1970's

Beale Street Before the Comeback

Look at Beale Street today and its future can seem inevitable. It wasn’t. A photograph taken at Beale and Second in the early 70’s captures a very different street. Fifty years ago, the famous entertainment district was caught between its celebrated past and an uncertain future.

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1920's

A Memphis Summer Before Air Conditioning

Imagine Memphis in July 1926. Temperatures climb into the 90s, the Mississippi River adds its familiar humidity—and your house probably doesn’t have air conditioning. So where did Memphians go? For many families, the answer was outside.

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sports

July 17, 2001: Memphis Becomes a Major-League City

For decades, Memphis had wanted a permanent place in major-league professional sports. On July 17, 2001, it finally got one. NBA owners approved the relocation of the Vancouver Grizzlies to Memphis, officially transforming the team into the Memphis Grizzlies.

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fun

When Libertyland Was Brand New

For generations of Memphians, the word Libertyland brings back memories of summer nights, roller coasters and the unmistakable clatter of the Zippin Pippin.
But fifty years ago, Libertyland wasn’t nostalgic. It was brand new.

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