About Atlanta

Like its symbol, the legendary phoenix of Egyptian mythology, Atlanta rose from the ashes following its destruction during the Civil War to become the mecca of the new South and an exciting international city.

The first residents of Georgia were prehistoric American Indians called Mound Builders. The Cherokee Indians, who settled north and west of the Chattahoochee River, and the Creek, who populated the area south and east of the Chattahoochee, followed them. The state was named after Great Britain’s King George II and was the last of the 13 original U.S. colonies.

Atlanta began taking substantive shape in 1837 when the Western & Atlantic Railroad selected the site as the southern end of its tracks. The town was called Terminus until 1843 when it was renamed Marthasville after the daughter of Gov. Wilson Lumpkin. In 1847, the city was renamed Atlanta, supposedly a feminine form of “Atlantic,” probably created by an engineer with the Western & Atlantic. The city was incorporated in 1847.

By the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861, Atlanta was a major railroad hub, manufacturing center and supply depot. But, in 1864, in order to cripple transportation between the South and the North, Union General William T. Sherman’s army burned all of the railroad facilities, almost every business and more than two-thirds of the city’s homes to the ground during his infamous March to the Sea. Atlanta lay in ruins, the only major American city ever destroyed by war.

Atlanta’s first resurgence began soon after. Within four years of Sherman’s attack, the Georgia capital was moved from Milledgeville to Atlanta and a drive to attract new business was underway. One man, newspaper editor Henry W. Grady, earned much of the credit for coaxing the “brave and beautiful city,” as he called it, toward a new economic agenda in a new, reconciled South.

In the meantime, colleges and universities began to open, telephones were introduced and trolleys began to roll. In 1895, the Cotton States and International Exposition in Piedmont Park showed 800,000 visitors and residents that Atlanta was headed in a new direction and braced for the 20th century.

By the late 1920s, a downtown business sector, ringed by residential districts, had taken shape giving Atlanta much of the distinct pattern it maintains today. At the same time, Atlanta Alderman (and later Mayor) William B. Hartsfield campaigned to convince the city to turn a vacant racetrack into an airport. His success was magnified by the efforts of former Mayor Maynard Jackson, who led the modernization of the airport in the 1970s. In 2004, the airport was renamed Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in honor of Hartsfield and Jackson.

Today, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is one of the world’s busiest airports, with more than 80 million annual passengers, and feeds heavily the city’s vital service businesses, especially the convention and visitors market.

While the city continued its economic surge, it also became known as the “City Too Busy to Hate.” Atlanta and Georgia pre-empted much of the strife associated with the 1950s and ‘60s by taking the lead in the Southeast in strengthening minority rights. The city’s strongest identification with the movement was through its native son, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., but many others played key roles. In 1963, Atlanta Mayor Ivan Allen, Jr. was the only Southern mayor to testify before Congress in support of the pending Civil Rights Bill. When Dr. King was assassinated in 1968, Mayor Allen pleaded for calm. His request was met with anguished, but peaceful, mourning throughout the city.

In 1965, the city built Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium despite the fact that it had not signed any teams to play there. In short order, however, Major League Baseball moved the Braves to Atlanta from Milwaukee and the National Football League awarded the city the Falcons expansion team. Hank Aaron’s historic 715th home run occurred at the stadium in April 1974, surpassing Babe Ruth’s previous career home run record of 714. Aaron went on to hit a total of 755 career home runs before retiring and still holds the record today.

Much has been accomplished in the last 25 years to elevate Atlanta to world-class status. An efficient public transportation system – the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA), was put in place; Underground Atlanta was added to the entertainment map; the Georgia World Congress Center made the city a convention hub; new hotels continue to open throughout the city, while established properties are constantly growing and renovating; the Georgia Dome was built in 1992; Philips Arena was built in 1999; the Georgia Aquarium (the world’s largest) opened in 2005; and, following its 2005 expansion, the High Museum of Art began a three-year partnership with the Musée du Louvre in 2006.

And decision-makers have taken notice. Atlanta hosted the 1988 Democratic National Convention, Super Bowl XXVIII in 1994, Super Bowl XXXIV in 2000, the 2002 and 2007 NCAA Men’s Final Four Basketball Championships and the 2008 NHL All-Star Game.

From July 20 through August 4, 1996, the eyes of the world were on Atlanta as the city welcomed the world to the Centennial Olympic Games. The city successfully hosted the world’s largest Olympic Games, showcasing itself to 2 million people in person and through global broadcast to 3.5 billion people – more than two-thirds of the world’s population – thus sharing Atlanta’s vision. In 2005, the Atlanta History Center opened its Centennial Olympic Games Museum, offering an exploration of the history of the Games and Atlanta’s Olympic legacy – how the Games came to take place here and changed the city.

The Olympics served as a catalyst for a second resurgence of Atlanta as it continues to experience a dramatic transformation from great American city to greater international city, fueled by more than $2 billion in new construction projects and other changes. New development, new attractions, renovated hotels expansion at the airport, premier art exhibitions, renowned architecture and citywide efforts have heightened Atlanta’s reputation as a world-class city.

Atlanta Attractions Click here for a list of attractions to visit while in Atlanta.