1963 Birmingham Church Bombing Fast Facts

CNN Editorial Research

Updated 1504 GMT (2304 HKT) August 26, 2021

A grieving relative is led away from the site of the <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/13/us/1963-birmingham-church-bombing-fast-facts/index.html">16th Street Baptist Church bombing</a> in Birmingham, Alabama, on September 15, 1963. Four black girls were killed and at least 14 others were injured, sparking riots and a national outcry.
Photos: Photos: 1963 Birmingham church bombing
1963 Birmingham church bombing – A grieving relative is led away from the site of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham, Alabama, on September 15, 1963. Four black girls were killed and at least 14 others were injured, sparking riots and a national outcry.
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From left, 11-year-old Denise McNair and 14-year-olds Carole Robertson, Addie Mae Collins and Cynthia Wesley were killed while attending Sunday services. Three Ku Klux Klan members were later convicted of murder.
Photos: Photos: 1963 Birmingham church bombing
1963 Birmingham church bombing – From left, 11-year-old Denise McNair and 14-year-olds Carole Robertson, Addie Mae Collins and Cynthia Wesley were killed while attending Sunday services. Three Ku Klux Klan members were later convicted of murder.
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Firefighters and ambulance attendants remove a body from the church.
Photos: Photos: 1963 Birmingham church bombing
1963 Birmingham church bombing – Firefighters and ambulance attendants remove a body from the church.
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Cars parked beside the church were damaged by the blast.
Photos: Photos: 1963 Birmingham church bombing
1963 Birmingham church bombing – Cars parked beside the church were damaged by the blast.
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The 16th Street Baptist Church served as a rallying point during the civil rights movement. It was declared a national historic landmark in 2006.
Photos: Photos: 1963 Birmingham church bombing
1963 Birmingham church bombing – The 16th Street Baptist Church served as a rallying point during the civil rights movement. It was declared a national historic landmark in 2006.
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Sarah Jean Collins, 12, lost an eye in the blast. Her sister was one of the girls who died.
Photos: Photos: 1963 Birmingham church bombing
1963 Birmingham church bombing – Sarah Jean Collins, 12, lost an eye in the blast. Her sister was one of the girls who died.
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Martin Luther King Jr. holds a press conference in Birmingham the day after the attack. He said the U.S. Army "ought to come to Birmingham and take over this city and run it."
Photos: Photos: 1963 Birmingham church bombing
1963 Birmingham church bombing – Martin Luther King Jr. holds a press conference in Birmingham the day after the attack. He said the U.S. Army "ought to come to Birmingham and take over this city and run it."
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