1963 Birmingham Church Bombing Fast Facts

CNN Library

Updated 0132 GMT (0932 HKT) October 8, 2019

Chat with us in Facebook Messenger. Find out what's happening in the world as it unfolds.

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.
Hide Caption
1 of 11
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.
Hide Caption
2 of 11
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.
Hide Caption
3 of 11
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.
Hide Caption
4 of 11
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.
Hide Caption
5 of 11
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.
Hide Caption
6 of 11
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."
Hide Caption
7 of 11
Family and friends of Carole Robertson attend graveside services for her in Birmingham on September 17, 1963.
Photos: Photos: 1963 Birmingham church bombing
1963 Birmingham church bombing – Family and friends of Carole Robertson attend graveside services for her in Birmingham on September 17, 1963.
Hide Caption
8 of 11
A man digs a grave for one of the girls.
Photos: Photos: 1963 Birmingham church bombing
1963 Birmingham church bombing