Charlotte Mecklenburg Library

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History Timeline

1969 - Mayor Belk

May 19, 1969  - Mayor John M. Belk takes office today, succeeding four-term mayor Stan Brookshire. Belk will continue many of Brookshire's programs, especially those that re-develop run-down sections of town. Both Belk and Brookshire will have highways named for them.

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1988 - Bearden Dies

March 12, 1988  - Famed artist Romare Bearden dies in New York City. Recently, the public library commissioned Bearden for an original collage from which a mosaic will be based. Nanette Bearden, the artist’s widow, selects one of his murals, Before Dawn and the project proceeds as planned. Before Dawn

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1996 - Billy Graham

September 26, 1996  - Through the years, Rev. Billy Graham has returned to Charlotte many times to spread the Gospel. He draws 300,000 people to the new Ericsson stadium in the 4-day crusade that many worshipers fear may be Graham's last. Although his hands shake from Parkinson's disease, his voice and message are strong. Billy Graham

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1989 - Third Library on Tryon St.

June 18, 1989 - After almost two years of renovations, the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County reopens its doors to new and expanded building. The state-of-the-art facility features expanded services and a larger staff.. As part of the city’s public art programs, a mosaic based on a collage of the late Romare Bearden, hangs in the new library. In the years to come, the library will receive numerous awards, including Library of the Year in 1996. Before DawnNew Main Library

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1988 - Observer Wins Pulitzer

March 31, 1988 - The Charlotte Observer wins journalism's highest honor, the Pulitzer Prize. Reporters have written over 600 stories about Reverend Jim Bakker and the scandal surrounding his ministry, PTL. The newspaper's investigation has led to Bakker's conviction for cheating people who donated money, called fraud. This is the newspaper's second Pulitzer Prize. The first was in 1981, for stories about a disease called Brown Lung.

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1992 - Charlotte is a Hub

Six major airlines now serve Charlotte-Mecklenburg with flights to 146 cities. Half of the entire U.S. population can be reached within a one-hour plane ride from the area. Businesses have more opportunities than ever before to reach customers with goods and services.

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1989 - The Seventh Mecklenburg County Courthouse

The Seventh Mecklenburg County Courthouse was dedicated on April 10, 1989. . . . An official public art project was located adjacent to the Courthouse Building. It featured the depiction of a courtroom scene using trees, shrubs, a fountain, and boulders to represent the judge, jury, defendant, attorneys, and spectators. from Courthouses of Mecklenburg County, 1766-2007 (Mecklenburg County, 2007)

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1988 - Native Son Returns

August 1988 - A crowd of 20,000 has to celebrate the opening of Charlotte's new $52 million coliseum on Tyvola Road. The fans are welcomed by Rev. Billy Graham, who also spoke nearly 33 years ago at the dedication of Charlotte's first coliseum on Independence Boulevard. Coliseum OpeningBilly Graham

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1997 - NFC West Champs

January 5, 1997 - The Carolina Panthers beat the Dallas Cowboys 29-6 in their division playoffs at the new Ericsson Stadium. They are now the NFC Western Division champs! Later this month, the Panthers will lose the conference championship game against the Green Bay Packers in Wisconsin's frigid cold. But fans will long remember the Panthers' stunning first season at Ericsson Stadium.

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1980 - Phenomenal Growth

During the next 10 years, Mecklenburg County's employment rate will grow by more than 100,000 jobs. Civic pride and a strong local economy help attract businesses and new residents to the area.

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