Charlotte Mecklenburg Library

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History Timeline

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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1988 - NBA Arrives

November 4, 1988 - The Bugs are alive at the Hive! In their first game, 23,338 fans swarm into the new coliseum as the new NBA team, the Charlotte Hornets, play the Cleveland Cavaliers. Though the Hornets lose the game 133-93, loyal fans will break attendance records again and again. Hornets' Debut

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1992 - African American Album

March 15, 1992 - The Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County publishes An African American Album. Families throughout the community have shared their treasured photographs. The result is this handsome book, edited by Elizabeth Randolph, that tells the story of Mecklenburg's black heritage. Library publishes An African-American Album

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1989 - Hurricane Hugo

September 22, 1989  - Charlotte is caught unaware when Hurricane Hugo turns inland from the South Carolina coast and slams into the Queen City during the night. High winds uproot huge trees, tear the roofs off homes and knock down power lines across the region. It will take weeks to restore power and safety to some parts of town. 

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1980 - Spirit Square

The old First Baptist Church on Tryon Street is re-born as the Spirit Square Center for the Performing Arts. Although the first phase of renovations was begun in 1976, recent improvements have given the facility more classroom space, plus display halls, galleries and theaters.

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1997 - One Man's Vision

March 6, 1997  - NationsBank executive Joe Martin has an idea. It's called Race Day, but it has nothing to do with cars. He urges all Charlotteans to have lunch once each week with a person of a different race. Although Martin struggles with Lou Gehrig's disease, he remains a passionate advocate for civil rights and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg community.

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1980 - An Artist Comes Home

October 12, 1980 - The man born at his great-grandfather's home near 2nd and Graham streets returns to the Queen City. Romare Bearden is now a nationally acclaimed artist who creates works of art from small pieces of glass, ceramic or paper in a method called collage. Bearden's works have hung in New York's finest museums and galleries. Today, Bearden's one-man show opens at Charlotte's Mint Museum of Art. 

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1993 - Catawba Nation

November, 1993 - President Bill Clinton signs legislation that expands the Catawba Indian reservation to 4,200 acres. The tribe that lived so closely with Charlotte's early settlers more than 200 years ago must now promise to drop its legal actions against private individuals who own disputed property. The Catawbas will receive $50 million in cash, and the right to purchase available land to expand their reservation.

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1992 - Magnet Schools

 March 31, 1992 - It's been more than 20 years since court-ordered busing integrated the Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools. Now, the school board votes unanimously in favor of magnet schools, which will create special programs to attract students from different neighborhoods, races and economic backgrounds. Magnet schools offer added resources that help make integration voluntary. The school board votes to create magnet schools.

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