RPL Moments in Time
 
Important dates in the history of the Richmond Public Library
 
1924
 
RPL: The Richmond Public Library opens at 901 W. Franklin St., the former home of Major Lewis Ginter.
RIchmond: The Virginia General Assembly passes SB 219, "The Racial Integrity Act", the first such law in U.S. history.
Gas: $.21 per gallon.
Fiction bestseller:  So Big by Edna Ferber
Top-grossing movie:  "The Sea Hawk".
#1 song: "Rhapsody in Blue" by George Gershwin.
Future famous: Truman Capote and Don Knotts are born.
1925
 
RPL: The Rosa Bowser branch for African-Americans opens in two rooms of the Phyllis Wheatley YWCA.
Richmond:  WRVA-radio begins broadcasting.
Gas: $.22 cents per gallon.
Fiction bestseller:  Soundings by A. Hamilton Gibbs.
Top-grossing movie:  "Ben-Hur".
#1 song:  "Sweet Georgia Brown" by Ben Bernie.
Future famous:  Malcolm X and Angela Lansbury are born.
1927 
 
RPL: A location is chosen for a new public library building at 1st and Franklin Streets.
Richmond:  WRNL-radio begins broadcasting.
Gas:  $.21 per gallon.
Fiction bestseller: Elmer Gantry by Sinclair Lewis.
Top-grossing movie:  "The Jazz Singer" (the first "talkie").
#1 song:  "Stardust" by Hoagy Carmichael.
Future famous:  Cesar Chavez and Janet Leigh are born.
 
1930
 
RPL: The Dooley Library opens to the public at 101 E. Franklin St.
Richmond: The U.S. 4th District Circuit Court of Appeals rules that Richmond's 1929 residential segregation law is unconstitutional.
Gas:  $.20 per gallon.
Fiction bestseller:  Cimarron by Edna Ferber.
Top-grossing movie:  "Tom Sawyer".
#1 song:  "Happy Days are Here Again" by Ben Selvin.
Future famous:  Sean Connery and Princess Margaret are born.
1931
 
RPL: The Rosa Boswer branch moves to the Dill House, which had been purchased in 1922 as headquarters for The Council of Colored Women.
Richmond: The nation's first all aluminum building is completed as a temporary space for Richmond Department of Public Works.
Gas: $.17 per gallon.
Fiction bestseller: The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck.
Top-grossing movie: "Frankenstein".
#1 song: "Minnie the Moocher" by Cab Calloway.
Future famous:  Toni Morrison and Bishop Desmond Tutu are born.
 
1943
 
RPL: Forest Hill Community Library becomes an RPL branch.
Richmond:  A sleet storm glazes the area with ice, leaving power out for days and damaging or destroying 80-90% of area trees.
Gas: $.20 per gallon.
Fiction bestseller: The Robe by Lloyd C. Douglas.
Top-grossing movie:  "This is the Army".
#1 song: "Paper Doll" by the Mills Brothers.
Future famous: Arthur Ashe and R. L. Stine are born.
 
1947
 
RPL: The library integrates.
Richmond:  Lillian Thomas Pratt donates her Faberge egg collection to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.
Gas: $.23 per gallon.
Fiction bestseller: Miracle of the Bells by Russell Janney.
Top-grossing movie: "Forever Amber".
#1 song: "Near You" by Francis Craig.
Future famous: Danielle Steel and Stephen King are born.
 
1956
 
RPL:  Belmont branch opens.
Richmond: WRVA-TV begins broadcasting.
Gas: $.30 per gallon.
Fiction bestseller: Don't Go Near the Water by William Brinkley.
Top-grossing movie: "The Ten Commandments".
#1 song: "Heartbreak Hotel" by Elvis Presley.
Future famous: Mae Jemison and Bill Maher are born.
1959
 
RPL:  Westover Hills branch opens; Forest Hill branch closes.
Richmond: a professor at MCV is murdered in Monroe Park - the only murder in park history.
Gas: $.30 per gallon.
Fiction bestseller:  Exodus by Leon Uris.
Top-grossing movie:  "Ben-Hur".
#1 song: "Mack the Knife" by Bobbie Darin.
Future famous:  Magic Johnson and Mike Pence are born.
1960
 
RPL:  A weekly classical music program begins broadcasting from the library's Music Room on WRFK-FM.
Richmond:  Thalhimer's is picketed for its segregated lunch counter.  Ruth Tinsley, holding only her purse, is arrested and dragged away by police. 
Gas: $.31 per gallon.
Fiction bestseller:  Advise and Consent by Allen Drury.
Top-grossing movie:  "Spartacus".
#1 song:  "Theme From 'A Summer Place'" by Percy Faith.
Future famous: Tilda Swinton and Neil Gaiman are born.
1962
 
RPL: "The Nellie Belle" bookmobile, funded by E. Claiborne Robins, begins serving all of Richmond.
Richmond:  Eleanor Sheppard, who was the first female city council member in 1954, is elected as RVA's first female mayor. 
Gas: $.31 per gallon.
Fiction bestseller:  The Spy Who Came in From the Cold by John Le Carre.
Top-grossing movie:  "Lawrence of Arabia".
#1 song: "Speedy Gonzales" by Pat Boone.
Future famous: Emilio Estevez and Jon Stewart are born.
1963
 
RPL: The main library becomes fully air-conditioned.
Richmond:  The first year of a two-year building boom that would see 700 new buildings downtown by 1965.
Gas: $.30 per gallon.
Fiction bestseller:  Shoes of the Fisherman  by Morris West.
Top-grossing movie:  "Cleopatra".
#1 song:  "(You're the) Devil in Disguise" by Elvis Presley.
Future famous: Johnny Depp and Whitney Houston are born.
 
1964
 
RPL:  Ginter Park branch opens.
Richmond:  PBS station WCVE-TV begins broadcasting.
Gas: $.30 per gallon.
Fiction bestseller: The Spy Who Came in From the Cold
Top-grossing movie:  "My Fair Lady".
#1 Song:  "I Want to Hold Your Hand" by The Beatles.
Future famous: Jeff Bezos and Michelle Obama are born.
 
1965
 
RPL: East End branch opens.
Richmond:  Virginia Landmarks Register created.
Gas: $.31 per gallon.
Fiction bestseller: The Source by James Michener.
Top-grossing movie:  "Sound of Music".
#1 song:  "I Can't Get no Satisfaction" by the Rolling Stones.
Future famous:  J. K. Rowling and Chris Rock are born.
1966
 
RPL:  Belmont branch expands.
Richmond:  Richmond Metropolitan Authority established to build and maintain toll roads in the area.
Gas:  $.32 per gallon.
Fiction bestseller:  Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann.
Top-grossing movie:  "Hawaii" and "The Bible" (tie).
#1 song:  "Strangers in the Night" by Frank Sinatra.
Future famous: Gordon Ramsay and Mike Tyson are born.
1972
 
RPL: The main library completes a three year expansion, tripling its capacity.
Richmond:  Hurricane Agnes was so devastating and costly to Virginia that the name "Agnes" was retired from hurricane nomenclature.
Gas:  $.36 per gallon.
Fiction bestseller:  Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach
Top-grossing movie:  "The Godfather".
#1 song:  "American Pie" by Don MacLean.
Future famous:  Idris Elba and Dwayne Johnson are born.
.
1976
 
RPL: Broad Rock branch opens.
Richmond:  The Downtown Expressway (state route 195) opens.
Gas: $.60 per gallon.
Fiction bestseller:  Trinity by Leon Uris.
Top-grossing movie:  "Rocky".
#1 song: "Dancing Queen" by Abba.
Future famous:  Benedict Cumberbatch and Reese Witherspoon are born.
 
1978
 
RPL: West End branch opens.
RIchmond: The Richmond Times-Dispatch sponsors the first Richmond Marathon.
Gas: $.65 per gallon.
Fiction bestseller:  Chesapeake by James Michener.
Top-grossing movie:  "Grease".
#1 song:  "Stayin' Alive" by the BeeGees.
Future famous: Amal Clooney and Katherine Heigl are born.
1979
 
RPL: A  20-foot square "kiosk" branch opens at 10th & Marshall streets.
Richmond:  The Briley brothers go on a seven-month killing spree.
Gas: $.88 per gallon
Fiction bestseller:  The Matarese Circle by Robert Ludlum
Top-grossing movie:  "Kramer vs. Kramer"
#1 song:  "Heart of Glass" by Blondie
Future famous: Chris Pratt and Jason Momoa are born
1983
 
RPL: North Avenue branch opens
Richmond:  Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden is founded
Gas: $1.23 per gallon
Fiction bestseller:  Star Wars: Return of the Jedi by James Kahn
Top-grossing movie:  "Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi"
#1 song:  "Every Breath You Take" by The Police
Future famous: Donald Glover and Chris Hemsworth are born
1987
 
RPL: Hull Street branch opens.
Richmond:  4.5" of snow falls on November 11th, Veteran's Day.
Gas: $.96 per gallon.
Fiction bestseller:  The Tommyknockers by Stephen King.
Top-grossing movie: "Three Men and a Baby".
#1 song: "I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)" by Whitney Houston.
Future famous: Colin Kaepernick and Ronda Rousey are born.
1992
 
RPL: City records are moved to the library.
Richmond:  The Richmond News-Leader folds.
Gas: $1.09 per gallon.
Fiction bestseller:  Dolores Claiborne by Stephen King.
Top-grossing movie: "Aladdin".
#1 song: "I Will Always Love You" by Whitney Houston.
Future famous:  Cardi B. and Miley Cyrus are born.
 
1996
 
RPL: Richmond Public Library becomes the first public library in the area to offer public internet access.
Richmond: A January blizzard dumps up to two feet of snow on the area.
Gas: $1,19 per gallon.
Fiction bestseller: The Runaway Jury by John Grisham.
Top-grossing movie:  "Independence Day".
 #1 song: "Macarena" by Los del Rio.
 
1998
 
RPL: Library Park opens behind the main branch.
Richmond:  Tim Kaine is elected as mayor.
Gas: $1.02 per gallon.
Fiction bestseller: The Street Lawyer by John Grisham.
Top-grossing movie:  "Saving Private Ryan".
#1 song: "My Heart Will Go On" by Celine Dion
 
2002
 
RPL: fund-raising for library renovations begins.
Richmond:  The movie "Iron-Jawed Angels" is filmed in Richmond.
Gas: $1.31 per gallon.
Fiction bestseller:  The Summons by John Grisham.
Top-grossing movie:  "Spider-man"
#1 song: "Lose Yourself" by Eminem
2004
 
RPL: The Main Library is renovated.
Richmond:  Hurricane Gaston floods Shockoe Bottom and dumps 12" of rain on the Richmond area.
Gas: $1.81 per gallon.
Fiction bestseller: The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown.
Top-grossing movie: "Shrek 2".
#1 song:  "Yeah" by Usher
2007
 
RPL: The Law Library opens in the Main branch.
Richmond:  Queen Elizabeth II visits the governor's mansion as part of the Jamestown 400th anniversary celebrations.
Gas: $2.77 per gallon.
Fiction bestseller:  A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini.  
Top-grossing movie:  "Spider-man 2"
#1 song: "Umbrella" by Rhianna and Jay-Z.
 
 
2010
RPL: North Avenue and Westover Hills branches are renovated.
Richmond:  Ukrop's sells their chain of grocery stores.
Gas:  $2.74 per gallon
Fiction bestseller:  The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Steig Larsson
Top-grossing movie:  Toy Story 3"
#1 song:  "Love the Way You Lie" by Rhiannon and Eminem.
 
 
2011
 
RPL: Hull Street branch is renovated.
Richmond:  A 5.8 magnitude earthquake centered in Mineral Va, rocks Richmond, with tremors felt up and down the east coast.
Gas: $3.48 per gallon.
Fiction bestseller:  The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Top-grossing movie: "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Pt 2"
#1 song:  "Rolling in the Deep" by Adele.
2012
 
RPL: Broad Rock branch is renovated.
Richmond:  The Virginia Repertory Theatre is formed.
Gas: $3.55 per gallon.
Fiction bestseller:  Fifty Shades of Grey by E. L. James.
Top-grossing movie:  "Marvel's The Avengers"
#1 song: Somebody That I Used to Know" by Gotye
 
2013
 
RPL:  East End branch is renovated.
Richmond:  The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts permanently installs Chihuly "Red Reeds" in the reflecting pool outside the museum.
Gas:  $3.44 per gallon.
Fiction bestseller:  Inferno by Dan Brown.
Top-grossing movie:  "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire"
#1 song:  "Blurred Lines" by Robin Thicke.
 
 
2016
 
RPL: Ginter Park branch is renovated.
Richmond:  T. Tyler Potterfield Memorial pedestrian bridge opens, connecting Brown's Island to James River Park.
Gas: $2.14 per gallon.
Fiction bestseller:  The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins.
Top-grossing movie:  Rogue One: A Star Wars Story"
#1 song:  "Love Yourself" by Justin Bieber
 
 
2017
 
RPL:  West End branch is renovated.
Richmond:  Levar Stoney (age 35) is sworn in a RVA's youngest-ever mayor.
Gas: $2.49 per gallon.
Fiction bestseller:  A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
Top-grossing movie:  "Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi".
#1 song: "Shape of You" by Ed Sheeran