(BLACK PRWIRE) (March 6, 2009) It is no secret that many African Americans refer to Atlanta as “Hotlanta” nowadays. This is truly an appropriate name, as the city is steaming and hot with history.

Founded in 1837 at the end of the Western & Atlantic railroad line, Atlanta was first named Marthasville in honor of the then-governor’s daughter, nicknamed Terminus for its rail location. Soon thereafter, the name was changed to Atlanta.

And what a sweet name it is. One of the many significant commercial buildings within Atlanta’s Sweet Auburn Historic District is the Atlanta Life Insurance Company, the second largest Black insurance company in the United States. Atlanta was also the founding city for the Atlanta Daily World, the first black-owned daily newspaper that was established in 1928.

The “A” in Atlanta must have stood for a new beginning because for more than four decades, Atlanta was linked to the civil rights movement. Civil Rights leaders moved forward and were the visionaries who saw a new south, a new Atlanta. They believed in peace and made monumental sacrifices for that peace. Thanks to them, Atlanta became a fast-pace modern city which opened its doors to the 1996 Olympics.

Today, the fast growing city remains a transportation hub, not just for the country, but for the world. According to the City of Atlanta Online, Atlanta has experienced unprecedented growth in the past two decades – the official city population remains steady, at about 420,000, but the metro population has grown in the past decade by nearly 40%, from 2.9 million to 4.1 million people.

Considered today as the “city not too busy to care,” Atlanta has also emerged as a banking center and is the world headquarters for 13 Fortune 500 companies. From its hot beginning to its hot current status, the city of Atlanta is full of promise and will always be hot with history.