History of Edmund Pettus Bridge in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: February 21, 2025

The Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, built in 1940, carries U.S. Route 80 Business across the Alabama River. Named after Edmund Pettus, a Confederate general and KKK leader, the bridge is a steel through arch structure with a 250-foot central span. It is supported by nine large concrete arches on its east side. The bridge is historically significant as the site of "Bloody Sunday" on March 7, 1965, when peaceful civil rights marchers were violently attacked by law enforcement, marking a crucial moment in the Civil Rights Movement.

1940: Bridge Opens

In 1940, the Edmund Pettus Bridge, designed by Selma native Henson Stephenson, opened to traffic.

1960: Census Data

The 1960 Census found that the population of Alabama was 30% nonwhite.

February 1965: Armed Confrontation in Marion

In February 1965, state troopers and locals in Marion, Alabama, started an armed confrontation with unarmed African-American demonstrators, leading to Jimmie Lee Jackson being shot.

March 7, 1965: Bloody Sunday

On March 7, 1965, the Edmund Pettus Bridge was the site of Bloody Sunday, where police attacked Civil Rights Movement demonstrators with horses, billy clubs, and tear gas as they attempted to march to Montgomery.

1965: Commemoration of the 1965 March

An estimated 40,000 people attended to commemorate the 1965 march, and to reflect on and speak about its impact on history and continuing efforts to address and improve U.S. civil rights.

1965: Commemoration Marches

Since 1965, many marches have commemorated the events of Bloody Sunday.

1996: Olympic Torch Relay

In 1996, the Summer Olympics torch relay made its way across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, carried by Andrew Young, symbolizing the progress of race relations in the Southern United States.

2011: Functionally Obsolete

In 2011, the Edmund Pettus Bridge was listed as functionally obsolete because it did not meet current design standards for its traffic load.

February 27, 2013: National Historic Landmark

On February 27, 2013, the Edmund Pettus Bridge was declared a National Historic Landmark.

March 2015: 50th Anniversary of Bloody Sunday

In March 2015, on the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, President Barack Obama delivered a speech at the foot of the Edmund Pettus Bridge and led a march across it, along with other political figures and Civil Rights Movement activists.

2015: Efforts to Rename the Bridge

In 2015, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery marches, efforts were made to rename the Edmund Pettus Bridge due to Pettus' role in supporting slavery and racism.

July 2020: John Lewis's Funeral Procession

After John Lewis died in July 2020, his funeral procession included transporting his casket across the Edmund Pettus Bridge en route to Montgomery.

2020: Increased Support to Rename Bridge

In 2020, following the death of John Lewis and the murder of George Floyd, support to rename the Edmund Pettus Bridge in honor of John Lewis increased dramatically.