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Savannah, Georgia

"Hostess City of the South"
America's first planned city, where Forrest Gump sat on his bench and Sherman ended his March to the Sea — Savannah is a living museum of Southern history draped in Spanish moss.
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Founded 1733 | Population 147,780 | Peak 149,245 (1960) | County Chatham County

Top 10 Most Important Events for Savannah, Georgia

1
1864Sherman's March Ends Here: General Sherman captured Savannah at the end of his March to the Sea, famously offering the city to President Lincoln as a 'Christmas gift.' Unlike Atlanta, Savannah was spared from burning.
2
1733Georgia Colony Founded: James Oglethorpe founded Savannah as the first settlement of the Georgia Colony. He designed the city's distinctive grid of squares that still defines Savannah today.
3
1994Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil: John Berendt's bestselling book put Savannah on the literary and tourist map, introducing the world to the city's eccentric characters and Gothic charm.
4
1819SS Savannah Crosses Atlantic: The SS Savannah became the first steamship to cross the Atlantic Ocean, departing from Savannah's port and demonstrating the future of maritime transportation.
5
1779Siege of Savannah: French and American forces attempted to retake Savannah from the British in one of the bloodiest battles of the Revolutionary War. The attack failed with heavy casualties.
6
1820Cotton Export Capital: Savannah became the leading cotton export port in America, with cotton warehouses lining the riverfront and enslaved labor driving the economy.
7
1955SCAD Founded: The Savannah College of Art and Design was founded, eventually growing into the largest art university in the U.S. and driving the creative economy of the city.
8
1964Civil Rights Desegregation: Savannah desegregated relatively peacefully compared to other Southern cities, thanks to behind-the-scenes negotiations between Black and white leaders.
9
1996Olympic Sailing Venue: Savannah hosted the sailing events for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, bringing international attention and investment.
10
1886Preservation Movement: Savannah's historic preservation movement, led by local women, saved hundreds of buildings from demolition, creating one of the largest National Historic Landmark Districts in the country.
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Population Over Time

0 37,311 74,623 111,934 149,245 1790 1820 1840 1860 1880 1900 1920 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020

Latest News in Savannah

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Complete Historical Timeline

1733 Government
Oglethorpe founds Savannah and Georgia Colony
1779 Politics
Siege of Savannah during Revolution
1819 Transport
SS Savannah — first steamship to cross Atlantic
1820 Industry
Cotton export capital of America
1864 Politics
Sherman captures Savannah as 'Christmas gift'
1886 Architecture
Preservation movement saves historic district
1955 Culture
SCAD founded
1964 Civil Rights
Peaceful desegregation
1994 Culture
Midnight in the Garden published

Did You Know?

1
Savannah's 22 remaining squares — out of the 24 originally planned by Oglethorpe — are the oldest planned urban green spaces in America and give the city its distinctive walkable character.
2
The famous bench scene from Forrest Gump was filmed in Savannah's Chippewa Square — though the actual bench is now in the Savannah History Museum.
3
Savannah was the first city to celebrate St. Patrick's Day with a parade in 1824, and today its celebration is the second largest in America after New York City — they even dye the city's fountains green.
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