Memphis
History
History
Famous Memphians
Important Dates in Memphis History
Memphis Civil Rights Leadership
Memphis Music
Faith in Action (Inclusive & Interfaith)
Memphis Landmarks
100
This global logistics company, headquartered in Memphis, transformed the shipping industry with overnight delivery.
What is FedEx?
100
Known as the “King of Rock ’n’ Roll,” this artist called Graceland home.
Who is Elvis Presley?
100
Memphis was founded on this date.
What is May 22, 1819?
100
This phrase, carried on placards by striking sanitation workers in 1968, became one of the most powerful symbols of the Civil Rights Movement.
What is “I Am A Man”?
100
Known as the “Father of the Blues,” this musician published The Memphis Blues in 1912.
Who is W.C. Handy?
100
This Memphis-based denomination, founded in the early 1900s, grew into one of the largest Pentecostal movements in the world.
What is the Church of God in Christ (COGIC)?
100
This world-famous hotel is home to a daily duck march.
What is The Peabody Hotel?
200
Founded by entertainer Danny Thomas in 1962, this Memphis institution provides free medical care to children worldwide.
What is St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital?
200
This Memphis-born actor and producer is known for his iconic voice and humanitarian work.
200
This epidemic devastated the city in the 1870s, killing thousands and causing Memphis to lose its city charter.
What is Yellow Fever?
200
This Memphis journalist co-founded the NAACP and became one of the most fearless anti-lynching voices of her time.
Who is Ida B. Wells?
200
Known as the “King of the Blues,” this guitarist rose from Beale Street to worldwide fame.
Who is B.B. King?
200
This iconic COGIC leader and founder of Temple of Deliverance was known for blending biblical teaching with community service.
Who is Bishop G.E. Patterson?
200
This downtown street became the epicenter of Memphis blues, business, and nightlife.
What is Beale Street?
300
Founded in Memphis in 1979, this auto parts retailer grew from one store to more than 6,000 locations across the U.S.
What is AutoZone?
300
The Queen of Soul was born in Memphis before her family moved to Detroit. She’s one of the most recognized voices in American music.
Aretha Franklin
300
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis on this date.
What is April 4, 1968?
300
This Memphis lawyer, judge, and activist founded the National Civil Rights Museum.
Who is D’Army Bailey?
300
This Stax legend and “Soul Man” co-wrote hits like “Hold On, I’m Comin’” and won an Academy Award for Shaft.
Who is Isaac Hayes?
300
This house of worship in Cordova serves as a gathering place for the city’s Hindu community and hosts major festivals like Diwali and Holi.
What is the India Cultural Center and Temple (ICCT)?
300
This mansion attracts over 600,000 visitors each year and is the former home of Elvis Presley.
What is Graceland?
400
This Memphis-based company, one of the world’s leading producers of packaging and paper products, is a Fortune 500 powerhouse.
What is International Paper?
400
This NBA star and University of Memphis coach has become a symbol of athletic and civic leadership.
Who is Penny Hardaway?
400
This tragic 1866 event became a catalyst for Congressional Reconstruction after white mobs killed dozens of Black residents.
What is the Memphis Massacre?
400
This former NAACP director and judge from Memphis became one of the most prominent civil rights leaders in the nation.
Who is Benjamin Hooks?
400
Founded by Jim Stewart and Estelle Axton, this Memphis record label helped shape American soul music.
What is Stax Records?
400
Founded in 1854, this Reform Jewish congregation is one of the largest in the South and a leader in interfaith and community service work.
What is Temple Israel?
400
This 4,500-acre park is one of the largest urban parks in the United States.
What is Shelby Farms Park?
500
This Memphis-based record label launched the careers of Otis Redding, Isaac Hayes, and the Staple Singers.
What is Stax Records?
500
This Memphis entrepreneur, born enslaved, became one of America’s first Black millionaires and helped shape Beale Street’s business district.
Who is Robert R. Church Sr.?
500
This Memphis leadership program was founded as the Memphis Institute for Public Responsibility in 1979 to prepare, connect, and mobilize diverse leaders for the good of the city.
What is Leadership Memphis?
500
The founder of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital — a symbol of generosity, faith, and the city’s global humanitarian impact.
Who is Danny Thomas?
500
Founded by Sam Phillips, this studio launched the careers of Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and Jerry Lee Lewis.
What is Sun Records?
500
Located in Cordova, this center serves as a hub for the Muslim community, offering worship, education, and interfaith outreach.
What is the Memphis Islamic Center (MIC)?
500
This bridge’s distinctive “M” shape lights up the night sky and is named after a 16th-century Spanish explorer who first crossed the Mississippi near present-day Memphis.
What is the Hernando de Soto Bridge?