CitizenFreePress/posts/115708829872252598

    Fun Fact: Kathy went to Richland Highschool (Boeing), Secretary of Defense James Mattis and Actress Sharon Tate were also alumnus.

    Liked by 1 person

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  31. Momma Lynx brings her seven kittens to visit in Alaska

    Sleek and Shiny

    Christmas Eve 1985, British Airways Flew 4 Concorde’s, G-BOAA, G-BOAC, G-BOAB, G-BOAG

    Cozy

    Meanwhile, in Palm Springs…

    Liked by 1 person

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  35. “Sunday Strip: Not all Fats are the Same — Know the difference”

    Dr. Robert W. Malone, Dec 14, 2025

    CHAT-GPT wants you to know: There is no public confirmation that Dr. Rachel Levine has undergone a “full sex-change operation” and that there has been any not publicly disclosed details of any medical or surgical procedures, and such information is considered private medical information.

    Isn’t CHAPT-GPT helpful!

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  43. I don’t know if this is true…I didn’t follow the other shootings

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  44. this comes from The Daily Mail

    FTA

    The man arrested in connection to the deadly shooting at Brown University has been identified as Benjamin Erickson, according to law enforcement sources. 

    The 24-year-old from Wisconsin is accused of carrying out the mass shooting Saturday night at the Ivy League campus that left two students dead and nine people injured, sources told The Washington Post. 

    CNN reported that Erickson had ties to the military. 

    Police have not publicly named Erickson as a suspect or charged him in connection to the deadly attack. 

    The suspect is said to have made a 17-hour trek from Wisconsin to Rhode Island with a laser-equipped firearm, according to law enforcement. 

    He was taken into custody early Sunday morning by FBI agents at the Hampton Inn hotel in Coventry.

    The connection between Erickson and Brown University remains unclear. Authorities are looking into his mental health history, NBC News reported. 

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15382589/Brown-University-shooting-detain-suspect-Live-updates.html

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  45. Wall Street Apes
    @WallStreetApes
    HUGE ‼️ Donald Trump says his administration is about to release “truckloads” of evidence PROVING the 2020 election was “RIGGED” by Democrats

    He says he has evidence Gavin Newsom is rigging California elections with mail in ballots

    “They’re professionals at cheating because we won in 2016 by a lot. The election was rigged in 2020. We have all the ammunition, all the stuff, and you’ll see it come out. It’s coming out in truckloads”

    “California more than any other place is so rigged. It’s such a rigged election — If the vote in California was legitimate, which it’s not, they have 38 million ballots. Everything is mail-in voting. They mail out 38 million ballots, and they come in. Where the hell did they go, and where did they come from?

    It’s a rigged election in California, because we would win California by a lot”

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