Sports and Entertainment

As baseball fans across North America rejoice over the opening of the 2025 Major League Baseball season, Atlanta History Center celebrates baseball heroes of the past by examining the teams and players of the Branch Rickey League. From 1956 to approximately 1969, Black baseball players from Atlanta and surrounding areas participated in highly competitive amateur leagues filled with future professional baseball players. Atlanta History Center has launched a project to locate and interview former players and participants in these leagues.

Founded in 1985, Atlanta-based Ichiban Records played a pivotal role in shaping Southern hip-hop, nurturing iconic artists, and fostering a distinctive sound. The label, led by visionary John Abbey, was a crucible for talent like MC Shy-D and Kilo, blending diverse musical influences. Despite challenges, including a risky partnership with EMI and internal issues, Ichiban’s impact on the music industry, especially in nurturing local talent and promoting diversity, is undeniable. The story is a compelling narrative of ambition, innovation, and the complexities of the music business.

Discover the intriguing story of “So Red the Rose,” a 1935 film overshadowed by “Gone With the Wind.” This forgotten film, set against the dramatic backdrop of the Old South, offers a rich narrative of Southern nobility and wartime struggles. Despite its potential, the film’s anti-Northern bias and simpler storyline led to its obscurity. In contrast, “Gone With the Wind” captivated audiences with its complex characters and balanced depiction, becoming a cultural phenomenon.

Learn about how hosting the 1996 Summer Olympics shaped the city of Atlanta.

More Than Brave tells the story of Henry Aaron from his time in Mobile, Alabama, to his record making baseball career and through his life as a leader in baseball, business and charitable causes.

Kenan Research Center collections document a wide range of historical themes and topics about the history of the Atlanta region.

Muhammad Ali’s 1970 comeback fight in Atlanta against Jerry Quarry at the Atlanta Municipal Auditorium on October 26, 1970, is often relegated to the footnotes of Ali’s legacy despite its crucial role in the growth of Atlanta and the rebirth of his boxing career.

In 2021, the Atlanta History Center was awarded the Basic Preservation Grant from the National Film Preservation Foundation to preserve and make available four Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce films spanning from the late 1950s to the early 1970s. The films document Atlanta’s shifting landscape resulting from economic population growth during the mid-20th century, as well as the impact of Atlanta’s first professional soccer team.

Olympic Venue Tour stop six: Ocoee Whitewater Center | Polk County, Tennessee

Olympic Venue Tour stop five: Atlanta’s Olympic Cauldron

Olympic Venue Tour stop four: Stegemen Coliseum | Athens, Georgia

Olympic Venue Tour stop three: Lake Lanier Olympic Park | Gainesville, Georgia

Olympic Venue Tour stop two: Wassaw Sound | Savannah, Georgia

Olympic Venue Tour stop one: Golden Park | Columbus, Georgia