Final answer:
UAB became an independent university in 1969, after initially starting as an extension center in 1936 and transforming into an academic and medical center over several decades.
Step-by-step explanation:
The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) officially became an independent university in the year 1969. Initially, UAB started as an extension center of the University of Alabama in 1936 and later evolved into the University of Alabama in Birmingham as a medical center and an academic campus in the 1940s and 1950s. In seeking to establish its own identity and administration separate from the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, UAB was granted autonomy and thus became an independent institution in 1969, marking a significant milestone in its history.