Editing Raleigh, North Carolina (section)

===20th century===
[[File:Fayetteville Street Raleigh 1910.jpg|thumb|right|Fayetteville Street during the 1910s]]
In 1912, Bloomsbury Park opened, featuring a popular carousel ride. Relocated to [[Pullen Park]], the [[Pullen Park Carousel]] is still operating.

From 1914 to 1917, an [[influenza]] epidemic killed 288 Raleighites.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Online |first=Coastal Review |date=2020-05-02 |title=Historic Outbreak: Spanish Flu on NC Coast |url=http://www.northcarolinahealthnews.org/2020/05/02/historic-outbreak-spanish-influenza-on-nc-coast/ |access-date=2022-11-06 |website=North Carolina Health News |language=en-US}}</ref>

In 1922, WLAC signed on as the city's first radio station, but lasted only two years. WFBQ signed on in 1924 and became WPTF in 1927. It is now Raleigh's oldest continuous radio broadcaster.

In 1923, the Raleigh Fall Festival was formed. The Festival was reorganized as the [[North Carolina Debutante Ball]] in 1927.

Following immigration by Catholics, on December 12, 1924, the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Raleigh]] was officially established by [[Pope Pius XI]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Our History |url=https://dioceseofraleigh.org/about/our-history |access-date=2020-10-21 |website=Diocese of Raleigh |language=en}}</ref> The [[Sacred Heart Cathedral (Raleigh, North Carolina)|Sacred Heart Cathedral]] became the official seat of the diocese with [[William Joseph Hafey]] as its bishop.

The city's first airport, Curtiss-Wright Flying Field, opened in 1929. That same year, the [[Stock market crash#Wall Street Crash of 1929|stock market crash]] resulted in six Raleigh banks closing.<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite web |title=City of Raleigh Years (1889–1930) |publisher=City of Raleigh |url=http://www.raleighnc.gov/portal/server.pt/gateway/PTARGS_0_2_306_202_0_43/http%3B/pt03/DIG_Web_Content/category/Resident/Raleigh_At_A_Glance/History_of_Raleigh/Cat-2CA-2006109-122719-Years__1889___1930.html |access-date=March 17, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090722152014/http://www.raleighnc.gov/portal/server.pt/gateway/PTARGS_0_2_306_202_0_43/http%3B/pt03/DIG_Web_Content/category/Resident/Raleigh_At_A_Glance/History_of_Raleigh/Cat-2CA-2006109-122719-Years__1889___1930.html |archive-date=July 22, 2009}}</ref>

During the difficult 1930s of the [[Great Depression]], government at all levels was integral to creating jobs. The city provided recreational and educational programs, and hired people for public works projects. In 1932, [[Raleigh Memorial Auditorium]] was dedicated. The [[North Carolina Symphony]], founded the same year, performed in its new home. From 1934 to 1937, the federal [[Civilian Conservation Corps]] constructed the area now known as [[William B. Umstead State Park]]. In 1939, the State General Assembly chartered the Raleigh-Durham Aeronautical Authority to build a larger airport between Raleigh and Durham,<ref>{{cite web |title=Airport Authority |url=https://www.rdu.com/airport-authority/ |access-date=2020-10-21 |website=Raleigh-Durham International Airport |language=en-US}}</ref> with the first flight occurring in 1943.

In 1947, Raleigh citizens adopted a [[Council–manager government|council–manager]] form of government, which is still the city's current form of government. Council members are elected from [[single-member district]]s. They hire a city manager.

The [[Dorton Arena]], a 7,610-seat multi-purpose arena designed by [[Maciej Nowicki (architect)|Matthew Nowicki]], was opened in 1952 on the grounds of the North Carolina State Fair.<ref>{{cite web |title=Dorton Arena – NCDA&CS – N.C. State Fair Division |url=https://www.ncstatefair.org/facilities/dorton.htm |access-date=2020-10-21 |website=www.ncstatefair.org}}</ref> It was listed in the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in 1973.

Raleigh experienced significant damage from [[Hurricane Hazel]] in 1954.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/12/us/hurricane-hazel-florence.html |title=How Hurricane Hazel hit North Carolina destructive punch in 1954 |last=Hauser |first=Christine |date=September 12, 2018 |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=May 29, 2021}}</ref>

In 1953, [[WNAO-TV]], channel 28, became the city's first television station, though it folded in 1957.

With the opening of the [[Research Triangle Park]] in 1959, Raleigh began to experience a population increase, resulting in a total city population of 100,000 by 1960.<ref name=autogenerated5>{{cite web |title=City of Raleigh Years (1931–1965) |publisher=City of Raleigh |url=http://www.raleighnc.gov/portal/server.pt/gateway/PTARGS_0_2_306_202_0_43/http%3B/pt03/DIG_Web_Content/category/Resident/Raleigh_At_A_Glance/History_of_Raleigh/Cat-2CA-2006109-131835-Years__1931___1965.html |access-date=March 17, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100703010909/http://www.raleighnc.gov/portal/server.pt/gateway/PTARGS_0_2_306_202_0_43/http%3B/pt03/DIG_Web_Content/category/Resident/Raleigh_At_A_Glance/History_of_Raleigh/Cat-2CA-2006109-131835-Years__1931___1965.html |archive-date=July 3, 2010}}</ref> In 1960, the Census Bureau reported Raleigh's population as 76.4% White and 23.4% Black.<ref>{{cite web |title=Race and Hispanic Origin for Selected Cities and Other Places: Earliest Census to 1990 |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0076/twps0076.html |access-date=May 2, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120812191959/http://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0076/twps0076.html |archive-date=August 12, 2012}}</ref>

Following the passage of the federal [[Voting Rights Act of 1965]], one of the main achievements of the [[Civil Rights Movement]] and the [[Lyndon B. Johnson]] presidency, political participation and voting by African Americans in Raleigh increased rapidly.

From the early-to-mid 20th century [[East Hargett Street (Raleigh, North Carolina)|East Hargett Street]] was known as Raleigh's "Black Main Street" and hosted numerous Black-owned businesses. The area declined after the city desegregated its establishments.<ref>{{cite news |last=Mills |first=Beverly |title=East Hargett Street was center of Black life and business |newspaper=The News & Observer |date=February 28, 1982 |url=https://www.newsobserver.com/living/liv-columns-blogs/past-times/article62016532.html |access-date=April 27, 2020}}</ref> Another of Raleigh's oldest Black neighborhoods, Fourth Ward, was demolished starting in 1971, with about 600 homes and 60 businesses south of downtown gone as a result of [[urban renewal]], and 1,600 people forced to move. It was claimed housing was substandard and the area had a lot of crime.<ref>{{cite news |last=Shaffer |first=Josh |title=How Raleigh once demolished a Black neighborhood and displaced more than 1,000 people |newspaper=The News & Observer |date=August 26, 2024 |url=https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/article291229525.html}}</ref>

By the early 1970s people in Raleigh were growing increasingly concerned about growth and [[urban sprawl]]. Community organizations felt that municipal offices were being too heavily influenced by business interests when the city's population was rapidly growing and various development projects were being proposed. At their behest, the municipal elections were altered so that the mayor was to be directly elected, instead of being selected by the city council. Most city council seats were then made responsible to districts, instead of being held at-large. The 1973 elections were the first contests affected by the reforms. City Councilman [[Clarence Lightner]] defeated Raleigh Merchants bureau Executive Director G. Wesley Williams to become Raleigh's first Black mayor, and thus the first Black mayor in a major White-majority city in the South.<ref name= christensen>{{cite news |last=Christensen |first=Rob |title=When Raleigh elected a Black mayor |newspaper=The News & Observer |date=November 10, 2017 |url=https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/politics-columns-blogs/rob-christensen/article183884041.html |access-date=December 1, 2018}}</ref>

In 1976, the Raleigh City and Wake County schools merged to become the [[Wake County Public School System]], now the largest school system in the state and 19th largest in the country.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.wcpss.net/ |title=Wake County Public School System |website=wcpss.net |access-date=July 6, 2017}}</ref>

During the 1970s and 1980s, the [[Interstate 440 (North Carolina)|I-440]] beltline was constructed, in an attempt to ease traffic congestion and providing access to most major city roads.

The first [[Raleigh Convention Center]] (replaced in 2008) and Fayetteville Street Mall were both opened in 1977. Fayetteville Street was turned into a pedestrian-only street in an effort to help the then-ailing downtown area, but the plan was flawed and business declined for years to come. Fayetteville Street was reopened in 2007 as the main thoroughfare of Raleigh's downtown.<ref name=autogenerated3>{{cite web |title=City of Raleigh Years (1966–1990) |publisher=City of Raleigh |url=http://www.raleighnc.gov/portal/server.pt/gateway/PTARGS_0_2_306_202_0_43/http%3B/pt03/DIG_Web_Content/category/Resident/Raleigh_At_A_Glance/History_of_Raleigh/Cat-2CA-2006109-140652-Years__1966___1990.html |access-date=March 17, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060302040920/http://www.raleighnc.gov/portal/server.pt/gateway/PTARGS_0_2_306_202_0_43/http%3B/pt03/DIG_Web_Content/category/Resident/Raleigh_At_A_Glance/History_of_Raleigh/Cat-2CA-2006109-140652-Years__1966___1990.html |archive-date=March 2, 2006}}</ref>

During the [[1988 Raleigh tornado outbreak]] of November 28, 1988, the city was affected by the most destructive of the seven tornadoes reported in [[Northeastern North Carolina]] and southeastern [[Virginia]] between 1:00&nbsp;am and 5:45&nbsp;am. The Raleigh tornado produced over $77&nbsp;million in damage, along with four fatalities (two in the city of Raleigh, and two in [[Nash County, North Carolina|Nash County]]) and 154 injuries. The damage path from the storm was measured at {{cvt|84|mi|km|0}} long, and {{cvt|.5|mi|km|1}} wide at times. The tornado was rated [[Fujita scale|F4]].<ref name="tornado">{{cite web |last=Gonski |first=Rod |title=Raleigh Tornado, November 28, 1988 |publisher=[[National Weather Service]] |date=November 3, 2004 |url=http://www4.ncsu.edu/~nwsfo/storage/cases/19881128/ |access-date=April 17, 2009}}</ref>

In 1991, two large skyscrapers in Raleigh were completed, [[First Union Capitol Center]] and [[Two Hannover Square]], along with the popular [[Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek]] in Southeast Raleigh.

In 1996, the [[Olympic Flame]] passed through Raleigh while on its way to the [[1996 Summer Olympics]] in [[Atlanta]]. Also in 1996, [[Hurricane Fran]] struck the area, causing massive flooding and extensive structural damage. In addition, [[WRAL-TV]] became the first High-Definition broadcast station in the world.

In 1997, the [[National Hockey League]]'s [[Hartford Whalers]] announced their intention to move to Raleigh as the [[Carolina Hurricanes]], becoming the city's first major league professional sports franchise.

In 1999, the Raleigh Entertainment and Sports Arena (later renamed the RBC Center and now called [[Lenovo Center]]), opened to provide a home for the Hurricanes and the [[NC State Wolfpack men's basketball]] team, as well as an up-to-date major concert venue.<ref name=autogenerated4>{{cite web |title=City of Raleigh Years (1991–1999) |publisher=City of Raleigh |url=http://www.raleighnc.gov/portal/server.pt/gateway/PTARGS_0_2_306_202_0_43/http%3B/pt03/DIG_Web_Content/category/Resident/Raleigh_At_A_Glance/History_of_Raleigh/Cat-2CA-2006109-150347-Years__1991___1999.html |access-date=March 17, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060302040927/http://www.raleighnc.gov/portal/server.pt/gateway/PTARGS_0_2_306_202_0_43/http%3B/pt03/DIG_Web_Content/category/Resident/Raleigh_At_A_Glance/History_of_Raleigh/Cat-2CA-2006109-150347-Years__1991___1999.html |archive-date=March 2, 2006}}</ref>