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Mobile, Alabama

"Port City"

The birthplace of Mardi Gras in America — Mobile celebrated Carnival decades before New Orleans even existed.

Founded 1702 | Population 198,806 | Peak 202,779 (2000) | County Mobile County

Top 10 Most Important Events for Mobile, Alabama

1702French Colonial Founding: French brothers Pierre and Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne established Mobile as the first capital of French Louisiana.

1703First Mardi Gras in America: Mobile held the first organized Mardi Gras celebration in what is now the United States, decades before New Orleans was founded.

1864Battle of Mobile Bay: Admiral David Farragut shouted 'Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!' as Union forces captured Mobile Bay in one of the Civil War's most famous naval battles.

1942Shipbuilding Boom: Alabama Drydock and Shipbuilding Company employed 30,000 workers building Liberty ships for WWII.

2000Airbus Assembly Plant: Airbus selected Mobile for its first U.S. manufacturing facility, assembling A320 family jets.

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Complete Historical Timeline

1702 Government

Founded by French colonists

1703 Culture

First Mardi Gras in America

1763 Government

British take control

1813 Government

U.S. captures Mobile

1864 Disaster

Battle of Mobile Bay

1942 Industry

WWII shipbuilding boom

2000 Government

Peak population of 203,000

2015 Business

Airbus assembly plant opens

Did You Know?

Mobile's Mardi Gras predates New Orleans by 15 years — the city has celebrated Carnival since 1703.

Admiral Farragut's famous order was actually 'Damn the torpedoes! Four bells! Full speed ahead!'.

The USS Alabama battleship is permanently docked in Mobile Bay as a memorial and museum.

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