The opening of the private, non-profit Tennessee Aquarium on May 1, 1992, represented the realization of an improbable dream.The aquarium served as a catalyst for a profound renaissance of the city. During the aquarium’s dedication ceremony, Chattanooga Mayor Gene Roberts proclaimed, “The aquarium will establish us as men and women who celebrate clean water and clean air as the lifeblood which sustains us. For decades to come, the people of this place will look back to this day and mark it as a magical moment.”In the years since, the success of Chattanooga and the aquarium have gone hand in hand.