Birmingham is a relatively young city. It was founded on June 1, 1871, by the Elyton Land Company and named after Birmingham in the United Kingdom.
According to the 2020 census, the city has a population of 200,733, putting Birmingham at 124th, among the most populated cities in the United States.
The city is well known for its steel industry, which is why it was called the “Magic City” for its fast growth in the 19th century and is also known as the Pittsburgh of the south.
Besides the steel industry, Birmingham has important biotechnology, banking, construction and beverage industries.
The city is part of the popular culture being mentioned in several songs, including Sweet Home Alabama by Lynyrd Skynyrd and Run Baby Run by Sheryl Crow. Also, the famous actress Courtney Cox, who is well known for her role as Monica Geller in the sitcom television show Friends, was born in Birmingham.
The city is the home of the minor league Barons, well known as the team where Michael Jordan played during his baseball stint. Also, the city is pretty close to Tuscaloosa, also in the state of Alabama, where the University of Alabama runs its successful softball program.
Hoover Metropolitan Stadium, which opened in 1988, will be the venue for the softball tournament, where eight of the top softball nations in the world will fight for the Gold Medal and WBSC World Championship.
