HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Soldier Field Soldier Field is a multi-purpose stadium on the Near South Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Opened in 1924 and reconstructed in 2003, the stadium has served as the home of the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) since ...
is a stadium that opened in 1924. It has primarily served as the home field of the
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine ...
professional football club for over four decades, but it also hosted numerous other events in its more than 90 years of existence (and was not made the home to the Chicago Bears until 1971, as prior to that season the Bears played at
Wrigley Field Wrigley Field is a Major League Baseball (MLB) stadium on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is the home of the Chicago Cubs, one of the city's two MLB franchises. It first opened in 1914 as Weeghman Park for Charles Weeghman's Chicago ...
). The Bears' intent was originally to move from Wrigley Field to Northwestern's Dyche Stadium, but that move was blocked by Evanston as well as the
Big Ten Conference The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...
, so they later took the City of Chicago up on their offer to move into Soldier Field where they have since played. Soldier Field has hosted a great variety and quantity of events since it opened.


1920s


1924

*September 5 was the first day of the first dedicatory event at Soldier Field. It was an athletic meet with policemen as participants, and was a fundraiser for the Chicago Police Benevolent Association, which provided support for police widows and officers disabled in the line of action. The meet's official opening ceremony on the second day featured 1,200 police officers parading through the stadium, fireworks, and music by two police bands, among other entertainment. The contests in the event included a
chariot race Chariot racing ( grc-gre, ἁρματοδρομία, harmatodromia, la, ludi circenses) was one of the most popular ancient Greek, Roman, and Byzantine sports. In Greece, chariot racing played an essential role in aristocratic funeral games from ...
and a game of "motorcycle polo". The opening ceremony was attended by 45,000 spectators. Events raising funds for Chicago's Policemen and Firemen Benevolent funds were a mainstay at Soldier Field until 1971. *On September 10, there was yet another dedicatory event at Soldier Field. This one was the "Pageant of Music and Light", and was followed less than two weeks later by another ceremony. *On September 27, Soldier Field hosted a ''
Chicago Daily News The ''Chicago Daily News'' was an afternoon daily newspaper in the midwestern United States, published between 1875 and 1978 in Chicago, Illinois. History The ''Daily News'' was founded by Melville E. Stone, Percy Meggy, and William Doughert ...
''-sponsored women's track meet featuring more than 500 Chicago-area participants. In addition to traditional
track and field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping eve ...
events, the competitions also included such events as a
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
distance throw. *On October 4, the stadium hosted its first football game, a match between
Louisville Male High School Louisville Male Traditional High School is a public co-ed secondary school serving students in grades 9 through 12 in the southside of Louisville, Kentucky, USA. It is part of the Jefferson County Public School District. History Ninth and Ches ...
and Chicago's Austin Community Academy High School. Louisville's team won 26–0. *On October 9, a "Chicago Day" event, marking the anniversary of the
Great Chicago Fire The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned in the American city of Chicago during October 8–10, 1871. The fire killed approximately 300 people, destroyed roughly of the city including over 17,000 structures, and left more than 1 ...
, was attended by a crowd of 60,000. The event contained the formal dedication and official opening of Grant Park Municipal Stadium. The event included military troops partaking in a mock battle, equine performances by riders from the 14th Cavalry's Troop A, and a semi re-enactment of the
Great Chicago Fire The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned in the American city of Chicago during October 8–10, 1871. The fire killed approximately 300 people, destroyed roughly of the city including over 17,000 structures, and left more than 1 ...
with firemen (including ten who actually had fought the Great Fire) fighting the fire using Fire King No. 1 (Chicago's first pump engine). In the re-enactment, a cow knocked over a lantern (according to lore), a replica of the
O'Leary History Ancient The Uí Laoghaire clan, today associated with the Uibh Laoghaire parish in County Cork, is considered by scholars to have originated in the early Middle Ages on the south-west coast, in the area of Ros Ó gCairbre (Rosscarbery), ...
barn was burned down, and firemen used modern equipment to fight a fire in a mock-up of a three-story building. Following this spectacle there were police drills, performances by two police
quartet In music, a quartet or quartette (, , , , ) is an ensemble of four singers or instrumental performers; or a musical composition for four voices and instruments. Classical String quartet In classical music, one of the most common combinations o ...
s, and a
polo Polo is a ball game played on horseback, a traditional field sport and one of the world's oldest known team sports. The game is played by two opposing teams with the objective of scoring using a long-handled wooden mallet to hit a small ha ...
match. The teams in the polo match were led by ''
Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...
'' owner
Robert R. McCormick Robert Rutherford "Colonel" McCormick (July 30, 1880 – April 1, 1955) was an American lawyer, businessman and anti-war activist. A member of the McCormick family of Chicago, McCormick became a lawyer, Republican Chicago alderman, distinguish ...
and Hotel Sherman manager Frank Bering. McCormick's team won 5–4. *On November 11, Viator College of
Bourbonnais, Illinois Bourbonnais ( ) is a village in Kankakee County, Illinois, United States. The population was 18,164 at the 2020 census. History The village is named for François Bourbonnais Sr., a fur trapper, hunter and agent of the American Fur Company, who ...
and Columbia College of
Dubuque, Iowa Dubuque (, ) is the county seat of Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, located along the Mississippi River. At the time of the 2020 census, the population of Dubuque was 59,667. The city lies at the junction of Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin, a r ...
played in the 1924 Midwest Catholic League championship. The game benefited an
American Legion The American Legion, commonly known as the Legion, is a non-profit organization of U.S. war veterans headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. It is made up of state, U.S. territory, and overseas departments, and these are in turn made up of ...
fund for disabled veterans. The game ended 0–0. Due to poor weather conditions the attendance was only 2,000. This was the first
college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football in the United States, American football rules first gained populari ...
game held at Soldier Field. *On November 22, 45,000 spectators saw Notre Dame play Northwestern. Notre Dame won 13 to 6. This was the first football game between two major colleges to be held at Soldier Field. Northwestern's Ralph "Moon" Baker (a member of the
College Football Hall of Fame The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and interactive attraction devoted to college football. The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players and coaches of college football that were vo ...
) would later say that this game, during which he kicked two
field goal A field goal (FG) is a means of scoring in gridiron football. To score a field goal, the team in possession of the ball must place kick, or drop kick, the ball through the goal, i.e., between the uprights and over the crossbar. The entire ba ...
s (one 34 and the other 36 yards) against the 1924 Notre Dame team that featured the "
Four Horsemen The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are figures in the Christian scriptures, first appearing in the Book of Revelation, a piece of apocalypse literature written by John of Patmos. Revelation 6 tells of a book or scroll in God's right hand tha ...
", was his greatest thrill. That season Baker set a Northwestern Wildcats team record of seven field goals in a single season, a team record that was unbroken until the 1960s. *In December, Soldier Field hosted a state amateur horseshoe pitching tournament sponsored by the Ogden Park Horseshoe Pitching Club and Chicago Playground Council. *October 10 (the 53rd anniversary of the
Great Chicago Fire The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned in the American city of Chicago during October 8–10, 1871. The fire killed approximately 300 people, destroyed roughly of the city including over 17,000 structures, and left more than 1 ...
) another dedication of the stadium was held. *In late 1924 the South Park commissioners erected an
ice rink An ice rink (or ice skating rink) is a frozen body of water and/or an artificial sheet of ice created using hardened chemicals where people can ice skate or play winter sports. Ice rinks are also used for exhibitions, contests and ice shows. The ...
in Soldier Field.


1925

*On May 9, Soldier Field hosted the South Parks
Marble Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite. Marble is typically not foliated (layered), although there are exceptions. In geology, the term ''marble'' refers to metamorphose ...
Championship. The tournament included both adult and juvenile competitions. *From May 22–25, the 65th Reserves and its superior outfit, the Army's Sixth Corps, sponsored the first of numerous military pageants held at Soldier Field. There were two shows a day, airplane fights in the afternoon, searchlights and antiaircraft-mimicking fireworks in the evening. The highlight of the day shows was a radio-dispatched arrangement of warplanes flying over the stadium. Audience members could hear the air-to-ground radio communication via the stadium's state-of-the-art loudspeaker system, and watch the planes respond to the ground command and perform stunts. 25,000 attended the first afternoon show, among them
Vice President A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on ...
Charles G. Dawes Charles Gates Dawes (August 27, 1865 – April 23, 1951) was an American banker, general, diplomat, composer, and Republican politician who was the 30th vice president of the United States from 1925 to 1929 under Calvin Coolidge. He was a co-rec ...
. The temperature was 92 degrees. The show reenacted the
Battle of the Argonne A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and for ...
utilizing, among other things, a smoke screen and four tanks. In the first night show's reenactment an infantryman was injured when he was trampled by horses, and prior to that show a policeman partaking in a Roman-style horse race was thrown from his horse and also injured. For the final day wind kept the planes grounded, and the crowd was small due to chilly temperature that peaked near 40 degrees. Nonetheless, entire event was deemed a success. *April 19 Loyola University held an intercollegiate track meet at Soldier Field. Amongst the participants in the competition was nine-time Olympic gold medalist (and three-time silver medalist)
Paavo Nurmi Paavo Johannes Nurmi (; 13 June 1897 – 2 October 1973) was a Finnish middle-distance and long-distance runner. He was called the "Flying Finn" or the "Phantom Finn", as he dominated distance running in the 1920s. Nurmi set 22 official worl ...
of Finland who was in the last several weeks of a five-month US tour (during which he participated in 55 competitions). Nurmi had won five gold medals at the
1924 Summer Olympics The 1924 Summer Olympics (french: Jeux olympiques d'été de 1924), officially the Games of the VIII Olympiad (french: Jeux de la VIIIe olympiade) and also known as Paris 1924, were an international multi-sport event held in Paris, France. The o ...
. Also competing was fellow Finnish Olympian
Ville Ritola Vilho "Ville" Eino Ritola (18 January 1896 – 24 April 1982) was a Finnish long-distance runner. Known as one of the "Flying Finns", he won five Olympic gold medals and three Olympic silver medals in the 1920s. He holds the record of winning ...
, who was also a United States resident and had traveled with Nurmi during his tour. Nurmi defeated Ritola in the meet. *In May Soldier Field held and event dubbed the "first annual Chicago Olympics", an athletics event sponsored by the Finnish-American Athletic Association. Notable male competitors include Finnish five-time Olympic gold medalist (and three-time silver medalist)
Ville Ritola Vilho "Ville" Eino Ritola (18 January 1896 – 24 April 1982) was a Finnish long-distance runner. Known as one of the "Flying Finns", he won five Olympic gold medals and three Olympic silver medals in the 1920s. He holds the record of winning ...
, Finnish two-time Olympic gold medalist
Jonni Myyrä Joonas "Jonni" Myyrä (13 July 1892 – 22 January 1955) was a Finnish athlete who competed at the 1912, 1920 and 1924 Olympics. In 1912, he finished eighth in the javelin throw. At the 1920 Olympics his left arm was fractured in a warm-up acci ...
, American two-time Olympic gold medalist Harold Osborne. Notable female competitors included US Women's Athletics legends Helen Filkey, Norma Zilk, and Nellie Todd (who, along with Zilk, was a protégé of
University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chicago is consistently ranked among the b ...
track coach Tom Eck). Norma Filkey set a record in hurdles at the event, Jonni Myyrä set a javelin record at the event, Harold Osborne won as the best overall athlete of the competition, and Ville Ritola won the 2-mile race. Due largely to 90-degree heat only 2,500 spectators attended this event. *June 13–14 Soldier Field hosted the
1925 Events January * January 1 ** The Syrian Federation is officially dissolved, the State of Aleppo and the State of Damascus having been replaced by the State of Syria. * January 3 – Benito Mussolini makes a pivotal speech in the Itali ...
NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges ...
Men's Track and Field Championships. Notable competitors included DeHart Hubbard, Morgan Taylor, Glenn Hartranft, Tom Poor, Phil Northrup, Frank Potts, Clifford Ellsworth "Biff" Hoffman, and Hugo Leistner. *July 4 and 5 Soldier Field held its first
Independence Day An independence day is an annual event commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or more rarely after the end of a military occupation. Many ...
celebration. *August 15–24, 1925 the Chicago Association of Commerce sponsored the 1925 Chicago Roundup, a
Tex Austin Tex may refer to: People and fictional characters * Tex (nickname), a list of people and fictional characters with the nickname * Joe Tex (1933–1982), stage name of American soul singer Joseph Arrington Jr. Entertainment * ''Tex'', the Italian ...
-organized nine-day professional
rodeo Rodeo () is a competitive equestrian sport that arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain and Mexico, expanding throughout the Americas and to other nations. It was originally based on the skills required of the working vaq ...
competition at Soldier Field.
Vice President of the United States The vice president of the United States (VPOTUS) is the second-highest officer in the executive branch of the U.S. federal government, after the president of the United States, and ranks first in the presidential line of succession. The vice p ...
Charles G. Dawes Charles Gates Dawes (August 27, 1865 – April 23, 1951) was an American banker, general, diplomat, composer, and Republican politician who was the 30th vice president of the United States from 1925 to 1929 under Calvin Coolidge. He was a co-rec ...
at the opening ceremonies. The ceremonies were initiated with a parade of participants and officials. Among the officials was Anti-Cruelty Society director
Chauncey McCormick Chauncey Brooks McCormick (December 7, 1884 – September 8, 1954) was an American businessman and art collector in the McCormick family. Life His mother was Eleanor Brooks, daughter of Walter Brooks of Baltimore. His father was William Grigsby ...
, and among the competitors was Pete Knight. 30,000 spectators watched the opening ceremonies, and 100,000 spectators attended the two competitive events held August 15. Daily attendance averaged 70,000 for the competition, one day the combined attendance for two events was 170,000. *September 20 Chicago's German-American community held its first annual German Day event at Soldier Field, featuring a
soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
match,
athletics Athletics may refer to: Sports * Sport of athletics, a collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking ** Track and field, a sub-category of the above sport * Athletics (physical culture), competi ...
, performances and ceremonies. The event raised funds for numerous charities. German Day events were held annually at Soldier Field until 1937, regularly drawing crowds in excess of 40,000. *November 7 Northwestern played
Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and t ...
at Soldier Field. 70,000 tickets had been sold, but just over 40,000 spectators attended due to severely inclement weather. Northwestern won 3–2. *November 11, the
American Legion The American Legion, commonly known as the Legion, is a non-profit organization of U.S. war veterans headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. It is made up of state, U.S. territory, and overseas departments, and these are in turn made up of ...
and South Park commissioners organized a commemoration of
Armistice Day Armistice Day, later known as Remembrance Day in the Commonwealth and Veterans Day in the United States, is commemorated every year on 11 November to mark the armistice signed between the Allies of World War I and Germany at Compiègne, Fran ...
marking the stadium's name change from "Grant Park Municipal Stadium" to "Soldier Field". The day began the firing of guns at sunrise. At eleven in the morning, a
21-gun salute A 21-gun salute is the most commonly recognized of the customary gun salutes that are performed by the firing of cannons or artillery as a military honor. As naval customs evolved, 21 guns came to be fired for heads of state, or in exception ...
was fired in Chicago's Grant Park and people in the 'Chicago Loop' paused, men removing their hats, and held moment of silent prayer and reflection. In the afternoon, former
Governor of Illinois The governor of Illinois is the head of government of Illinois, and the various agencies and departments over which the officer has jurisdiction, as prescribed in the state constitution. It is a directly elected position, votes being cast by p ...
Frank Lowden Frank Orren Lowden (January 26, 1861 – March 20, 1943) was an American Republican Party politician who served as the 25th Governor of Illinois and as a United States Representative from Illinois. He was also a candidate for the Republican pre ...
and naval officer John A. Rodgers were the guests of honor in the ceremonies held at Soldier Field. At the time Rodgers was a national hero, following his attempted nonstop flight two months earlier, and was all-over the news. Lowden had been heavily involved in the effort to rename Soldier Field. Much like Rodgers, Lowden was also a big-name at the time. A former Illinois Congressman and Governor, Lowden had declined the Vice-Presidential nomination at the
1924 Republican National Convention Nineteen or 19 may refer to: * 19 (number), the natural number following 18 and preceding 20 * one of the years 19 BC, AD 19, 1919, 2019 Films * ''19'' (film), a 2001 Japanese film * ''Nineteen'' (film), a 1987 science fiction film Music ...
, a position which was taken by fellow-Illinoisan
Charles G. Dawes Charles Gates Dawes (August 27, 1865 – April 23, 1951) was an American banker, general, diplomat, composer, and Republican politician who was the 30th vice president of the United States from 1925 to 1929 under Calvin Coolidge. He was a co-rec ...
(who ultimately would go on to win the 1924 election as
Calvin Coolidge Calvin Coolidge (born John Calvin Coolidge Jr.; ; July 4, 1872January 5, 1933) was the 30th president of the United States from 1923 to 1929. Born in Vermont, Coolidge was a Republican lawyer from New England who climbed up the ladder of Ma ...
's running mate). The event at Soldier Field began with decorated war veterans escorting Gold Star Mothers to their seats, and a salute fired by field artillery. The
Flag of the United States The national flag of the United States of America, often referred to as the ''American flag'' or the ''U.S. flag'', consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the c ...
was then raised, followed with a large banner baring the words 'Soldier Field' that had been carried into the stadium by the Gold Star Mothers. This was followed with a parade led by an Army general. The parade featured sailors from the nearby
Great Lakes Naval Station Naval Station Great Lakes (NAVSTA Great Lakes) is the home of the United States Navy's only recruit training, boot camp, located near North Chicago, Illinois, North Chicago, in Lake County, Illinois. Important tenant commands include the Recruit ...
,
Reserve Officers' Training Corps The Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC ( or )) is a group of college- and university-based officer-training programs for training commissioned officers of the United States Armed Forces. Overview While ROTC graduate officers serve in a ...
units, and various veterans groups (including the
Grand Army of the Republic The Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army (United States Army), Union Navy ( U.S. Navy), and the Marines who served in the American Civil War. It was founded in 1866 in Decatur, ...
). Following the procession of the parade, Rodgers spoke about his attempted non-stop flight. Other speakers included South Park Board-member, and future-
mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...
, Edward J. Kelley. The ceremony was attended by over 20,000.


1926

*After success of the 1925 Chicago Roundup, Soldier Field hosted another Chicago Roundup in 1926. The 1926 Chicago Roundup was also a great success, even managing to draw 35,000 spectators on a rainy day. *In June Soldier Field hosted the
1926 Events January * January 3 – Theodoros Pangalos declares himself dictator in Greece. * January 8 **Abdul-Aziz ibn Saud is crowned King of Hejaz. ** Crown Prince Nguyễn Phúc Vĩnh Thuy ascends the throne, the last monarch of Viet ...
NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges ...
Men's Track and Field Championships. This was the second consecutive edition held at Soldier Field. The event was dubbed "the college Olympics of America". Notable competitors included
Bud Houser Lemuel Clarence "Bud" Houser (September 25, 1901 – October 1, 1994) was an American field athlete. He won Olympic gold medals in the discus throw in 1924 and 1928 and in the shot put in 1924. Biography Houser was born in Winigan, Missouri, b ...
, Bob King, John Kuck,
Herman Brix Bruce Bennett (born Harold Herman Brix, also credited Herman Brix; May 19, 1906February 24, 2007) was an American film and television actor who prior to his screen career was a highly successful college athlete in football and in both intercol ...
(later known by his stage-name Bruce Bennet), William Droegemueller,
Fred Alderman Frederick Pitt Alderman (June 24, 1905 – September 15, 1998) was an American sprint runner who won a gold medal in 4 × 400 m relay at the 1928 Summer Olympics. He also won the NCAA Championships in and and IC4A Championships in in 192 ...
,
Tom Sharkey Thomas "Sailor Tom" Sharkey (November 26, 1873 – April 17, 1953) was a boxer who fought two fights with heavyweight champion James J. Jeffries. Sharkey's recorded ring career spanned from 1893 to 1904. He is credited with having won 40 fi ...
, Harry Hawkins,
Leighton Dye Leighton William Charles Dye (October 30, 1901 – October 25, 1977) was an American hurdler. He placed fourth in the 110 m hurdles at the 1928 Summer Olympics and was United States champion in 1926. Biography Dye was born in St. Louis, Misso ...
,
Ray Conger Raymond Milton Conger (November 12, 1904 – October 23, 1994) was an American middle-distance runner. He held the world record for the 1,000 yards and the American record for the 1,500 metres. In the U.S. national championships, Conger was ...
, Anton Burg, Phil Northrup, George Hester, and George Guthrie. *June 21–23 the 28th International Eucharistic Congress held three days of outdoor day and evening events at Soldier Field. Mass was held for a total of 500,000 gathered both in and outside of Soldier Field's gates. *July 4, marking the nation's sesquicentennial (150th anniversary), the
Loyal Order of Moose The Loyal Order of Moose is a fraternal and service organization founded in 1888 and headquartered in Mooseheart, Illinois. Moose International supports the operation of Mooseheart Child City & School, a community for children and teen ...
arranged an Independence Day program for Soldier Field. *July 27 50,000 people attended a program held by the
Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched ...
s from the
Missouri Synod Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas to th ...
to commemorate the USA's sesquicentennial. *November 11 (
Armistice Day Armistice Day, later known as Remembrance Day in the Commonwealth and Veterans Day in the United States, is commemorated every year on 11 November to mark the armistice signed between the Allies of World War I and Germany at Compiègne, Fran ...
) 10,000 spectators watched as Soldier Field hosted its first professional
American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...
game, a match between the
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine ...
and the
Chicago Cardinals The professional American football team now known as the Arizona Cardinals previously played in Chicago, Illinois, as the Chicago Cardinals from 1898 to 1959 before relocating to St. Louis, Missouri, for the 1960 through 1987 seasons. Roots ...
. The Bears defeated an injury-ridden Cardinals. Cardinals halfback
Red Dunn Joseph Aloysius "Red" Dunn (June 21, 1901 – January 15, 1957) was a professional American football player who played running back and was an exceptional punter for eight seasons for the Milwaukee Badgers, Chicago Cardinals, and Green Bay Packers ...
breaking his leg above the ankle. The first Bears touchdown in Soldier Field History occurred second quarter when
quarterback The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Am ...
Paddy Driscoll John Leo "Paddy" Driscoll (January 11, 1895 – June 29, 1968) was an American professional football and baseball player and football coach. A triple-threat man in football, he was regarded as the best drop kicker and one of the best overall pl ...
(who incidentally had previously played for the Cardinals) threw a forty-yard pass to
Duke Hanny Frank Matthew "Duke" Hanny (October 12, 1897 – September 3, 1946) was an American football end who played eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL). Hanny was the first player to be ejected in an NFL game in history, as he and Gre ...
, the game's sole touchdown. Driscoll also kicked for the extra point, and scoring a
field goal A field goal (FG) is a means of scoring in gridiron football. To score a field goal, the team in possession of the ball must place kick, or drop kick, the ball through the goal, i.e., between the uprights and over the crossbar. The entire ba ...
later in the second period. The game benefited the construction of Rosary College, which today is known as Dominican University. *November 26 the stadium was officially renamed "Soldier Field" at a free public event held at the stadium. Among those participating in the ceremony was
Vice President of the United States The vice president of the United States (VPOTUS) is the second-highest officer in the executive branch of the U.S. federal government, after the president of the United States, and ranks first in the presidential line of succession. The vice p ...
Charles G. Dawes Charles Gates Dawes (August 27, 1865 – April 23, 1951) was an American banker, general, diplomat, composer, and Republican politician who was the 30th vice president of the United States from 1925 to 1929 under Calvin Coolidge. He was a co-rec ...
. *November 27 over 110,000 spectators attended the 1926 Army-Navy Game. It would decide the national championship, as Navy entered undefeated and Army had lost only to Notre Dame. The game lived up to its hype, and even though it ended in a 21–21 tie, Navy was awarded the national championship. Amongst the 110,000 in attendance (which at the time was the largest crowd for a football game) were the Vice President of the United States
Charles G. Dawes Charles Gates Dawes (August 27, 1865 – April 23, 1951) was an American banker, general, diplomat, composer, and Republican politician who was the 30th vice president of the United States from 1925 to 1929 under Calvin Coolidge. He was a co-rec ...
as well as the
United States Secretary of the Navy The secretary of the Navy (or SECNAV) is a statutory officer () and the head (chief executive officer) of the Department of the Navy, a military department (component organization) within the United States Department of Defense. By law, the se ...
Curtis D. Wilbur. Also in attendance was legendary
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football The Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the intercollegiate football team representing the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana, north of the city of South Bend, Indiana. The team plays its home games at the campus' Notre Da ...
coach
Knute Rockne Knut ( Norwegian and Swedish), Knud ( Danish), or Knútur (Icelandic) is a Scandinavian, German, and Dutch first name, of which the anglicised form is Canute. In Germany both "Knut" and "Knud" are used. In Spanish and Portuguese Canuto is used ...
, who considered the game at Soldier Field important enough to warrant his missing his own team's game against
Carnegie Tech Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. One of its predecessors was established in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie as the Carnegie Technical Schools; it became the Carnegie Institute of Technol ...
that day (a game which Rockne's undefeated Fighting Irish lost in an upset that was ranked the fourth-greatest upset in
college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football in the United States, American football rules first gained populari ...
history by
ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
) The game was also broadcast nationally on radio, a notable early use of the rising broadcast medium. Walter Eckersdall of the ''
Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...
'' dubbed it to be "one of the greatest football games ever played", and proclaimed that it had been seen by "the largest crowd that ever saw a football game in this country." More than a decade later, the readers of ''
Esquire Esquire (, ; abbreviated Esq.) is usually a courtesy title. In the United Kingdom, ''esquire'' historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentlema ...
'' magazine voted this the best football game of all time. Even today many revere this as the greatest Army-Navy game ever. *November 28 12,000 spectators saw the
Kansas City Cowboys Several sports team in Kansas City, Missouri have used the name Cowboys: *Kansas City Cowboys (Union Association), a baseball team in the Union Association in 1884 *Kansas City Cowboys (National League), a baseball team in the National League in 18 ...
defeat the
Chicago Cardinals The professional American football team now known as the Arizona Cardinals previously played in Chicago, Illinois, as the Chicago Cardinals from 1898 to 1959 before relocating to St. Louis, Missouri, for the 1960 through 1987 seasons. Roots ...
7-2 at Soldier Field. *December 19, 10,000 spectators saw the
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine ...
tie the
Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. It is the t ...
in a game held at Soldier Field. *1926 marked the first year that a football game benefiting causes related to the Chicago
Sisters of Mercy The Sisters of Mercy is a religious institute of Catholic women founded in 1831 in Dublin, Ireland, by Catherine McAuley. As of 2019, the institute had about 6200 sisters worldwide, organized into a number of independent congregations. They a ...
(amongst them the order's Catholic high schools and Mercy Hospital). These games were held annually until the 1951. Most often it featured a matchup of two Catholic League schools (commonly
Saint Rita Rita of Cascia, born Margherita Lotti (1381 – 22 May 1457), was an Italian widow and Augustinian nun venerated as a saint in the Roman Catholic Church. After Rita's husband died, she joined an Augustinian community of religious sisters, whe ...
and Leo). Some years the game included professional or college teams. The game usually attracted between 20,000 and 30,000 spectators. It was started by Sister Mary Ricardo, who decided a football game would be a good annual fundraiser after a meeting with Chris O'Brien. O'Brien suggested that a game against the
Kansas City Cowboys Several sports team in Kansas City, Missouri have used the name Cowboys: *Kansas City Cowboys (Union Association), a baseball team in the Union Association in 1884 *Kansas City Cowboys (National League), a baseball team in the National League in 18 ...
could be moved from
Comiskey Park Comiskey Park was a baseball park in Chicago, Illinois, located in the Armour Square neighborhood on the near-southwest side of the city. The stadium served as the home of the Chicago White Sox of the American League from 1910 through 1990. Bui ...
to Soldier Field. *30,000 attended a game between
Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...
's AC Sparta and a Chicago all-star team. *December 19 the
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine ...
held a home game against the
Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. It is the t ...
at Soldier Field, with proceeds benefiting the P.J. Carr Christmas Fund. The Bears and Packers tied the game 3-3. All three of the Packers' points were scored by their
quarterback The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Am ...
Pid Purdy Everett Virgil "Pid" Purdy (June 15, 1904 – January 16, 1951) was an American professional athlete who played in both Major League Baseball and the National Football League. He was a native of Beatrice, Nebraska, and attended Beloit College. ...
, who also played
baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...
for
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (A ...
's
Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and ...
. The game had the potential of determining the champion of the
1926 NFL season The 1926 NFL season was the seventh regular season of the National Football League. The league grew to 22 teams, a figure that would not be equaled in professional football until 1961, adding the Brooklyn Lions, the Hartford Blues, the Los Ang ...
if the
Frankford Yellow Jackets The Frankford Yellow Jackets were a professional American football team, part of the National Football League from 1924 to 1931, although its origin dates back to as early as 1899 with the Frankford Athletic Association. The Yellow Jackets won ...
(from
Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...
) lost their final game of the season, but the Yellow Jackets won their last game and were named the season's champions.


1927

*In the Spring of 1927 Hakoah Vienna played several games at Soldier Field. They won their first two matches, defeating a
Peel Cup The Peter J. Peel Challenge Cup, better known as the Peel Cup, was an open soccer competition that crowned the Illinois state champion until it was replaced by the Illinois Governor’s Cup in 1971. History Origins Peter Peel was born in 1866 in ...
All-Stars team and
Chicago Sparta The Sparta Athletic and Benevolent Association Football Club, better known as Chicago Sparta, is one of the longest continually established soccer clubs in the United States. Founded in 1917, it was one of the dominant teams from Chicago, Illinois, ...
, but were defeated 2-1 by an Illinois All-Stars team consisting of players from the Illinois State Football Association. *August 13
Charles Lindberg Charles W. Lindberg (June 26, 1920 – June 24, 2007) was a United States Marine Corps corporal who fought in three island campaigns during World War II. During the Battle of Iwo Jima, he was a member of the patrol that captured the top of Mount ...
made appearances before crowds at both Soldier Field and
Comiskey Park Comiskey Park was a baseball park in Chicago, Illinois, located in the Armour Square neighborhood on the near-southwest side of the city. The stadium served as the home of the Chicago White Sox of the American League from 1910 through 1990. Bui ...
. *The 1927 Chicago Roundup was an even greater success than the first two Chicago Roundups, attracting more than 350,000 spectators in its 9-day run. *In 1927 Soldier Field hosted the National Interscholastic Championship.
Eddie Tolan Thomas Edward "Eddie" Tolan (September 29, 1908 – January 30/31, 1967), nicknamed the "Midnight Express", was an American track and field athlete who competed in sprints. He set world records in the 100-yard dash and 100 meters event and Olymp ...
of
Cass Technical High School Cass Technical High School (simply referred to as Cass Tech) is a public high school in Midtown Detroit, Michigan, United States.
in
Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...
won the 100 and 220-yard dashes, events he would go on to win gold medals and set records for at the
1932 Summer Olympics The 1932 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the X Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1932) were an international multi-sport event held from July 30 to August 14, 1932 in Los Angeles, California, United States. The Games were held duri ...
. *In June Soldier Field hosted the
1927 Events January * January 1 – The British Broadcasting ''Company'' becomes the British Broadcasting ''Corporation'', when its Royal Charter of incorporation takes effect. John Reith becomes the first Director-General. * January 7 ...
NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges ...
Men's Track and Field Championships. This was the third consecutive edition held at Soldier Field. Among the notable competitors were
Fred Alderman Frederick Pitt Alderman (June 24, 1905 – September 15, 1998) was an American sprint runner who won a gold medal in 4 × 400 m relay at the 1928 Summer Olympics. He also won the NCAA Championships in and and IC4A Championships in in 192 ...
, Ed Hamm,
Doral Pilling Doral William Pilling (14 January 1906 – 24 December 1982) was a Canadian athlete who competed in the 1928 Summer Olympics. He was born in Cardston Cardston is a town in Alberta, Canada. It was first settled in 1887 by members of the ...
,
James Corson James Hunt Corson (January 14, 1906 – November 12, 1981) was an American athlete who competed mainly in the discus throw. He competed for the United States in the 1928 Summer Olympics held in Amsterdam in the discus throw where he won the ...
,
Frank Cuhel Frank Josef Cuhel (September 28, 1904 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa – February 22, 1943 in Lisbon, Portugal) was an American athlete who competed mainly in the 400 metre hurdles. At his alma mater University of Iowa, Cuhel was a three-year letterm ...
, Lee Bartlett, Tiny Gooch, and Pete Rasmus. *In 1927
Chicago Sparta The Sparta Athletic and Benevolent Association Football Club, better known as Chicago Sparta, is one of the longest continually established soccer clubs in the United States. Founded in 1917, it was one of the dominant teams from Chicago, Illinois, ...
played an exhibition match against the
Uruguay national football team The Uruguay national football team ( es, Selección de fútbol de Uruguay) represents Uruguay in international football, and is controlled by the Uruguayan Football Association, the governing body for football in Uruguay. The Uruguayan team i ...
, winners of gold at the 1924 Olympic Games. *September 22
The Long Count Fight The Long Count Fight, or the Battle of the Long Count, was a professional boxing 10-round rematch between world heavyweight champion Gene Tunney and former champion Jack Dempsey, which Tunney won in a unanimous decision. It took place on Sept ...
, the second
heavyweight Heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports and professional wrestling. Boxing Professional Boxers who weigh over are considered heavyweights by 3 of the 4 major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation, the W ...
championship
boxing Boxing (also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermined ...
bout between
Jack Dempsey William Harrison "Jack" Dempsey (June 24, 1895 – May 31, 1983), nicknamed Kid Blackie and The Manassa Mauler, was an American professional boxer who competed from 1914 to 1927, and reigned as the world heavyweight champion from 1919 to 1926 ...
and
Gene Tunney James Joseph Tunney (May 25, 1897 – November 7, 1978) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1915 to 1928. He held the world heavyweight title from 1926 to 1928, and the American light heavyweight title twice between 1922 and 1 ...
, was held at Soldier Field. The event was attended by 104,943 spectators. *October 30 15,000 spectators saw the NFL's
New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one ...
defeat the
Chicago Cardinals The professional American football team now known as the Arizona Cardinals previously played in Chicago, Illinois, as the Chicago Cardinals from 1898 to 1959 before relocating to St. Louis, Missouri, for the 1960 through 1987 seasons. Roots ...
7-6 in a game held at Soldier Field. *November 26 the all-time collegiate attendance record of 123,000 plus was established as Notre Dame beat
USC USC most often refers to: * University of South Carolina, a public research university ** University of South Carolina System, the main university and its satellite campuses ** South Carolina Gamecocks, the school athletic program * University of ...
7–6. Amongst those in attendance was
Los Angeles mayor The mayor of the City of Los Angeles is the official head and chief executive officer of Los Angeles. The officeholder is elected for a four-year term and is limited to serving no more than two terms. (Under the Constitution of California, all j ...
George E. Cryer. In preparation for this game a thousand seats were added by the South Park Board to the venue, and a proclamation was issued by
Chicago mayor The mayor of Chicago is the chief executive of city government in Chicago, Illinois, the third-largest city in the United States. The mayor is responsible for the administration and management of various city departments, submits proposals and ...
Big Bill Thomson encouraging residents to decorate their houses with the
Flag of the United States The national flag of the United States of America, often referred to as the ''American flag'' or the ''U.S. flag'', consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the c ...
and the colors of the two opposing teams. *November 27 5,000 fans saw the
Cleveland Bulldogs The Cleveland Bulldogs were a team that played in Cleveland, Ohio in the National Football League. They were originally called the Indians in 1923, not to be confused with the Cleveland Indians NFL franchise in 1922. However, after team owner S ...
defeat the
Chicago Cardinals The professional American football team now known as the Arizona Cardinals previously played in Chicago, Illinois, as the Chicago Cardinals from 1898 to 1959 before relocating to St. Louis, Missouri, for the 1960 through 1987 seasons. Roots ...
32-7. *December 3 the first Prep Bowl was held. 50,000 spectators attended the game, which saw
Mount Carmel Mount Carmel ( he, הַר הַכַּרְמֶל, Har haKarmel; ar, جبل الكرمل, Jabal al-Karmil), also known in Arabic as Mount Mar Elias ( ar, link=no, جبل مار إلياس, Jabal Mār Ilyās, lit=Mount Saint Elias/ Elijah), is a ...
defeat Schurz 6–0.


1928

*Soldier Field was one of the venues of the 1928 National Challenge Cup association football tournament. Notable players included the Nationals'
Geordie Henderson George Donald Henderson (15 April 1897 – 14 June 1953) was a Scottish footballer who played professionally in Scotland and briefly in the United States, England and Wales. Playing as a centre forward, he saw his greatest success with Rangers i ...
and Siegfried Wortmann, as well as the Bricklayers' Clem Cuthbert. *In June Soldier Field hosted the
1928 Events January * January – British bacteriologist Frederick Griffith reports the results of Griffith's experiment, indirectly proving the existence of DNA. * January 1 – Eastern Bloc emigration and defection: Boris Bazhano ...
NCAA Men's Track and Field Championships. This was the fourth consecutive edition held at Soldier Field. Among the notable competitors were Emerson Spencer, Ed Hamm, Victor Pickard, Bob King George Simpson,
Frank Cuhel Frank Josef Cuhel (September 28, 1904 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa – February 22, 1943 in Lisbon, Portugal) was an American athlete who competed mainly in the 400 metre hurdles. At his alma mater University of Iowa, Cuhel was a three-year letterm ...
, William Droegemueller, Harlow Rothert,
Herman Brix Bruce Bennett (born Harold Herman Brix, also credited Herman Brix; May 19, 1906February 24, 2007) was an American film and television actor who prior to his screen career was a highly successful college athlete in football and in both intercol ...
(later known by his stage-name Bruce Bennet), Eric Krenz, Lee Bartlett,
Ward Edmonds Rowland Ward Edmonds (July 3, 1908 – October 26, 1930) was an American pole vaulter. He was one of the first men to vault 14 feet (4.26 m) and was NCAA champion in 1928 and 1929. After graduating from Stanford University he started working ...
, George Hester, Claude Bracey, and Wilford Ketz. *In June a Women's track meet sponsored by the Chicago Evening American was held at Soldier Field, The meet featured many notable participants, but it is best remembered as the debut of future Olympic legend
Betty Robinson Elizabeth R. Schwartz (née Robinson; August 23, 1911 – May 18, 1999) was an American athlete and winner of the first Olympic 100 metres for women. Early life Robinson was born in Riverdale, Illinois. She was a student at Thornton Township H ...
, who would go on to win two Olympic gold medals and one silver while competing for the United States. In the 100-meter race she set a world-record with a time of 12 seconds (the previous record was 12.6) in a semi-final qualifying heat (despite a strong north wind), and finished with the same time in the final, defeating Helen Filkey by 1 yard. Robinson was only 16 years of age at the time. *In 1928
Tex Austin Tex may refer to: People and fictional characters * Tex (nickname), a list of people and fictional characters with the nickname * Joe Tex (1933–1982), stage name of American soul singer Joseph Arrington Jr. Entertainment * ''Tex'', the Italian ...
staged his final rodeo event at Soldier Field. The event featured celebrities such as Hoot Gibson and
Tom Mix Thomas Edwin Mix (born Thomas Hezikiah Mix; January 6, 1880 – October 12, 1940) was an American film actor and the star of many early Western films between 1909 and 1935. He appeared in 291 films, all but nine of which were silent films. He w ...
. During the event Gibson shot scenes for his movie ''King of the Rodeo''. *The 1928
Peel Cup The Peter J. Peel Challenge Cup, better known as the Peel Cup, was an open soccer competition that crowned the Illinois state champion until it was replaced by the Illinois Governor’s Cup in 1971. History Origins Peter Peel was born in 1866 in ...
finals were played at Soldier Field. *October 13 Notre Dame defeated
Navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It in ...
in a 7–0 game. Among those in attendance were
New York Mayor The mayor of New York City, officially Mayor of the City of New York, is head of the executive branch of the government of New York City and the chief executive of New York City. The mayor's office administers all city services, public proper ...
James L. Walker James L. Walker (June 1845 – April 2, 1904), sometimes known by the pen name Tak Kak, was an American individualist anarchist of the Egoist school, born in Manchester. Walker was one of the main contributors to Benjamin Tucker's ''Liberty ...
(who was in Chicago for a Democratic rally) and Democratic candidate for
governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
(and former
state Supreme Court In the United States, a state supreme court (known by other names in some states) is the highest court in the state judiciary of a U.S. state. On matters of state law, the judgment of a state supreme court is considered final and binding in b ...
justice) Floyd E. Thompson. This game was attended by 120,000 spectators. This game is argued to possibly hold the all-time collegiate attendance record, as some sources (such as the
Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...
) reported the November 25, 1927 match at Soldier Field to have had a then all-time high attendance of 117,000, while the
NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges ...
recorded the attendance as 120,000, which it deems to be the 'largest pre-1948 regular season college football attendance'. A figure of 123,000 was reported by the official Park District attendance count. *1928 Prep Bowl


1929

*In 1929 Soldier Field hosted its first
Sokol The Sokol movement (, ''falcon'') is an all-age gymnastics organization first founded in Prague in the Czech region of Austria-Hungary in 1862 by Miroslav Tyrš and Jindřich Fügner. It was based upon the principle of " a strong mind in a ...
national slet. In the USA national slets (a word for gatherings) are held every four years. The 1929 slet drew 25,000. In attendance was U.S. representative
Ruth Hanna McCormick Ruth McCormick (née Hanna, also known as Ruth Hanna McCormick Simms; March 27, 1880 – December 31, 1944), was an American politician, activist, and publisher. She served one term in the United States House of Representatives, winning an at-l ...
. Slets included gymnastics competitions and track and field events amongst other sports. At the 1929 slet athletes from 1,200 US Sokol organizations participated in Olympic-style individual gymnastic events. Also, in the 1929 slet 2,000 Chicago youth partook in a mass gymnastic drill timed to orchestral music. *In 1929 Soldier Field again hosted the South Parks
Marble Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite. Marble is typically not foliated (layered), although there are exceptions. In geology, the term ''marble'' refers to metamorphose ...
Championship. *October 19 90,000 spectators saw Notre Dame defeat
Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
in a 19–0. *In 1929 Soldier Field held its second-ever firefighting demonstration. *October 26 was the first time that a long-running football rivalry game between Tuskegree and
Wilberforce University Wilberforce University is a private historically black university in Wilberforce, Ohio. Affiliated with the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME), it was the first college to be owned and operated by African Americans. It participates i ...
(both historically black colleges) was held at Soldier Field. This was second time that this rivalry was ever played. The 1929 game also provided a championship among historically black colleges. Tuskegee's star player was
College Football Hall of Fame The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and interactive attraction devoted to college football. The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players and coaches of college football that were vo ...
-inducted
running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback to rush the ball, to line up as a receiver to catch the ball, and block. Th ...
Ben Stevenson. The game was attended by 12,000 spectators. The game was thereafter played annually at Soldier Field until 1942, the only three exceptions being 1931 when game held at Mills Stadium in Chicago, 1932 when in place of this matchup Wilberforce played a different team at another venue in Chicago, and 1937 when the game was cancelled. After 1942 the game was moved Chicago's
Comiskey Park Comiskey Park was a baseball park in Chicago, Illinois, located in the Armour Square neighborhood on the near-southwest side of the city. The stadium served as the home of the Chicago White Sox of the American League from 1910 through 1990. Bui ...
, where it was played annually until 1949. Overall, Wilberforce recorded nine victories, Tuskegee recorded eight victories, and three games were tied in the rivalry series. The rivalry series was remembered endearingly by many in Chicago's African-American community, notably singer
Lou Rawls Louis Allen Rawls (December 1, 1933 – January 6, 2006) was an American record producer, singer, composer and actor. Rawls released more than 60 albums, sold more than 40 million records, and had numerous charting singles, most notably his s ...
. *November 9 Notre Dame defeated
Drake Drake may refer to: Animals * A male duck People and fictional characters * Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family name * Drake (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name ...
19–7. *November 16 Notre Dame defeated
USC USC most often refers to: * University of South Carolina, a public research university ** University of South Carolina System, the main university and its satellite campuses ** South Carolina Gamecocks, the school athletic program * University of ...
19–12.


1930s


1930

*August 23 150,000 people (with thousands more being denied admission) attended the first annual Chicagoland Music Festival. The Chicagoland Music Festival was an event both organized sponsored by the ''Chicago Tribune'', and ran for 26 years. The inaugural edition was jam-packed with performances, including a performance of the
Anvil Chorus The "Anvil Chorus" is the English name for the (Italian for "Gypsy chorus"), a chorus from act 2, scene 1 of Giuseppe Verdi's 1853 opera ''Il trovatore''. It depicts Spanish Gypsies striking their anvils at dawn – hence its English name &n ...
from
Giuseppe Verdi Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi (; 9 or 10 October 1813 – 27 January 1901) was an Italian composer best known for his operas. He was born near Busseto to a provincial family of moderate means, receiving a musical education with the h ...
's opera ''
Il trovatore ''Il trovatore'' ('The Troubadour') is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto largely written by Salvadore Cammarano, based on the play ''El trovador'' (1836) by Antonio García Gutiérrez. It was García Gutiérrez's mos ...
'', a rendition of the
Hallelujah Chorus ''Messiah'' ( HWV 56), the English-language oratorio composed by George Frideric Handel in 1741, is structured in three parts. This listing covers Part II in a table and comments on individual movements, reflecting the relation of the musical s ...
from
George Frideric Handel George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel (; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque music, Baroque composer well known for his opera#Baroque era, operas, oratorios, anthems, concerto grosso, concerti grossi, ...
's
Messiah In Abrahamic religions, a messiah or messias (; , ; , ; ) is a saviour or liberator of a group of people. The concepts of '' mashiach'', messianism, and of a Messianic Age originated in Judaism, and in the Hebrew Bible, in which a ''mashiach ...
sung by the entire audience, numerous
John Philip Sousa John Philip Sousa ( ; November 6, 1854 – March 6, 1932) was an American composer and conductor of the late Romantic era known primarily for American military marches. He is known as "The March King" or the "American March King", to dis ...
marches, and
spirituals Spirituals (also known as Negro spirituals, African American spirituals, Black spirituals, or spiritual music) is a genre of Christian music that is associated with Black Americans, which merged sub-Saharan African cultural heritage with the ex ...
like
Swing Low, Sweet Chariot "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" is an African-American spiritual song and one of the best-known Christian hymns. Originating in early oral and musical African-American traditions, the date it was composed is unknown. Performances by the Hampton Singer ...
. Thousands of performers were involved in the event, amongst them was
Douglas, Michigan Douglas (officially known as the City of the Village of Douglas) is a city in Allegan County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,378 at the 2020 census. The city is surrounded by Saugatuck Township and the city of Saugatuck is ad ...
's 92-year-old W. T. Kimsey, an
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...
veteran A veteran () is a person who has significant experience (and is usually adept and esteemed) and expertise in a particular occupation or field. A military veteran is a person who is no longer serving in a military. A military veteran that h ...
who had been a drummer in the army of
Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union A ...
at the
Battle of Shiloh The Battle of Shiloh (also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing) was fought on April 6–7, 1862, in the American Civil War. The fighting took place in southwestern Tennessee, which was part of the war's Western Theater. The battlefield i ...
. Kimsey performed using the same drum that he played at the Battle of Shiloh. *In 1930 a multiple-day track meet at held at Soldier Field attracted over 40,000 spectators to its last night of events. The event was a multinational competition between athletes from the
British Empire The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts e ...
a team of US competitors. Similar events had been hosted in England, with the one at Soldier Field being the first hosted in the United States. Notable participants included
Ralph Metcalfe Ralph Harold Metcalfe Sr. (May 29, 1910 – October 10, 1978) was an American track and field sprinter and politician. He jointly held the world record in the 100-meter dash and placed second in that event in two Olympics, first to Eddie Tola ...
. *In 1930 the ''
Chicago Daily News The ''Chicago Daily News'' was an afternoon daily newspaper in the midwestern United States, published between 1875 and 1978 in Chicago, Illinois. History The ''Daily News'' was founded by Melville E. Stone, Percy Meggy, and William Doughert ...
'' sponsored an event benefitting the Chicago firefighter's benevolent association. This would become an annual event. *20,000 spectators attended the 1930 Public League championship, which substituted for the Prep Bowl (which was not played in either 1929 nor in 1930, and was decided by forfeit in 1928). *October 3 Soldier Field hosted its first night football game when the
Oregon Ducks The Oregon Ducks are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Oregon, located in Eugene. The Ducks compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level as a member of the Pac-12 Conference. ...
defeated the
Drake Bulldogs The Drake Bulldogs are the intercollegiate athletics teams that represent Drake University, located in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. The Bulldogs' athletic program is a member of the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) and competes at the NCAA ...
14–7. This was followed by a second college football game at Soldier Field between the
Loyola Ramblers The Loyola Ramblers (also called the Loyola Chicago Ramblers) are the varsity sports teams of Loyola University Chicago. Most teams compete in the Atlantic 10 Conference, which the school joined in 2022 after leaving the Missouri Valley Confere ...
and the
Georgetown Hoyas The Georgetown Hoyas are the collegiate athletics teams that officially represent Georgetown University, located in Washington, D.C. Georgetown's athletics department fields 23 men's and women's varsity level teams and competes at the National ...
. These two games were the first-ever intersectional night games to be played in Chicago. *October 9
William Randolph Hearst William Randolph Hearst Sr. (; April 29, 1863 – August 14, 1951) was an American businessman, newspaper publisher, and politician known for developing the nation's largest newspaper chain and media company, Hearst Communications. His flamboya ...
spoke at Soldier Field. *November 29 Notre Dame defeated
Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
7–6.


1931

*In January 1931 the Woman's Benefit Association held its annual Pageant at Soldier Field. *The second Chicagoland Music Festival, held in 1931, featured
John Philip Sousa John Philip Sousa ( ; November 6, 1854 – March 6, 1932) was an American composer and conductor of the late Romantic era known primarily for American military marches. He is known as "The March King" or the "American March King", to dis ...
. *In 1931 the
Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus (also known as the Ringling Bros. Circus, Ringling Bros., the Barnum & Bailey Circus, Barnum & Bailey, or simply Ringling) is an American traveling circus company billed as The Greatest Show on Ear ...
visited Soldier Field's parking lot. *May 12 Soldier Field held its first amateur boxing event. This event was a
Golden Gloves The Golden Gloves is the name given to annual competitions for amateur boxing in the United States, where they are awarded a belt and a ring. And the title of nations champion is awarded. The Golden Gloves is a term used to refer to the Nationa ...
tournament sponsored by the ''Chicago Tribune''. The tournament had outgrown its former home at the
Chicago Stadium Chicago Stadium was an indoor arena in Chicago, Illinois, that opened in 1929, closed in 1994 and was demolished in 1995. It was the home of the National Hockey League's Chicago Blackhawks and the National Basketball Association's Chicago Bulls. ...
, and was moved to Soldier Field that year. The Chicago-based Golden Gloves tournament was the brain-child of
Arch Ward Archie Burdette Ward (December 27, 1896 – July 9, 1955) was an American journalist who served as sports editor for the ''Chicago Tribune''. He was the creator of the Major League Baseball All-Star Game and the Golden Gloves amateur boxing tourna ...
, and was first held in 1923, before a brief state ban, and again was revived in 1928. It had begun as a local contest, but quickly became a regional Midwestern and finally a national amateur championship. In 1931 it became an international event, with the addition of international competitors, in the case of the 1931 tournament 10 young Frenchmen were invited to participate. To ensure that in the case of rain the event could be moved to the Chicago Stadium, only 21,000 tickets were sold in advance, but on the day of the fights 40,000 showed up at Soldier Field. The ring was placed in the center of Soldier Field's arena, and was surrounded by 22,000 'ringside seats' placed on a giant, slightly sloped, floor. The bouts were kicked off following a band and fireworks. In the first bout
Leo Rodak Leo Rodak (1913–1991) was an American featherweight boxer from Chicago.Johnson, J.J. and Curtin, Sean, ''Chicago Boxing'', Arcadia Publishing (2005), Chicago, Illinois, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Charleston, South Carolina, pgs. 68-69 He took ...
defeated André Perrier for the
flyweight Flyweight is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Flyweight is a class in boxing which includes fighters weighing above 49 kg (108 lb) and up to 51 kg (112 lb). Professional boxing The flyweight division was the last of bo ...
title. *October 10 a crowd of 65,000 Notre Dame played Northwestern to a scoreless tie. *
Harrison Harrison may refer to: People * Harrison (name) * Harrison family of Virginia, United States Places In Australia: * Harrison, Australian Capital Territory, suburb in the Canberra district of Gungahlin In Canada: * Inukjuak, Quebec, or " ...
defeated
Mount Carmel Mount Carmel ( he, הַר הַכַּרְמֶל, Har haKarmel; ar, جبل الكرمل, Jabal al-Karmil), also known in Arabic as Mount Mar Elias ( ar, link=no, جبل مار إلياس, Jabal Mār Ilyās, lit=Mount Saint Elias/ Elijah), is a ...
44–6 in the 1931 Prep Bowl. *November 28
Purdue Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donated land and mo ...
defeated Northwestern 7-0 in a special post-season collegiate football game at Soldier Field. Proceeds of the match went to charity.


1932

*June 24 Soldier Field hosted a war show celebrating the bicentennial of
George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...
's birth. The show took up residence at Soldier Field for an eleven-day run. The show was opened at 8pm with a flyover by four squadrons of fighter planes escorting a plane being flown by
Amelia Earhart Amelia Mary Earhart ( , born July 24, 1897; disappeared July 2, 1937; declared dead January 5, 1939) was an American aviation pioneer and writer. Earhart was the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. She set many oth ...
and painted to resemble a red and white eagle. Amelia later landed and made her way to the stadium, where she was given a gold medal and she spoke to the crowd (as well as an audience listening to a radio broadcast of the event) about her flight across the atlantic the previous year. *In 1932 the
Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus (also known as the Ringling Bros. Circus, Ringling Bros., the Barnum & Bailey Circus, Barnum & Bailey, or simply Ringling) is an American traveling circus company billed as The Greatest Show on Ear ...
visited Soldier Field's parking lot. *June 24-July 4 Soldier Field held the United States Army Military Tournament to celebrate the George Washington Bicentennial. The event included aerial demonstrations, combat enactments, artillery demonstrations, Olympic-style
athletics Athletics may refer to: Sports * Sport of athletics, a collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking ** Track and field, a sub-category of the above sport * Athletics (physical culture), competi ...
competition, a
parade A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, floats, or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually celebrations of s ...
, and
pyrotechnic Pyrotechnics is the science and craft of creating such things as fireworks, safety matches, oxygen candles, explosive bolts and other fasteners, parts of automotive airbags, as well as gas-pressure blasting in mining, quarrying, and demolition. ...
displays. Involved in the aerial demonstrations was Major Gerald E. Brower. *July 27 Soldier Field held the second-ever
Chicago Golden Gloves The Chicago Golden Gloves is an amateur boxing tournament, considered by many boxing aficionados as one of the three most elite Golden Gloves titles, along with the Intercity Golden Gloves and the New York Golden Gloves. The tournament is also more ...
tournament. More than 45,000 spectators attended (organizers of the event lauded it as the largest crowd in the world to have ever seen an amateur boxing tournament). This tournament featured Olympic-caliber participants from Germany. American participants won 4 of the matches, and German participants won four as well. Three of the German participants (
bantamweight Bantamweight is a weight class in combat sports. For boxing, the range is above and up to . In kickboxing, a bantamweight fighter generally weighs between . In MMA, bantamweight is . The name for the class is derived from bantam chickens. Bra ...
Hans Ziglarski,
featherweight Featherweight is a weight class in the combat sports of boxing, kickboxing, mixed martial arts, and Greco-Roman wrestling. Boxing Professional boxing History A featherweight boxer weighs in at a limit of . In the early days of the division, th ...
Josef Schleinkofer, and
welterweight Welterweight is a weight class in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like Muay Thai, taekwondo, and mixed martial arts also use it for their own weight division system to classify th ...
Erich Campe Erich Campe (1 February 1912 – 5 May 1977) was a German boxer who competed in the 1932 Summer Olympics. He was born in Berlin. Amateur career In 1932 he won the silver medal in the welterweight class after losing the final against ...
) would go on to win silver in the boxing competition at the
1932 Summer Olympics The 1932 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the X Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1932) were an international multi-sport event held from July 30 to August 14, 1932 in Los Angeles, California, United States. The Games were held duri ...
held in Los Angeles several weeks later. *A 1932 Post-Olympic track meet was held at Soldier Field featuring teams from 15 nations. Notable participants included US Olympian
Ralph Metcalfe Ralph Harold Metcalfe Sr. (May 29, 1910 – October 10, 1978) was an American track and field sprinter and politician. He jointly held the world record in the 100-meter dash and placed second in that event in two Olympics, first to Eddie Tola ...
.


1933

*May 27 Soldier Field opening ceremonies of the
Century of Progress A Century of Progress International Exposition, also known as the Chicago World's Fair, was a world's fair held in the city of Chicago, Illinois, United States, from 1933 to 1934. The fair, registered under the Bureau International des Expositi ...
Worlds Fair.
Postmaster General A Postmaster General, in Anglosphere countries, is the chief executive officer of the postal service of that country, a ministerial office responsible for overseeing all other postmasters. The practice of having a government official responsib ...
and DNC-Chairman
James Farley James Aloysius Farley (May 30, 1888 – June 9, 1976) was an American politician and Knight of Malta who simultaneously served as chairman of the New York State Democratic Committee, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, and Postmaste ...
facilitated the opening ceremony. *In 1933 attendance for the annual war show was high. *In June an
NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges ...
track meet was held at Soldier Field, and featured such notable participants as
african american African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
track stars
Ralph Metcalfe Ralph Harold Metcalfe Sr. (May 29, 1910 – October 10, 1978) was an American track and field sprinter and politician. He jointly held the world record in the 100-meter dash and placed second in that event in two Olympics, first to Eddie Tola ...
and
Jesse Owens James Cleveland "Jesse" Owens (September 12, 1913March 31, 1980) was an American track and field athlete who won four gold medals at the 1936 Olympic Games. Owens specialized in the sprints and the long jump and was recognized in his lif ...
. Five records were set at this meet, one of which was set by Metcalfe. Both Owens and Metclaffe would go on to participate in the
Summer Olympics The Summer Olympic Games (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques d'été), also known as the Games of the Olympiad, and often referred to as the Summer Olympics, is a major international multi-sport event normally held once every four years. The ina ...
(Owens in
1936 Summer Olympics The 1936 Summer Olympics (German: ''Olympische Sommerspiele 1936''), officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad (German: ''Spiele der XI. Olympiade'') and commonly known as Berlin 1936 or the Nazi Olympics, were an international multi-s ...
and Metclaffe in both
1932 Summer Olympics The 1932 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the X Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1932) were an international multi-sport event held from July 30 to August 14, 1932 in Los Angeles, California, United States. The Games were held duri ...
and 1936), and are now largely regarded as US Olympic legends. Metclaffe, a native
Chicagoan Chicago's demographics show that it is a large and ethnically diverse metropolis. It is the third largest city and metropolitan area in the United States by population, and the city was home to over 2.7 million people in 2020, accounting for ...
, would later be elected to as an Illinois
congressman A Member of Congress (MOC) is a person who has been appointed or elected and inducted into an official body called a congress, typically to represent a particular constituency in a legislature. The term member of parliament (MP) is an equivalen ...
, serving four terms in the
United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
. *At the 1933 German Day Festival George Seibel, a
Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
lawyer, writer, friend of the novelist Willa Cather, and the national president of the American Turnerbund (a Turnerist group) spoke about the contributions of German immigrants to American democracy. *In conjunction with the
Century of Progress A Century of Progress International Exposition, also known as the Chicago World's Fair, was a world's fair held in the city of Chicago, Illinois, United States, from 1933 to 1934. The fair, registered under the Bureau International des Expositi ...
World's Fair A world's fair, also known as a universal exhibition or an expo, is a large international exhibition designed to showcase the achievements of nations. These exhibitions vary in character and are held in different parts of the world at a specif ...
, a very successful
rodeo Rodeo () is a competitive equestrian sport that arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain and Mexico, expanding throughout the Americas and to other nations. It was originally based on the skills required of the working vaq ...
event was held at Soldier Field. *In conjunction with the
Century of Progress A Century of Progress International Exposition, also known as the Chicago World's Fair, was a world's fair held in the city of Chicago, Illinois, United States, from 1933 to 1934. The fair, registered under the Bureau International des Expositi ...
World's Fair A world's fair, also known as a universal exhibition or an expo, is a large international exhibition designed to showcase the achievements of nations. These exhibitions vary in character and are held in different parts of the world at a specif ...
, Soldier Field again hosted the South Parks
Marble Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite. Marble is typically not foliated (layered), although there are exceptions. In geology, the term ''marble'' refers to metamorphose ...
Championship in 1933. *In conjunction with Texas Day at the World's Fair, an all-Texan cast performed a production of
Aida ''Aida'' (or ''Aïda'', ) is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni. Set in the Old Kingdom of Egypt, it was commissioned by Cairo's Khedivial Opera House and had its première there on 24 Decemb ...
. *June 25, 1933 50,000 attended a national
Sokol The Sokol movement (, ''falcon'') is an all-age gymnastics organization first founded in Prague in the Czech region of Austria-Hungary in 1862 by Miroslav Tyrš and Jindřich Fügner. It was based upon the principle of " a strong mind in a ...
slet (gymnastics festival) with more than 1000 participants at Soldier Field. *July 3 150,000 spectators attended ''A Romance of a People'', an immensely elaborate Jewish pageant telling the history of the Jewish people, staged at Soldier Field. The event was coordinated by Meyer Weisgal.
Chaim Weizmann Chaim Azriel Weizmann ( he, חיים עזריאל ויצמן ', russian: Хаим Евзорович Вейцман, ''Khaim Evzorovich Veytsman''; 27 November 1874 – 9 November 1952) was a Russian-born biochemist, Zionist leader and Israel ...
(head of the
World Zionist Organization The World Zionist Organization ( he, הַהִסְתַּדְּרוּת הַצִּיּוֹנִית הָעוֹלָמִית; ''HaHistadrut HaTzionit Ha'Olamit''), or WZO, is a non-governmental organization that promotes Zionism. It was founded as the ...
and would later become the first
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...
of
Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
) gave a speech to open the show. The show required over 6,000 performers. The event was so successful that it was given a repeat performance a few days later at Soldier Field **75,000 spectators attended a repeat performance of ''A Romance of a People''. *A celebration the 300th anniversary of the first Swedish to immigrate to the United States was held at Soldier Field. *August 3 Soldier Field held its final
Chicago Golden Gloves The Chicago Golden Gloves is an amateur boxing tournament, considered by many boxing aficionados as one of the three most elite Golden Gloves titles, along with the Intercity Golden Gloves and the New York Golden Gloves. The tournament is also more ...
tournament. This tournament was held in conjunction of Chicago's 1933–1934 Century of Progress World's Fair. More than 48,000 people attended the matches, despite a one-day postponement due to rain. This tournament featured participants from Ireland. The first two bouts were won by Irish participants, but the next six were won by American participants. Irish
heavyweight Heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports and professional wrestling. Boxing Professional Boxers who weigh over are considered heavyweights by 3 of the 4 major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation, the W ...
champion Patrick Mulligan was knocked out broke his ankle during his bout. This was the last edition of the Chicago Golden Gloves to be held at Soldier Field. The tournament has been held at other Chicago venues ever-since. *August 4 40,000 spectators witnessed the inflation of the world's largest hydrogen gas balloon in preparation for a stratospheric flight from Soldier Field by Jeannette and Auguste Piccard. *August 12 Soldier Field hosted a national
African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
athletic meet in conjunction with the 'Negro Day' event held at the
Century of Progress A Century of Progress International Exposition, also known as the Chicago World's Fair, was a world's fair held in the city of Chicago, Illinois, United States, from 1933 to 1934. The fair, registered under the Bureau International des Expositi ...
World's Fair A world's fair, also known as a universal exhibition or an expo, is a large international exhibition designed to showcase the achievements of nations. These exhibitions vary in character and are held in different parts of the world at a specif ...
. The event featured such notable athletes as Olympic gold medalists Edward Gordon and William DeHart Hubbard (the first African American to win a gold medal). *August 12, coinciding with the Fair's Negro Day, an
African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
pageant entitled ''Epic of a Race'' was performed at Soldier Field.
Chandler Owen Chandler Owen (April 5, 1889 – November 2, 1967) was an African-American writer, editor and early member of the Socialist Party of America. Born in North Carolina, he studied and worked in New York City, then moved to Chicago for much of his c ...
, who headed the organization of Negro Day events, employed author and WJJD radio staffer Andrew Dobson as the author and theatrical producer and dance instructor Sammy Dyer as the director of the production.
Carl Sandburg Carl August Sandburg (January 6, 1878 – July 22, 1967) was an American poet, biographer, journalist, and editor. He won three Pulitzer Prizes: two for his poetry and one for his biography of Abraham Lincoln. During his lifetime, Sandburg ...
was consulted by Dobson on the historical accuracy of his script. Renowned actor Richard B. Harrison was the master of ceremonies for the event, which featured 1,500 performers, about 3,000 singers, music by the
8th Infantry Regiment The 8th Infantry Regiment of the United States, also known as the "Fighting Eagles," is an infantry regiment in the United States Army. The 8th Infantry participated in the Mexican War, American Civil War, Philippine Insurrection, Moro R ...
Band, and portrayed 11 different historic episodes. *The 1933
Peel Cup The Peter J. Peel Challenge Cup, better known as the Peel Cup, was an open soccer competition that crowned the Illinois state champion until it was replaced by the Illinois Governor’s Cup in 1971. History Origins Peter Peel was born in 1866 in ...
finals were played at Soldier Field. *In the Summer of 1933 Soldier Field hosted the Forty-Sixth annual National Amateur Athletic Union meet. The track and field event only managed to attract just over 8,000 spectators. A commentator wrote, "Judged solely by the caliber of its athletes, (it) was one of the best in the history of the modern games", but added "By the standards of attendance....the games flopped." *85,000 spectators attended the fourth annual Chicagoland Music Festival in 1933. *October 1 8,000 spectators saw the
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine ...
defeat the
Boston Redskins The Washington Commanders, an American football team belonging to the National Football League (NFL), have also played as the Boston Braves, Boston Redskins, Washington Redskins, and Washington Football Team. Founded in 1932, the team has won fi ...
7-0. *October 7 Northwestern faced
Iowa Iowa () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wiscon ...
at Soldier Field. Northwestern lost 7-0. *October 14 Northwestern tied
Stanford Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a Private university, private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. S ...
in a scoreless game at Soldier Field. *
Mount Carmel Mount Carmel ( he, הַר הַכַּרְמֶל, Har haKarmel; ar, جبل الكرمل, Jabal al-Karmil), also known in Arabic as Mount Mar Elias ( ar, link=no, جبل مار إلياس, Jabal Mār Ilyās, lit=Mount Saint Elias/ Elijah), is a ...
defeated
Harrison Harrison may refer to: People * Harrison (name) * Harrison family of Virginia, United States Places In Australia: * Harrison, Australian Capital Territory, suburb in the Canberra district of Gungahlin In Canada: * Inukjuak, Quebec, or " ...
7–0 in the 1933 Prep Bowl. The event was made official for the first time, being promoted by the
Mayor of Chicago The mayor of Chicago is the chief executive of city government in Chicago, Illinois, the third-largest city in the United States. The mayor is responsible for the administration and management of various city departments, submits proposals and ...
Edward Joseph Kelly Edward Joseph Kelly (May 1, 1876October 20, 1950) was an American politician who served as the 46th Mayor of Chicago from April 17, 1933 until April 15, 1947. Prior to being mayor of Chicago, Kelly served as chief engineer of the Chicago Sani ...
himself. *The Canadian professional soccer champion Toronto Scots played
St. Louis St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...
' Stix, Baer and Fuller team, the U.S. champions, for the North American
soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
title in 1933. The Scots won 2-1. This event was one of many Soldier Field sporting events that was tied-into the ongoing Worlds Fair.


1934

*Easter of 1934 Soldier Field held its first nondenominational Protestant Easter sunrise service. A year earlier a similar event had been held near the stadium at the site of the adjacent World's Fair. *In 1934 attendance for the annual war show was high. Every night the show would end with a re-enactment of the World War I Battle of Cantigny. *The International Motorcycle Association held a month of motorcycle races at Soldier Field beginning July 4. *
Al Jolson Al Jolson (born Eizer Yoelson; June 9, 1886 – October 23, 1950) was a Lithuanian-American Jewish singer, comedian, actor, and vaudevillian. He was one of the United States' most famous and highest-paid stars of the 1920s, and was self-billed ...
headlined the 1934 Chicagoland Music Festival. *60,000 spectators attended ''O' Sing a New Song'', a pageant held at Soldier Field for the Worlds Fair's second Negro Day. The pageant was conceived by
Associated Negro Press The Associated Negro Press (ANP) was an American news service founded in 1919 in Chicago, Illinois by Claude Albert Barnett. The ANP had correspondents, writers, reporters in all major centers of the black population in the United States of Amer ...
editor and
Chicago Defender ''The Chicago Defender'' is a Chicago-based online African-American newspaper. It was founded in 1905 by Robert S. Abbott and was once considered the "most important" newspaper of its kind. Abbott's newspaper reported and campaigned against J ...
columnist Nahum Daniel Brascher and produced by notable author Noble Sissle and notable musician
Eubie Blake James Hubert "Eubie" Blake (February 7, 1887 – February 12, 1983) was an American pianist and composer of ragtime, jazz, and popular music. In 1921, he and his long-time collaborator Noble Sissle wrote '' Shuffle Along'', one of the first B ...
. Sissle worked with '' Down Beat'' reporter Onah Spencer on writing the script. Widely renown musicians
Harry Lawrence Freeman Harry Lawrence Freeman (October 9, 1869 – March 24, 1954) was an American neoromantic opera composer, conductor, impresario and teacher. He was the first African-American to write an opera (''Epthalia'', 1891) that was successfully produced. Fr ...
, W. C. Handy, Nathaniel Clark Smith, and
Jimmy Mundy James Mundy (June 28, 1907 – April 24, 1983) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, arranger, and composer, best known for his arrangements for Benny Goodman, Count Basie, and Earl Hines. Mundy died of cancer in New York City at the age of 75 ...
contributed to the production. Other contributing musicians included J. Wesley Jones,
Will Marion Cook William Mercer Cook (January 27, 1869 – July 19, 1944), better known as Will Marion Cook, was an American composer, violinist, and choral director.Riis, Thomas (2007–2011)Cook, Will Marion ''Grove Music Online.'' Oxford Music Online. Retrieved ...
and
J. Rosamond Johnson John Rosamond Johnson (August 11, 1873 – November 11, 1954; usually referred to as J. Rosamond Johnson) was an American composer and singer during the Harlem Renaissance. Born in Jacksonville, Florida, he had much of his career in New York C ...
. Other notable performers included Richard B. Harrison (who served as the narrator). Among the most notable performers in the pageant was
Bill Robinson Bill Robinson, nicknamed Bojangles (born Luther Robinson; May 25, 1878 – November 25, 1949), was an American tap dancer, actor, and singer, the best known and the most highly paid African-American entertainer in the United States during the f ...
. The production required 5,000 vocalists and 3,500 dancers. 200 men performed military maneuvers in a segment portraying black contributions to the armed-forces. A group of
Zulus Zulu people (; zu, amaZulu) are a Nguni ethnic group native to Southern Africa. The Zulu people are the largest ethnic group and nation in South Africa, with an estimated 10–12 million people, living mainly in the province of KwaZulu-Na ...
partook in a segment of the show. The show was opened by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who pressed a button in the
White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in ...
which remotely turned on the stadium's lighting. This intentionally mirrored President
Grover Cleveland Stephen Grover Cleveland (March 18, 1837June 24, 1908) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 22nd and 24th president of the United States from 1885 to 1889 and from 1893 to 1897. Cleveland is the only president in American ...
similarly opening the
World's Columbian Exposition The World's Columbian Exposition (also known as the Chicago World's Fair) was a world's fair held in Chicago in 1893 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492. The centerpiece of the Fair, hel ...
from the White House by pressing a button that turned-on the fairground's lights. *A
Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language *Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Foo ...
cultural pageant, ''Pageant of the Celt'', was performed at Soldier Field. It was narrated by Micheál MacLiammoir. The pageant required a 1,000-person choir. It proved so popular that a second performance was given at Soldier Field. *August 24 45,000 spectators attended an all-star college football matchup between an East and a West all-star team. Harry Newman of
Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and t ...
threw a touchdown pass to Gene Ronzani of Marquette in last minutes of play, giving the East team a victory. *August 31 a crowd of 79,432 saw the College All-Stars play the
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine ...
to a scoreless tie in the inaugural
Chicago College All-Star Game The Chicago Charities College All-Star Game was a preseason American football game played from 1934 to 1976 between the National Football League (NFL) champions and a team of star college seniors from the previous year. It was also known as the ...
, which was the brainchild of
Arch Ward Archie Burdette Ward (December 27, 1896 – July 9, 1955) was an American journalist who served as sports editor for the ''Chicago Tribune''. He was the creator of the Major League Baseball All-Star Game and the Golden Gloves amateur boxing tourna ...
(who was also the man behind the
MLB All-Star Game The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual professional baseball game sanctioned by Major League Baseball (MLB) and contested between the all-stars from the American League (AL) and National ...
). Like many events that were staged at Soldier Field, the College All-Star Games were sponsored by the ''Chicago Tribune''. The game raised over $4 million for charity over the course of its 42-game run. All but two of those games were held at Soldier Field, with the other two held at Dyche Stadium in 1943 and 1944. The game is considered to have been a major contributor to the growth of professional gridiron football in the United States.
Noble Kizer Noble Earl "Nobe" Kizer Sr. (March 11, 1900 – June 13, 1940) was an American football and basketball player, football coach, and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Purdue University from 1930 to 1936. During ...
of
Purdue Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donated land and mo ...
had been selected by a fan vote to be the coach of the College All-Star team. Players selected by vote for the team included,
quarterback The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Am ...
s
Bernie Masterson Bernard Edward Masterson (August 10, 1911 – May 16, 1963) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln from 1946 to 1947, compiling a record of 5–13. Masterson played ...
Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the sout ...
, Homer Griffith of
USC USC most often refers to: * University of South Carolina, a public research university ** University of South Carolina System, the main university and its satellite campuses ** South Carolina Gamecocks, the school athletic program * University of ...
,
Joe Laws Joseph Ray Laws (June 16, 1911 – August 22, 1979) was an American football player. He played his entire career with the Green Bay Packers, winning three World Championships, and was inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame in 1972. P ...
of
Iowa Iowa () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wiscon ...
; tackle
Moose Krause Edward Walter "Moose" Krause (born Edward Walter Kriaučiūnas; lt, Edvardas Valteris Kriaučiūnas; February 2, 1913 – December 11, 1992) was an American football, basketball, and baseball player, track athlete, coach, and college athletics ...
; halfbacks Nick Lukats,
George Sauer George Henry Sauer Sr. (December 11, 1910 – February 5, 1994) was an American football player, coach, college sports administrator, and professional football executive. Career Sauer attended the University of Nebraska where he was an All-Amer ...
of Nebraska,
Beattie Feathers William Beattie "Big Chief" Feathers (August 20, 1909 – March 11, 1979) was an American football player and coach of football and baseball. He played college football and college basketball at the University of Tennessee. Early life and colle ...
of
Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 36th-largest by ...
;
guards Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison gu ...
Tom Hupke of
Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = " Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,7 ...
, Bobby Jones of Indiana, and
Aaron Rosenberg Aaron "Rosy" Rosenberg (August 26, 1912 – September 1, 1979) was a two-time " All-American" college football player, and a film and television producer with more than 60 credits.Robert Slater (2000)''Great Jews in Sports''/ref> He received a ...
of USC;
ends End, END, Ending, or variation, may refer to: End *In mathematics: **End (category theory) **End (topology) **End (graph theory) ** End (group theory) (a subcase of the previous) ** End (endomorphism) *In sports and games **End (gridiron football ...
Joe Skladany Joseph Peter "Muggsy" Skladany (May 25, 1911 – August 9, 1972) was an American football player and coach. He played college football at the University of Pittsburgh, where he was consensus All-American at end in 1932 and 1933. Skladany played ...
of
Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
, Bill Smith of
Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
and
Sid Gillman Sidney Gillman (October 26, 1911 – January 3, 2003) was an American football player, coach and executive. Gillman's insistence on stretching the football field by throwing deep downfield passes, instead of short passes to running backs or ...
of
Ohio State The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best public ...
. Other players included end
Edgar Manske Edgar John "Eggs" Manske (July 4, 1912 – January 27, 2002) was a professional American football player who played six seasons in the National Football League (NFL). Manske was the last college player to play without a football helmet. Manske pl ...
of Northwestern and halfback
Herman Everhardus Herman "Flying Dutchman" Everhardus (September 11, 1912 – July 1980) was an American football player who played halfback for the University of Michigan teams from 1931 to 1933. He was an All-Big Ten halfback who led the conference in scorin ...
of
Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and t ...
. Both Sauer and Krause were the co-captains of the college all-star team. In addition to Kizer the all-stars' coaching staff included Mai Edwards of
Purdue Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donated land and mo ...
and
Jim Crowley James Harold "Sleepy Jim" Crowley (September 10, 1902 – January 15, 1986) was an American football player and coach. He gained fame as one-fourth of the University of Notre Dame's legendary "Four Horsemen" backfield where he played halfback f ...
of Fordham (who would go on to coach the
Chicago Rockets The Chicago Rockets were an American football team that played in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) from 1946 to 1949. During the 1949 season, the team was known as the Chicago Hornets. Unlike the Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers, an ...
at Soldier Field). The entire game was covered in radio
play-by-play In sports broadcasting, a sports commentator (also known as sports announcer or sportscaster) provides a real-time commentary of a game or event, usually during a live broadcast, traditionally delivered in the historical present tense. Radio was ...
, and over 120 newspapers from 22 states requested press credentials for the event. *50,000 people saw Lindblom defeat Leo 6–0 in the 1934 Prep Bowl.


1935

*Easter of 1935 23,000 people attended the nondenominational Protestant Easter sunrise service held at Soldier Field. *May 19, Soldier Field began its long tradition of hosting midget automobile races. Midget racing star
Marshall Lewis Marshall may refer to: Places Australia * Marshall, Victoria, a suburb of Geelong, Victoria Canada * Marshall, Saskatchewan * The Marshall, a mountain in British Columbia Liberia * Marshall, Liberia Marshall Islands * Marshall Islands, a ...
was winner of the first race held at Soldier Field, finishing first-place in the main event. 20,000 spectators attended the event. *August 1935, when the west tower of the 1933 World Fair's Sky Ride was demolished, it fell into a portion of Soldier Field's exterior walls, requiring $50,000 in repairs. *August 29 77,450 saw the
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine ...
defeat the College All-Stars 5–0 in the
Chicago College All-Star Game The Chicago Charities College All-Star Game was a preseason American football game played from 1934 to 1976 between the National Football League (NFL) champions and a team of star college seniors from the previous year. It was also known as the ...
. Fans voted Frank Thomas of
Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = " Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,7 ...
the collegiate all-stars' head coach. Over seven million votes were placed in the race for the position head coach. The vote became political, with numerous state governors publicly endorsing coaches. Other members of the coaching staff were Charles Bachman of
Michigan State Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It i ...
,
Slip Madigan Slip or SLIP may refer to: Science and technology Biology * Slip (fish), also known as Black Sole * Slip (horticulture), a small cutting of a plant as a specimen or for grafting * Muscle slip, a branching of a muscle, in anatomy Computing and ...
of
St. Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of ...
's, and Dr. C.W. Spears of
Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
. Amongst the alumni of the 1935 College All-Star team best known for their achievements outside of sports
Irv Kupcinet Irving Kupcinet (July 31, 1912 – November 10, 2003) was an American newspaper columnist for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'', television talk-show host, and radio personality based in Chicago, Illinois. He was popularly known by the nickname "Kup". ...
of
North Dakota North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minnesota to the east, ...
(who would become a notable journalist and media personality) and
Gerald Ford Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. ( ; born Leslie Lynch King Jr.; July 14, 1913December 26, 2006) was an American politician who served as the 38th president of the United States from 1974 to 1977. He was the only president never to have been elected ...
of
Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and t ...
(who would later serve as the
President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal gove ...
). *In 1935 the
Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus (also known as the Ringling Bros. Circus, Ringling Bros., the Barnum & Bailey Circus, Barnum & Bailey, or simply Ringling) is an American traveling circus company billed as The Greatest Show on Ear ...
performed inside Soldier Field. *75,000 people saw Lindblom defeat Leo 6–0 in the 1935 Prep Bowl.


1936

*July 22 the Chicago
Catholic Youth Organization Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) is an international Catholic youth movement founded by Bishop Bernard Sheil in Chicago in 1930. It would become a major factor in the development of race relations in the US Catholic Church following World War ...
held its first boxing tournament at Soldier Field. This was an intercity boxing meet against New York's Catholic Youth Association. The proceeds of the tournament went to the CYO Mil Fund to help feed 35,000 students in nonsectarian summer schools run at Chicago Catholic schools. The Catholic Youth Organization would hold numerous intercity and international boxing tournaments at Soldier Field over the next several years. *September 1 76,000 saw the College All-Stars tie the
Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at For ...
7–7 in the
Chicago College All-Star Game The Chicago Charities College All-Star Game was a preseason American football game played from 1934 to 1976 between the National Football League (NFL) champions and a team of star college seniors from the previous year. It was also known as the ...
. *The 1936 edition of the German Day Festival was had a greater focus on pageantry and dancing versus the sports that were the focus of previous editions. *In 1936 national softball championships for both men and women were held at Soldier Field. The stadium's arena was big enough to hold five softball diamonds with their home plates along the west stands (on the running track). All five were used simultaneously during the day, but only three were used at the same time for night games. Teams from 40 states and Canada participated, but rain delayed the tournament so it started two days late. A game that stood out was one attended by 15,000 spectators that featured the teams from
Rochester Rochester may refer to: Places Australia * Rochester, Victoria Canada * Rochester, Alberta United Kingdom *Rochester, Kent ** City of Rochester-upon-Medway (1982–1998), district council area ** History of Rochester, Kent ** HM Prison ...
and
Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the United States, U.S. U.S. state, state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along ...
facing off (Rochester, led by amateur softball legend Harold "Shifty" Gears, defeated Cleveland 2–0 in that game). *In 1936 the
Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus (also known as the Ringling Bros. Circus, Ringling Bros., the Barnum & Bailey Circus, Barnum & Bailey, or simply Ringling) is an American traveling circus company billed as The Greatest Show on Ear ...
performed inside Soldier Field. *75,000 saw
Austin Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...
tie Fenwick 19–19 in the 1936 Prep Bowl. *In 1936 a game was held at Soldier Field between rival high schools Tilden and
Austin Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...
was held at Soldier Field. During the game Tilden player Lou Rymkus blocked a kick and scored a touchdown. Rymkus would later refer to this as the most memorable game of his high school career. *In late 1936 an ice rink was erected in Soldier Field. *In 1936 the U.S. Central Ski Association held its annual ski meet at Soldier Field. They built a temporary ski jump that was 13-stories. *In 1936 a Chicago-area ski group sponsored an invitational ski tournament at Soldier Field.


1937

*February 7, 1937, the Chicago Daily Times sponsored a ski jump meet of the U.S. Central Ski Association at Soldier Field. The meet attracted 57,000 spectators, believed to be the largest crowd to ever see a ski jumping competition in the U.S. The temporary 180-foot tall all-wood ski jump tower was constructed by the Timber Engineering Company (TECO). *In 1937 Soldier Field held many events in honor of Chicago's Charter Jubilee, which was a celebration of the centennial of Chicago's 1837 incorporation as a city. The events were held between March 4 (the date of Chicago's incorporation) and October 9 (the anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire) Amongst the events Soldier Field held in celebration of the Jubilee were boxing matches. **Only 12,000 attended the 1937 Easter sunrise service at Soldier Field due to cold weather. The service that year was counted as a Charter Jubilee event. **50,000 attended a pageant celebrating the contributions of Polish Chicagoans held as part of the Charter Jubilee. *In 1937 attendance for the annual war show was high. *In 1937 Soldier Field again held national softball championships for both men and women. *In 1937 a boxing match between
Joe Louis Joseph Louis Barrow (May 13, 1914 – April 12, 1981) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1934 to 1951. Nicknamed the Brown Bomber, Louis is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential boxers of all time. He re ...
and
Jim Braddock James Braddock may refer to: * James J. Braddock (1905–1974), American boxer * James Braddock (cricketer) (1852–?), English cricketer * Jamie Braddock, fictional character in Marvel Comics * Colonel James Braddock, fictional character in the ...
was held at Soldier Field. *The 1937 German Day Festival was the final edition of the event to be held at Soldier Field. *In 1937 the
Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus (also known as the Ringling Bros. Circus, Ringling Bros., the Barnum & Bailey Circus, Barnum & Bailey, or simply Ringling) is an American traveling circus company billed as The Greatest Show on Ear ...
visited Soldier Field's parking lot. *
Austin Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...
defeated Leo 26–0 to win the 1937 Prep Bowl; another contender for the highest attendance ever (estimated at over 120,000 spectators). Pre-game entertainment featured 'King of Jazz'
Paul Whiteman Paul Samuel Whiteman (March 28, 1890 – December 29, 1967) was an American bandleader, composer, orchestral director, and violinist. As the leader of one of the most popular dance bands in the United States during the 1920s and early 1930s, W ...
. Austin was named High School Football National Champions that season. Their star player was Bill Deorrevont.Northwestern University Archives, William DeCorrevont Papers. Retrieved 2013-08-13. *In 1937 the Norge Ski Club held a ski meet at Soldier Field. A 13-story 50m ski jump was erected at Soldier Field for the event. The Norge Ski Club, which is based out of Fox River, Illinois, is the oldest continuously operating ski club in the United States. *September 1 84,560 saw the College All-Stars defeat the
Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. It is the t ...
6-0 in the
College All-Star Game The Chicago Charities College All-Star Game was a preseason American football game played from 1934 to 1976 between the National Football League (NFL) champions and a team of star college seniors from the previous year. It was also known as the C ...
. The game's only points were scored when
Texas Christian University Texas Christian University (TCU) is a private research university in Fort Worth, Texas. It was established in 1873 by brothers Addison and Randolph Clark as the Add-Ran Male & Female College. It is affiliated with the Christian Church (Discipl ...
's
Sammy Baugh Samuel Adrian Baugh (March 17, 1914 – December 17, 2008) was an American professional football player and coach. During his college and professional careers, he most notably played quarterback, but also played as a safety and punter. He ...
passed forty-seven yards to
Louisiana State University Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a public land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1860 n ...
's
Gaynell Tinsley Gaynell Charles "Gus" Tinsley (February 1, 1915 – July 24, 2002) was an American football end and coach. He played professionally for the Chicago Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL) from 1937 to 1938 and in 1940. He attended Loui ...
. Members of the All-Star team included Tippy Dye.


1938

*April 17 50,000 attended the 1938 Easter sunrise service at Soldier Field. The service had
Charles E. Fuller Charles Fuller (1939–2022) was an American playwright and writer. Charles Fuller may also refer to: * Charles Fuller (footballer) (1919–2004), English footballer * Charles E. Fuller (Baptist minister) (1887–1968), American Christian clergyma ...
as its chief minister. *July 4, as part of the American Legion Fourth of July show held at Soldier Field, a 124th Artillery team played a Cuban army team to a 3–3 tie in a
polo Polo is a ball game played on horseback, a traditional field sport and one of the world's oldest known team sports. The game is played by two opposing teams with the objective of scoring using a long-handled wooden mallet to hit a small ha ...
match. Also featured in the event were
color guard In military organizations, a colour guard (or color guard) is a detachment of soldiers assigned to the protection of regimental colours and the national flag. This duty is so prestigious that the military colour is generally carried by a young ...
s as well as
drum and bugle corps Drum and bugle corps is a name used to describe several related musical ensembles. * Drum and bugle corps (modern), a musical marching unit * Drum and bugle corps (classic), musical ensembles that descended from military bugle and drum units retu ...
. *August 17, 1938 a
jitterbug Jitterbug is a generalized term used to describe swing dancing. It is often synonymous with the lindy hop dance but might include elements of the jive, east coast swing, collegiate shag, charleston, balboa and other swing dances. Swing danc ...
concert held at Soldier Field resulted in the so-called 'Jitterbug Riot' after crowds of about 200,000 overwhelmed the event's organizers. Performers at the event included
Jimmy Dorsey James Francis Dorsey (February 29, 1904 – June 12, 1957) was an American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, composer and big band leader. He recorded and composed the jazz and pop standards " I'm Glad There Is You (In This World of Ordinary Peop ...
,
Earl Hines Earl Kenneth Hines, also known as Earl "Fatha" Hines (December 28, 1903 – April 22, 1983), was an American jazz pianist and bandleader. He was one of the most influential figures in the development of jazz piano and, according to one source, " ...
, Shep Fields. It featured a battle of the bands with 50 amateur bands and a number of the city's leading dance orchestras. *The 1938 Chicagoland Music Festival is credited to have originated the tradition of lighting
matches A match is a tool for starting a fire. Typically, matches are made of small wooden sticks or stiff paper. One end is coated with a material that can be ignited by friction generated by striking the match against a suitable surface. Wooden matc ...
or
lighters A lighter is a portable device which creates a flame, and can be used to ignite a variety of items, such as cigarettes, gas lighter, fireworks, candles or campfires. It consists of a metal or plastic container filled with a flammable liquid or c ...
concerts. Among those singing was aviator
Douglas Corrigan Douglas Corrigan (January 22, 1907 – December 9, 1995) was an American aviator, nicknamed "Wrong Way" in 1938. After a transcontinental flight in July from Long Beach, California, to New York City, he then flew from Floyd Bennett Field in Brook ...
. *In 1938 about 1,000 Police and Firemen participated in an event which raised funds for the benevolent funds of both groups. *In 1938 Soldier Field again held national softball championships for both men and women. *In 1938 the
Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus (also known as the Ringling Bros. Circus, Ringling Bros., the Barnum & Bailey Circus, Barnum & Bailey, or simply Ringling) is an American traveling circus company billed as The Greatest Show on Ear ...
visited Soldier Field's parking lot. *August 31 74,250 saw the College All-Stars defeat the
Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) ...
28–16 in the
Chicago College All-Star Game The Chicago Charities College All-Star Game was a preseason American football game played from 1934 to 1976 between the National Football League (NFL) champions and a team of star college seniors from the previous year. It was also known as the ...
. The MVP was
Purdue Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donated land and mo ...
running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback to rush the ball, to line up as a receiver to catch the ball, and block. Th ...
Cecil Isbell Cecil Frank Isbell (July 11, 1915 – June 23, 1985) was an American football quarterback and coach. He played five years in the National Football League (NFL) with the Green Bay Packers, leading them to the NFL Championship in 1939. He retire ...
. The 1938 College All-Stars and the Redskins later would meet one another for a second game on September 5 in
Dallas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...
. *September 1 80,000 people saw Fenger defeat
Mount Carmel Mount Carmel ( he, הַר הַכַּרְמֶל, Har haKarmel; ar, جبل الكرمل, Jabal al-Karmil), also known in Arabic as Mount Mar Elias ( ar, link=no, جبل مار إلياس, Jabal Mār Ilyās, lit=Mount Saint Elias/ Elijah), is a ...
13–0 in the
Mount Carmel Mount Carmel ( he, הַר הַכַּרְמֶל, Har haKarmel; ar, جبل الكرمل, Jabal al-Karmil), also known in Arabic as Mount Mar Elias ( ar, link=no, جبل مار إلياس, Jabal Mār Ilyās, lit=Mount Saint Elias/ Elijah), is a ...
44–6 in the 1938 Prep Bowl. *September 11 20,000 spectators saw the
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine ...
defeat the
Chicago Cardinals The professional American football team now known as the Arizona Cardinals previously played in Chicago, Illinois, as the Chicago Cardinals from 1898 to 1959 before relocating to St. Louis, Missouri, for the 1960 through 1987 seasons. Roots ...
16-13. *1938 was the final year that the U.S. Central Ski Association held its annual ski meet at Soldier Field.


1939

*About 50,000 attended the 1939 Easter sunrise service held at Soldier Field. *June 18, 20, 22, 24 and 25 the
American Automobile Association American Automobile Association (AAA – commonly pronounced as "Triple A") is a federation of motor clubs throughout North America. AAA is a privately held not-for-profit national member association and service organization with over 60 m ...
held the World's Championship Midget Automobile Races on a wooden track erected in Soldier Field. Proceeds benefited the Hospital for Crippled Children's Chicago Unit. There was a $10,000 purse for the five-race series. Over 90,000 spectators attended the event. This was the second time that midget racing was held at Soldier Field.
Sam Hanks Samuel Dwight "Sam" Hanks (July 13, 1914 – June 27, 1994) was an American race car driver who won the 1957 Indianapolis 500. He was a barnstormer, and raced midget and Championship cars. Racing career Hanks was born in Columbus, Ohio and l ...
won the first two races, and Ronnie Householder ultimately won Soldier Field's 1939 midget racing championship. *
Fats Waller Thomas Wright "Fats" Waller (May 21, 1904 – December 15, 1943) was an American jazz pianist, organist, composer, violinist, singer, and comedic entertainer. His innovations in the Harlem stride style laid much of the basis for modern jazz pi ...
headlined the 1939 Chicagoland Music Festival. *Over 98,000 spectators attended a 1939 stunt show starring "Lucky" Lee Lott at Soldier Field. *August 30 81,456 saw the
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisio ...
defeat the College All-Stars 9–0 in the
Chicago College All-Star Game The Chicago Charities College All-Star Game was a preseason American football game played from 1934 to 1976 between the National Football League (NFL) champions and a team of star college seniors from the previous year. It was also known as the ...
. The MVP was Holy Cross
running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback to rush the ball, to line up as a receiver to catch the ball, and block. Th ...
Bill Osmanski. *In 1939 the Chicago Rugby Club played two games at Soldier Field. The first game was against a Hollywood club. The second game was against a New York-East Coast all-star squad featuring high-level athletes. Chicago won the second game 24-9 and advanced to a Los Angeles game against the Hollywood Lighthorse Lancers for the national amateur rugby championship. The second game was attended by a crowd of 10,000 and was held on November 12. *In 1939 the
Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus (also known as the Ringling Bros. Circus, Ringling Bros., the Barnum & Bailey Circus, Barnum & Bailey, or simply Ringling) is an American traveling circus company billed as The Greatest Show on Ear ...
visited Soldier Field's parking lot. *September 7 Soldier Field one last time held national softball championships for both men and women, organized by the
Amateur Softball Association An amateur () is generally considered a person who pursues an avocation independent from their source of income. Amateurs and their pursuits are also described as popular, informal, self-taught, user-generated, DIY, and hobbyist. History ...
. *September 15 13,254 spectators saw the
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine ...
defeat the
Cleveland Rams The Cleveland Rams were a professional American football team that played in Cleveland from 1936 to 1945. The Rams competed in the second American Football League (AFL) for the 1936 season and the National Football League (NFL) from 1937 to 19 ...
30-21. *October 1 11,000 spectators saw the
Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at For ...
defeat the
Chicago Cardinals The professional American football team now known as the Arizona Cardinals previously played in Chicago, Illinois, as the Chicago Cardinals from 1898 to 1959 before relocating to St. Louis, Missouri, for the 1960 through 1987 seasons. Roots ...
17-3. *75,000 people saw Fenger tie
Mount Carmel Mount Carmel ( he, הַר הַכַּרְמֶל, Har haKarmel; ar, جبل الكرمل, Jabal al-Karmil), also known in Arabic as Mount Mar Elias ( ar, link=no, جبل مار إلياس, Jabal Mār Ilyās, lit=Mount Saint Elias/ Elijah), is a ...
13–13 in the 1939 Prep Bowl.


1940s


1940

*March 24 the 1940 Easter sunrise service was held during one of the coldest Easters on record in Chicago. The temperature hardly reached the double-digits by the beginning of the service. *In 1940 the
Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus (also known as the Ringling Bros. Circus, Ringling Bros., the Barnum & Bailey Circus, Barnum & Bailey, or simply Ringling) is an American traveling circus company billed as The Greatest Show on Ear ...
visited Soldier Field's parking lot. *July 4 the American Legion Fourth of July show at Soldier Field again featured a Polo match. This time it was an East-West match. *August 5 Soldier Field hosted an
isolationist Isolationism is a political philosophy advocating a national foreign policy that opposes involvement in the political affairs, and especially the wars, of other countries. Thus, isolationism fundamentally advocates neutrality and opposes entan ...
"peace rally" organized by IOC member, USOC president (and future IOC vice president and IOC president)
Avery Brundage Avery Brundage (; September 28, 1887 – May 8, 1975) was an American sports administrator who served as the fifth president of the International Olympic Committee from 1952 to 1972. The only American and only non-European to attain that p ...
. Brundage also introduced the event's featured speaker,
Charles Lindberg Charles W. Lindberg (June 26, 1920 – June 24, 2007) was a United States Marine Corps corporal who fought in three island campaigns during World War II. During the Battle of Iwo Jima, he was a member of the patrol that captured the top of Mount ...
. *August 29 84,567 saw the
Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. It is the t ...
defeat the College All-Stars 45–28 in the
Chicago College All-Star Game The Chicago Charities College All-Star Game was a preseason American football game played from 1934 to 1976 between the National Football League (NFL) champions and a team of star college seniors from the previous year. It was also known as the ...
. The MVP was
USC Trojans The USC Trojans are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Southern California (USC), located in Los Angeles, California. While the men's teams are nicknamed the ''Trojans'', the women's athletic teams are referred ...
running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback to rush the ball, to line up as a receiver to catch the ball, and block. Th ...
Ambrose Schindler. *In 1940 the Catholic Holy Name Society held their inaugural annual "Holy Hour" service at Soldier Field. The event would continue be held into the 1950s *75,000 saw Fenger defeat Leo 13–0 in the 1940 Prep Bowl.


1941

*April 13 over 50,000 saw the 1941 Easter sunrise service at Soldier Field. *May 18, an "
I am an American Day Constitution Day (or Citizenship Day), is an American federal observance that recognizes the adoption of the United States Constitution and those who have become U.S. citizens. It is normally observed on September 17, the day in 1787 that delega ...
" event was held at Soldier Field featuring
Helen Hayes Helen Hayes MacArthur ( Brown; October 10, 1900 – March 17, 1993) was an American actress whose career spanned 80 years. She eventually received the nickname "First Lady of American Theatre" and was the second person and first woman to have w ...
,
Don Ameche Don Ameche (; born Dominic Felix Amici; May 31, 1908 – December 6, 1993) was an American actor, comedian and vaudevillian. After playing in college shows, stock, and vaudeville, he became a major radio star in the early 1930s, which ...
, Pat O'Brien,
Dennis Morgan Dennis Morgan (born Earl Stanley Morner, December 20, 1908 – September 7, 1994) was an American actor-singer. He used the acting pseudonym Richard Stanley before adopting the name under which he gained his greatest fame. According to one obi ...
, George Jessel,
Ethel Waters Ethel Waters (October 31, 1896 – September 1, 1977) was an American singer and actress. Waters frequently performed jazz, swing, and pop music on the Broadway stage and in concerts. She began her career in the 1920s singing blues. Her no ...
, John Boles, and
Paul Whiteman Paul Samuel Whiteman (March 28, 1890 – December 29, 1967) was an American bandleader, composer, orchestral director, and violinist. As the leader of one of the most popular dance bands in the United States during the 1920s and early 1930s, W ...
(with his orchestra). *In 1941 the
Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus (also known as the Ringling Bros. Circus, Ringling Bros., the Barnum & Bailey Circus, Barnum & Bailey, or simply Ringling) is an American traveling circus company billed as The Greatest Show on Ear ...
visited Soldier Field's parking lot. *A
rodeo Rodeo () is a competitive equestrian sport that arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain and Mexico, expanding throughout the Americas and to other nations. It was originally based on the skills required of the working vaq ...
was held at Soldier Field in 1941. *June 15 the janitors' unions held "Americanism Day" at Soldier Field. The US Drum and Bugle Corps, American Legion Bands, high school bands, and ROTC bands performed at the event. *Over 40,000 spectators attended Soldier Field's 1941 midget auto racing championship. *August 28 98,203 saw the
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine ...
defeat the College All-Stars 37–13 in the
Chicago College All-Star Game The Chicago Charities College All-Star Game was a preseason American football game played from 1934 to 1976 between the National Football League (NFL) champions and a team of star college seniors from the previous year. It was also known as the ...
. The MVP was
Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over t ...
running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback to rush the ball, to line up as a receiver to catch the ball, and block. Th ...
George Franck. *September 14 150,000 attended the annual Catholic Holy Name Society "Holy Hour" service. *95,000 saw Leo defeat Tilden 46–13 in the 1941 Prep Bowl. Leo was named the High School Football National Champions that year.


1942

*A
rodeo Rodeo () is a competitive equestrian sport that arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain and Mexico, expanding throughout the Americas and to other nations. It was originally based on the skills required of the working vaq ...
was held at Soldier Field in 1942 featuring movie stars
Gene Autry Orvon Grover "Gene" Autry (September 29, 1907 – October 2, 1998), nicknamed the Singing Cowboy, was an American singer, songwriter, actor, musician, rodeo performer, and baseball owner who gained fame largely by singing in a crooning s ...
and
Tex Cooper Tex may refer to: People and fictional characters * Tex (nickname), a list of people and fictional characters with the nickname * Joe Tex (1933–1982), stage name of American soul singer Joseph Arrington Jr. Entertainment * ''Tex'', the Italian ...
. *August 28 101,103 saw the
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine ...
defeat the College All-Stars 21–0 in the
Chicago College All-Star Game The Chicago Charities College All-Star Game was a preseason American football game played from 1934 to 1976 between the National Football League (NFL) champions and a team of star college seniors from the previous year. It was also known as the ...
. The MVP was
Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over t ...
running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback to rush the ball, to line up as a receiver to catch the ball, and block. Th ...
Bruce Smith Bruce Bernard Smith (born June 18, 1963) is an American former football defensive end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 19 seasons, primarily with the Buffalo Bills. He played college football at Virginia Tech, where he was ...
. Other collegiate participants included Urban Odson *120,000 attended the 1942 Catholic Holy Name Society "Holy Hour" service. *In 1942 the
Chicago Opera Company The Chicago Opera Company was a grand opera company in Chicago, organized from the remaining assets of the bankrupt Chicago City Opera Company, that produced six seasons of opera at the Civic Opera House from 1940 to 1946 (excluding 1943). Arti ...
performed both a concert and a performance of
Carmen ''Carmen'' () is an opera in four acts by the French composer Georges Bizet. The libretto was written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée. The opera was first performed by the ...
for servicemen. The shows attracted 32,000 spectators. *In 1942 the
Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus (also known as the Ringling Bros. Circus, Ringling Bros., the Barnum & Bailey Circus, Barnum & Bailey, or simply Ringling) is an American traveling circus company billed as The Greatest Show on Ear ...
visited Soldier Field's parking lot. *September 2–12 a total of 789,915 spectators attended performances of an army war show. *75,000 saw Leo defeat Tilden 27–14 in the 1942 Prep Bowl. *December 5 Notre Dame played Great Lakes in a 13–13 tie.


1943

*A rodeo was held at Soldier Field in 1943. *In 1943 the
Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus (also known as the Ringling Bros. Circus, Ringling Bros., the Barnum & Bailey Circus, Barnum & Bailey, or simply Ringling) is an American traveling circus company billed as The Greatest Show on Ear ...
visited Soldier Field's parking lot. *September 16 a war bond show was held at Soldier Field as part of the national effort to sell war bonds. Performers included
Judy Garland Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922June 22, 1969) was an American actress and singer. While critically acclaimed for many different roles throughout her career, she is widely known for playing the part of Dorothy Gale in '' The ...
,
Lucille Ball Lucille Désirée Ball (August 6, 1911 – April 26, 1989) was an American actress, comedienne and producer. She was nominated for 13 Primetime Emmy Awards, winning five times, and was the recipient of several other accolades, such as the Gold ...
,
Fred Astaire Fred Astaire (born Frederick Austerlitz; May 10, 1899 – June 22, 1987) was an American dancer, choreographer, actor, and singer. He is often called the greatest dancer in Hollywood film history. Astaire's career in stage, film, and tele ...
.
Harpo Marx Arthur "Harpo" Marx (born Adolph Marx; November 23, 1888 – September 28, 1964) was an American comedian, actor, mime artist, and harpist, and the second-oldest of the Marx Brothers. In contrast to the mainly verbal comedy of his brothers Grou ...
,
James Cagney James Francis Cagney Jr. (; July 17, 1899March 30, 1986) was an American actor, dancer and film director. On stage and in film, Cagney was known for his consistently energetic performances, distinctive vocal style, and deadpan comic timing. He ...
, as well as the Great Lakes Naval Training Station' band and choir. The show raised approximately $200 million. Bond shows were also held in 1944 and 1945. *80,000 people saw St. George defeat Phillips 19–12 in the 1943 Prep Bowl.


1944

*In June 50,000 spectators attended a national
Sokol The Sokol movement (, ''falcon'') is an all-age gymnastics organization first founded in Prague in the Czech region of Austria-Hungary in 1862 by Miroslav Tyrš and Jindřich Fügner. It was based upon the principle of " a strong mind in a ...
slet held at Soldier Field. *June 16
Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his innovative work in film, radio and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential f ...
hosted a radio show at Soldier Field to benefit the Fifth War Loan Drive. *In September 1944 the
Ringling Brothers Circus Ringling Bros. World's Greatest Shows is a circus founded in Baraboo, Wisconsin, United States in 1884 by five of the seven Ringling brothers: Albert, August, Otto, Alfred T., Charles, John, and Henry. The Ringling brothers were sons of a Ge ...
performed a 14-day engagement. These were amongst the Circus' first shows after the Hartford Circus Fire in July 1944 (which had resulted in over 165 deaths and 700 injuries). Due to the fire, the performances at Soldier Field were performed in the open-air, rather than under a big top. The final Sunday attracted 14,000 spectators for the matinee performance and 8,000 for the night performance. On
Labor Day Labor Day is a federal holiday in the United States celebrated on the first Monday in September to honor and recognize the American labor movement and the works and contributions of laborers to the development and achievements of the United St ...
9,000 attended the afternoon performance. The Circus' final performance (which occurred on a Monday night) was attended by 4,500. Excluding additional numbers that attended a 'Bond Night', the Circus attracted 145,000 despite unfavorable weather that occurred most of the opening week. *October 28
President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal gove ...
Franklin D. Roosevelt made an appearance at Soldier Field, which was the only Midwestern speaking appearance he made in his last reelection campaign. This appearance was attended by over 150,000 (with at least as many people attempting to attend that were unable to gain admission). * Tilden defeated
Weber Weber (, or ; German: ) is a surname of German origin, derived from the noun meaning " weaver". In some cases, following migration to English-speaking countries, it has been anglicised to the English surname 'Webber' or even 'Weaver'. Notable pe ...
13–7 in the 1944 Prep Bowl.


1945

*May 20 Soldier Field hosted a war bond show in connection with the fifth annual
I am an American Day Constitution Day (or Citizenship Day), is an American federal observance that recognizes the adoption of the United States Constitution and those who have become U.S. citizens. It is normally observed on September 17, the day in 1787 that delega ...
. The event included the presentation by General
Alexander Vandegrift General Alexander Archer Vandegrift, USMC (March 13, 1887 – May 8, 1973) was a United States Marine Corps four-star general. During World War II, he commanded the 1st Marine Division to victory in its first ground offensive of the war, the B ...
of the
Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of val ...
to Nora Witek, whose son Frank Witek had been killed-in-action in Guam, as well as a reenactment of the raising of the U.S. flag on
Iwo Jima Iwo Jima (, also ), known in Japan as , is one of the Japanese Volcano Islands and lies south of the Bonin Islands. Together with other islands, they form the Ogasawara Archipelago. The highest point of Iwo Jima is Mount Suribachi at high. ...
during the battle of the same name. The flag-raising reenactment at Soldier Field was portrayed in the
Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
-winning film
Flags of Our Fathers ''Flags of Our Fathers'' (2000) is a book by James Bradley with Ron Powers about his father, Navy corpsman John Bradley, and five United States Marines, who were made famous by Joe Rosenthal’s '' Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima'' photograph. ...
. Performers at the show included
Humphrey Bogart Humphrey DeForest Bogart (; December 25, 1899 – January 14, 1957), nicknamed Bogie, was an American film and stage actor. His performances in Classical Hollywood cinema films made him an American cultural icon. In 1999, the American Film In ...
and
Lauren Bacall Lauren Bacall (; born Betty Joan Perske; September 16, 1924 – August 12, 2014) was an American actress. She was named the 20th-greatest female star of classic Hollywood cinema by the American Film Institute and received an Academy Honorary ...
. *May 30 (
Memorial Day Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) is a federal holiday in the United States for mourning the U.S. military personnel who have fought and died while serving in the United States armed forces. It is observed on the last Monda ...
) the
Youth for Christ Youth For Christ (YFC) is a worldwide Christian movement working with young people, whose main purpose is evangelism among teenagers. It began informally in New York City in 1940, when Jack Wyrtzen held evangelical Protestant rallies for teenagers ...
-movement hosted a rally to commemorate its first anniversary. Over 100,000 spectators attended. Participants included
Charles Templeton Charles Bradley Templeton (October 7, 1915 – June 7, 2001) was a Canadian media figure and a former Christian evangelist. Known in the 1940s and 1950s as a leading evangelist, he became an agnostic and later embraced atheism after strugg ...
, Torrey Johnson, and US
military chaplain A military chaplain ministers to military personnel and, in most cases, their families and civilians working for the military. In some cases they will also work with local civilians within a military area of operations. Although the term '' ...
Robert P. Evans. The event's primary speaker was the Reverend Percy Crawford. *80,000 spectators saw the 1945 Catholic Holy Name Society "Holy Hour" service at Soldier Field. *July 19 the American Slav Congress hosted an event commemorating 532nd anniversary of the
Battle of Grunwald The Battle of Grunwald, Battle of Žalgiris or First Battle of Tannenberg was fought on 15 July 1410 during the Polish–Lithuanian–Teutonic War. The alliance of the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, led respec ...
. *August 30 92,453 saw the
Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. It is the t ...
defeat the College All-Stars 19–7 in the
Chicago College All-Star Game The Chicago Charities College All-Star Game was a preseason American football game played from 1934 to 1976 between the National Football League (NFL) champions and a team of star college seniors from the previous year. It was also known as the ...
. The MVP was
Georgia Bulldog The Georgia Bulldogs are the athletic teams that represent the University of Georgia. The female athletic teams are sometimes referred to as Lady Bulldogs. The Bulldogs compete in NCAA Division I and are members of the Southeastern Conference ( ...
Charley Trippi Charles Louis Trippi (December 14, 1921 – October 19, 2022) was an American professional football player for the Chicago Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL) from 1947 to 1955. Although primarily a running back, his versatility al ...
. *In 1945 the
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine ...
held their first Armed Forces Game, an exhibition game series for charity that would be played by the Bears at Soldier Field for many years. *80,000 people saw Fenwick defeat Tilden 20–6 in the 1945 Prep Bowl.


1946

*April 6 (
Army Day Many nations around the world observe some kind of Armed Forces Day to honor their military forces. This day is not to be confused with Veterans Day or Memorial Day. Africa Egypt In Egypt, Armed Forces Day is celebrated on 6 Octob ...
) President
Harry Truman Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. A leader of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 34th vice president from January to April 1945 under Franklin ...
spoke at Soldier Field. The most important aspect of Truman's speech was that he hinted at the creation of what would later become
NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two N ...
. In addition to the President,
Chicago Mayor The mayor of Chicago is the chief executive of city government in Chicago, Illinois, the third-largest city in the United States. The mayor is responsible for the administration and management of various city departments, submits proposals and ...
Edward J. Kelley and Army Chief of Staff (and future President of the United States) General Dwight D. Eisenhower also spoke. The event also included a military show. The highlight of the military show was a 600 mph fly-by from two jet-powered P-80A fighters. *May 30 (
Memorial Day Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) is a federal holiday in the United States for mourning the U.S. military personnel who have fought and died while serving in the United States armed forces. It is observed on the last Monda ...
) the
Youth for Christ Youth For Christ (YFC) is a worldwide Christian movement working with young people, whose main purpose is evangelism among teenagers. It began informally in New York City in 1940, when Jack Wyrtzen held evangelical Protestant rallies for teenagers ...
-movement held a well-attended rally at Soldier Field. Participants included
Billy Graham William Franklin Graham Jr. (November 7, 1918 – February 21, 2018) was an American evangelist and an ordained Southern Baptist minister who became well known internationally in the late 1940s. He was a prominent evangelical Christi ...
,
Charles Templeton Charles Bradley Templeton (October 7, 1915 – June 7, 2001) was a Canadian media figure and a former Christian evangelist. Known in the 1940s and 1950s as a leading evangelist, he became an agnostic and later embraced atheism after strugg ...
, and Torrey Johnson. *In 1946 the
Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus (also known as the Ringling Bros. Circus, Ringling Bros., the Barnum & Bailey Circus, Barnum & Bailey, or simply Ringling) is an American traveling circus company billed as The Greatest Show on Ear ...
visited Soldier Field's parking lot. *August 23 97,380 spectators saw the College All-Stars defeat the
Los Angeles Rams The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC Wes ...
16–0 in the
Chicago College All-Star Game The Chicago Charities College All-Star Game was a preseason American football game played from 1934 to 1976 between the National Football League (NFL) champions and a team of star college seniors from the previous year. It was also known as the ...
. The MVP was
Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and t ...
running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback to rush the ball, to line up as a receiver to catch the ball, and block. Th ...
Elroy Hirsch Elroy Leon "Crazylegs" Hirsch (June 17, 1923 – January 28, 2004) was an American professional football player, sport executive and actor. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1967 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 197 ...
. *Soldier Field held a race to benefit the Chicago Park District Police Benevolent Association fund to kick-off its 1946 midget automobile racing season. *September 13 51,962 spectators attended the All-America Football Conference
Chicago Rockets The Chicago Rockets were an American football team that played in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) from 1946 to 1949. During the 1949 season, the team was known as the Chicago Hornets. Unlike the Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers, an ...
' debut game. The Rockets were defeated 20-6 by the Cleveland Browns. *September 22 more than 100,000 spectators attended a Catholic Holy Hour service celebrating the newly declared sainthood of Chicago's-own Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini. The event was led by Cardinal Samuel Stritch. *Ted Duncan won Soldier Field's 1946 midget racing championship. *85,000 people saw Fenger defeat
Weber Weber (, or ; German: ) is a surname of German origin, derived from the noun meaning " weaver". In some cases, following migration to English-speaking countries, it has been anglicised to the English surname 'Webber' or even 'Weaver'. Notable pe ...
13–7 in the 1946 Prep Bowl.


1947

*June 15 12,622 attended a 25-lap midget car race. The first-place finisher was Ronnie Householder, the second finisher was Gus Glingbell, Sam Hanks came in third, and Teddy Duncan was fourth. *In 1947 auto races were held nearly every weekend from June until the end of September. **July 1947 25,000 spectators attended the first hot rod event at Soldier Field. **A midget racing event the night of July 20 was one of the earliest at Soldier Field to be televised. **Ted Duncan won Soldier Field's 1947 midget racing championship. **In August 1947 auto racing events held in a single-week were attended by over spectators total. ***During this week-long period 24,000 who attended a day of hot rod races sponsored by Granatelli. *A
rodeo Rodeo () is a competitive equestrian sport that arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain and Mexico, expanding throughout the Americas and to other nations. It was originally based on the skills required of the working vaq ...
competition was held at Soldier Field in July 1947 and was one of the first televised events at Soldier Field. The competition ended with its championship on July 20. *In 1947 the
Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus (also known as the Ringling Bros. Circus, Ringling Bros., the Barnum & Bailey Circus, Barnum & Bailey, or simply Ringling) is an American traveling circus company billed as The Greatest Show on Ear ...
visited Soldier Field's parking lot. *At the same time as the circus, a General Motors car expo was held in Soldier Field's parking lot. *In 1947 more than 20,000 watched a soccer match between a Chicago all-star team and a team provided by Hapoel. The game ended in a tie. *August 22 105,840 saw the College All-Stars defeat the
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine ...
16–0 in the
Chicago College All-Star Game The Chicago Charities College All-Star Game was a preseason American football game played from 1934 to 1976 between the National Football League (NFL) champions and a team of star college seniors from the previous year. It was also known as the ...
. The MVP was Illinois Fighting Illini football, Illinois
running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback to rush the ball, to line up as a receiver to catch the ball, and block. Th ...
Buddy Young, Claude Young. *
Austin Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...
defeated Leo 13–12 in the 1947 Prep Bowl. *In 1947 the
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine ...
' annual Armed Forces Game was held at Soldier Field for the first time. The Bears'opponent was the
Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) ...
. Chicago won the game 28-0. The Armed Forces Game raised proceeds for the relief funds of the four branches of the US Armed Services, and was held annually from 1943 through 1970 (and was held at the Bears' home stadium,
Wrigley Field Wrigley Field is a Major League Baseball (MLB) stadium on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is the home of the Chicago Cubs, one of the city's two MLB franchises. It first opened in 1914 as Weeghman Park for Charles Weeghman's Chicago ...
, for a number of those years).


1948

*August 22 101,220 saw the History of the Chicago Cardinals, Chicago Cardinals defeat the College All-Stars 28–0 in the
Chicago College All-Star Game The Chicago Charities College All-Star Game was a preseason American football game played from 1934 to 1976 between the National Football League (NFL) champions and a team of star college seniors from the previous year. It was also known as the ...
. The MVP was Kentucky Wildcats football, Kentucky
running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback to rush the ball, to line up as a receiver to catch the ball, and block. Th ...
Jay Rodemeyer. *Jim Rathmann launched his racing career at Soldier Field in 1948. He would later win the Indy 500 in 1960 Indy 500, 1960. *Johnny McDowell won Soldier Field's 1948 midget racing championship. *In 1948 2x Olympic gold medalist swimmer Vicki Draves turned professional when she made her debut in Larry Crosby's "Rhapsody in Swimtime" aquatic show at Soldier Field. *In 1948 the
Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus (also known as the Ringling Bros. Circus, Ringling Bros., the Barnum & Bailey Circus, Barnum & Bailey, or simply Ringling) is an American traveling circus company billed as The Greatest Show on Ear ...
visited Soldier Field's parking lot. * Lindblom defeated Fenwick 13–7 in the 1948 Prep Bowl.


1949

*April 17, due to cold and snowy weather, only about 35,000 attended the Easter sunrise service at Soldier Field. *In 1949 the
Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus (also known as the Ringling Bros. Circus, Ringling Bros., the Barnum & Bailey Circus, Barnum & Bailey, or simply Ringling) is an American traveling circus company billed as The Greatest Show on Ear ...
visited Soldier Field's parking lot. *
Al Jolson Al Jolson (born Eizer Yoelson; June 9, 1886 – October 23, 1950) was a Lithuanian-American Jewish singer, comedian, actor, and vaudevillian. He was one of the United States' most famous and highest-paid stars of the 1920s, and was self-billed ...
again headlined the Chicagoland Music Festival in 1949, having previously headlined in 1934. *August 22 93,780 saw the Philadelphia Eagles defeat the College All-Stars 38–0 in the
Chicago College All-Star Game The Chicago Charities College All-Star Game was a preseason American football game played from 1934 to 1976 between the National Football League (NFL) champions and a team of star college seniors from the previous year. It was also known as the ...
. The MVP was Notre Dame offensive lineman Bill Fischer (American football), Bill Fischer. *June 19 President Harry Truman, Truman spoke at the convention of the Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine (Shriners) marking the group's 75th anniversary. This event was one of the first at Soldier Field to be televised. The event featured one of the largest parades in Chicago's history. The parade preceding the event at Soldier Field featured over 15,000 Shriners from 1,000 American and Canadian chapters of the group and 130 bands. The parade covered three miles and lasted five-hours. The parade was seen by approximately 500,000 spectators. Hollywood legend Harold Lloyd walked in the parade, and at the end of the convention held at Soldier Field he was named "Imperial Potentate", the national leader of the group. *Gilbert "Skippy" Michaels won Soldier Field's 1949 Hurricane Hot Rod Association hot rod racing season, placing above future-Indianapolis 500, Indy 500 champions Pat Flaherty (racing driver), Pat Flaherty and Jim Rathmann. *Eddie Haddad won Soldier Field's 1949 midget racing championship. *Gil "Skippy" Michaels won Soldier Field's 1949 stock car championship. *Pat Flaherty (racing driver), Pat Flaherty won the hot rod division Soldier Field's 1949 racing championship. *October 28 11,249 spectators saw the Chicago Hornets, who were formerly known as the Chicago Rockets, lost 14-24 to the Los Angeles Dons in what would ultimately be the Hornets' final last-ever home game *Schurz High School, Schurz defeated Fenwick 20–7 in the 1949 Prep Bowl.


1950s


1950

*August 11 88,885 saw the College All-Stars defeat the Philadelphia Eagles 17–7 in the
Chicago College All-Star Game The Chicago Charities College All-Star Game was a preseason American football game played from 1934 to 1976 between the National Football League (NFL) champions and a team of star college seniors from the previous year. It was also known as the ...
. The MVP was North Carolina Tar Heels football, North Carolina
running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback to rush the ball, to line up as a receiver to catch the ball, and block. Th ...
Charlie Justice (halfback), Charlie Justice. *70,000 spectators attended the 1950 Chicagoland Music Festival. Among the performers was Alec Templeton. *Potsy Goache won Soldier Field's 1950 midget car championship. *In 1950 the
Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus (also known as the Ringling Bros. Circus, Ringling Bros., the Barnum & Bailey Circus, Barnum & Bailey, or simply Ringling) is an American traveling circus company billed as The Greatest Show on Ear ...
visited Soldier Field's parking lot. *Jim Rathmann won Soldier Field's 1950 stock car racing, stock car championship. *
Mount Carmel Mount Carmel ( he, הַר הַכַּרְמֶל, Har haKarmel; ar, جبل الكرمل, Jabal al-Karmil), also known in Arabic as Mount Mar Elias ( ar, link=no, جبل مار إلياس, Jabal Mār Ilyās, lit=Mount Saint Elias/ Elijah), is a ...
, coached by Terry Brennan, defeated Lane Technical College Prep High School, Lane Tech 45–20 in the 1950 Prep Bowl. The Mount Carmel team was led by
quarterback The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Am ...
List of Notre Dame Fighting Irish starting quarterbacks, Tom Carey.


1951

*In April General of the Army (United States), US General during World War II Douglas MacArthur addressed a crowd of 50,000 at Soldier Field during his first visit to the United States in 14 years. *August 17 92,180 saw the Cleveland Browns defeat the College All-Stars 33–0 in the
Chicago College All-Star Game The Chicago Charities College All-Star Game was a preseason American football game played from 1934 to 1976 between the National Football League (NFL) champions and a team of star college seniors from the previous year. It was also known as the ...
. The MVP was Texas Longhorns football, Texas Longhorn Bud McFadin, Lewis McFadin. *In 1951 the
Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus (also known as the Ringling Bros. Circus, Ringling Bros., the Barnum & Bailey Circus, Barnum & Bailey, or simply Ringling) is an American traveling circus company billed as The Greatest Show on Ear ...
visited Soldier Field's parking lot. *Jim Rathmann won Soldier Field's 1951 stock car racing, stock car championship. *
Mount Carmel Mount Carmel ( he, הַר הַכַּרְמֶל, Har haKarmel; ar, جبل الكرمل, Jabal al-Karmil), also known in Arabic as Mount Mar Elias ( ar, link=no, جبل مار إلياس, Jabal Mār Ilyās, lit=Mount Saint Elias/ Elijah), is a ...
, coached by Terry Brennan, defeated Lindblom 19–6 in the 1951 Prep Bowl.


1952

*May 4 Soldier Field hosted the annual Chicago Park District Police Benevolet race program. *August 15 88,316 saw the
Los Angeles Rams The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC Wes ...
defeat the College All-Stars 10–7 in the
Chicago College All-Star Game The Chicago Charities College All-Star Game was a preseason American football game played from 1934 to 1976 between the National Football League (NFL) champions and a team of star college seniors from the previous year. It was also known as the ...
. The MVP was Kentucky Wildcats football, Kentucky
quarterback The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Am ...
Babe Parilli. *In 1952 the
Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus (also known as the Ringling Bros. Circus, Ringling Bros., the Barnum & Bailey Circus, Barnum & Bailey, or simply Ringling) is an American traveling circus company billed as The Greatest Show on Ear ...
visited Soldier Field's parking lot. *In 1952 Sal Tovella won his first feature stock car racing, stock car race at Soldier Field. A native Chicagoan, Tovella's racing career started at Soldier Field in the early 1950. *Gil "Skippy" Michaels won Soldier Field's 1952 stock car championship. *
Mount Carmel Mount Carmel ( he, הַר הַכַּרְמֶל, Har haKarmel; ar, جبل الكرمل, Jabal al-Karmil), also known in Arabic as Mount Mar Elias ( ar, link=no, جبل مار إلياس, Jabal Mār Ilyās, lit=Mount Saint Elias/ Elijah), is a ...
, coached by Terry Brennan, defeated
Austin Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...
27–19 in the 1952 Prep Bowl.


1953

*August 14 93,818 saw the
Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at For ...
defeat the College All-Stars 24–10 in the
Chicago College All-Star Game The Chicago Charities College All-Star Game was a preseason American football game played from 1934 to 1976 between the National Football League (NFL) champions and a team of star college seniors from the previous year. It was also known as the ...
. The MVP was Texas Longhorns football, Texas Longhorn Gib Dawson *In 1953 the
Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus (also known as the Ringling Bros. Circus, Ringling Bros., the Barnum & Bailey Circus, Barnum & Bailey, or simply Ringling) is an American traveling circus company billed as The Greatest Show on Ear ...
visited Soldier Field's parking lot. * St. George defeated
Austin Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...
38–12 in the 1953 Prep Bowl. *Tom Pistone won Soldier Field's 1953 stock car racing, stock car championships.


1954

*May 2, during a "tag racing" motor event at Soldier Field, two cars caught fire. The track crew was fast to put-out the fire. *May 8 a crowd of 13,000 watched the West Germany, West German association football team Dortmund Borussia beat the English team Plymouth Argyle 4-0. *May 16 the Chicago Park District's Police Benevolent Association sponsored its 9th annual Golf Trophy race at Soldier Field. More than 30,000 tickets were sold. *June 6 a car at a racing event hit a barricade and knocked several timbers loose, but this did not cause any serious damage or injury. *June 15 about 6,000 spectators attended a racing event featuring the John Francis "Irish" Horan, "Irish" Horan's Lucky Hell Drivers. Alongside "Irish" Horan in this event was Bill Vukovich, who had just won a second-consecutive Indy 500. *June 25 a mere 5,026 spectators attended motor racing events held at Soldier Field. This was unusual, as racing events held at Soldier Field around this time would often attract over twenty-thousand spectators. The races were popular amongst families. Nearly twenty-years after the last race was held at Soldier Field, during his tenure as the head of True Value Hardware, Dan Cotter commented on the origin of his motorsports fandom, telling a ''Chicago Sun-Times'' reporter, "Dad took me to the midget races at Soldier Field when I was eleven. I was hooked." *July 23 Soldier Field hosted the midget auto racing 100 Lap National Championship,. Racers included Tony Bettenhausen, Duke Nalon, Art Cross, Mike Nazurek, Frank Burany, Roy Newman, Gene Hartley, Jimmy Knight, Cal Niday, Johnny Roberts, Jack Bates, amongst others. *July 25 Soldier Field hosted the Hurricane Hot Rod Association Mid-Season Championship. *July 30 Soldier Field hosted the Circuit of Champions National Championship for Late Model Stocks. The primary event was a 120-lap race. *August 13 93,470 saw the saw the
Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at For ...
defeat the College All-Stars 31–6 in the
Chicago College All-Star Game The Chicago Charities College All-Star Game was a preseason American football game played from 1934 to 1976 between the National Football League (NFL) champions and a team of star college seniors from the previous year. It was also known as the ...
. The MVP was Texas Longhorns football, Texas defensive end Carlton Massey. *August 15 over 125,000 attended as the World Council of Churches held the Ecumenical Festival of Faith, which served as the opening ceremony for two-weeks of meetings that the World Council held in Chicago and Evanston (and even included a speech by President Dwight Eisenhower, Eisenhower). The ceremony featured a cast of 4,000 and was arranged by Helen Kromer. Henry P. Van Dusen, president of the New York Union Theological Seminary, proclaimed the event to have been "the most widely representative, most truly 'ecumenical' assemblage of the followers of Christ who have ever met 'in one accord in one place.'" Delegates attended even from four nations located behind the "Iron Curtain" (Czechoslavakia, East Germany, Hungary, and Yugoslavia). The ceremony was opened with a speech by
Chicago mayor The mayor of Chicago is the chief executive of city government in Chicago, Illinois, the third-largest city in the United States. The mayor is responsible for the administration and management of various city departments, submits proposals and ...
Martin Kennelly. **Hours prior to the ceremony, Soldier Field's convention halls hosted a 1,600-person banquet for delegates. *August 21 Liberace headlined the 25th annual Chicagoland Music Festival. Jack Webb appeared at the event to promote the Chicago Theatre premiere of the film Dragnet (franchise)#Dragnet (1954), Dragnet. *September 8 what many regard to have been Soldier Field's largest crowd ever, 260,000 spectators, attended the Marian Year tribute of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago. 180,000 were inside of the stadium, while another 80,000 gathered outside of the stadium and listened via loudspeakers. The event was led by Cardinal Samuel Stritch. *In 1954 160,000 spectators saw the
Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus (also known as the Ringling Bros. Circus, Ringling Bros., the Barnum & Bailey Circus, Barnum & Bailey, or simply Ringling) is an American traveling circus company billed as The Greatest Show on Ear ...
while it visited Soldier Field's parking lot. *54,000 spectators saw Fenger defeated
Mount Carmel Mount Carmel ( he, הַר הַכַּרְמֶל, Har haKarmel; ar, جبل الكرمل, Jabal al-Karmil), also known in Arabic as Mount Mar Elias ( ar, link=no, جبل مار إلياس, Jabal Mār Ilyās, lit=Mount Saint Elias/ Elijah), is a ...
20–13 in the 1954 Prep Bowl. *Tom Pistone won Soldier Field's 1954 stock car racing, stock car championships. *In 1954 an international ski jumping championship was held at Soldier Field by the Norge Ski Club.


1955

*May 25 the Chicago Park District held its annual Police Benevolent Association race. Mayor of Chicago, Mayor Richard J. Daley handed the trophy to the winner. *July 13 former President of the United States Harry S. Truman again spoke at another Shriners convention held at Soldier Field. The event was dubbed "Shrinerama" and was attended by more than 58,000 spectators. In addition to a speech from Truman, other notable facets of the event include a band of 1,500 Shriner musicians, a performance from a 1,000-voice choir, circus acts, military drills, and a mock rematch between
Jack Dempsey William Harrison "Jack" Dempsey (June 24, 1895 – May 31, 1983), nicknamed Kid Blackie and The Manassa Mauler, was an American professional boxer who competed from 1914 to 1927, and reigned as the world heavyweight champion from 1919 to 1926 ...
and
Gene Tunney James Joseph Tunney (May 25, 1897 – November 7, 1978) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1915 to 1928. He held the world heavyweight title from 1926 to 1928, and the American light heavyweight title twice between 1922 and 1 ...
(who had both famously faced-off for the heavyweight title at Soldier Field in the 1927 The Long Count Fight, Long Count Fight). The event concluded with a fireworks display. *August 12 75,000 saw the College All-Stars defeat the Cleveland Browns 30–27 in the
Chicago College All-Star Game The Chicago Charities College All-Star Game was a preseason American football game played from 1934 to 1976 between the National Football League (NFL) champions and a team of star college seniors from the previous year. It was also known as the ...
. The MVP was Notre Dame
quarterback The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Am ...
Ralph Guglielmi. *In 1955 the
Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus (also known as the Ringling Bros. Circus, Ringling Bros., the Barnum & Bailey Circus, Barnum & Bailey, or simply Ringling) is an American traveling circus company billed as The Greatest Show on Ear ...
visited Soldier Field's parking lot. This was the final time it would visit Soldier Field. *Chicago Vocational Career Academy, Chicago Vocational defeated
Weber Weber (, or ; German: ) is a surname of German origin, derived from the noun meaning " weaver". In some cases, following migration to English-speaking countries, it has been anglicised to the English surname 'Webber' or even 'Weaver'. Notable pe ...
6–0 in the 1955 Prep Bowl. *Tom Pistone won Soldier Field's 1955 stock car racing, stock car championships.


1956

*August 10 75,000 saw the Cleveland Browns defeat the College All-Stars 26–0 in the
Chicago College All-Star Game The Chicago Charities College All-Star Game was a preseason American football game played from 1934 to 1976 between the National Football League (NFL) champions and a team of star college seniors from the previous year. It was also known as the ...
. The MVP was Maryland Terrapins football, Maryland linebacker Bob Pellegrini. *July 4 attendance at the Armed Legion Show was lower than usual. Featured at the event were Stock Yards Post's Kiltie Band, Cook County Legion commander Milton Applebaum, ''Alarno's Trained Pork Chops'' (a domestic pig, pig stunt troupe), two different trained Common chimpanzee, chimpanzee groups, tame bear, dancing bears, clowns, car jumping stunts, and fireworks. *Among the 8,000 performers at the 1956 Chicagoland Music Festival were Al G. Wright, Richard Tucker (tenor), Richard Tucker, the Skokie American Indians drum and bugle corps (the national champions). Special guests at the included Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, Oscar Hammerstein. A men's and a women's singing contest were held at the event, the winners performing on the ''Ed Sullivan Show'' the following night. The competition was judged by Rosa Raisa, Sonia Sharnova, and Louis Sudler. This was the final edition of the Chicagoland Music Festival. *July 21 Fireball Roberts, Glenn "Fireball" Roberts won the only NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Grand National 100 (the modern-day Sprint Cup) race held at the stadium's short track which ran across the old configuration. Roberts beat Jim Pascal but only a car's-length. Roberts passed Pascal only in the 194th lap out of 200 laps total. The order that drivers came in following Roberts then Pascal was Ralph Moody, Speedy Thompson, Frank Mundy, Buck Baker, Bill Champion (racing driver), Bill Champion, Paul Goldsmith, Joy Fair, Lee Petty, Bob Esposito, Frank Edwards (race car driver), Frank Edwards, Bill Massey (racing driver), Bill Massey, Chuck Mesler, Al Watkins, Sal Tovella, Billy Myers, Herb Thomas, Darvin Randahl, Fred Lorenzen, Bob Chaunce, Tom Pistone, Bill Vesler, Kenny Paulsen, Ray Crowley. *Two NASCAR NASCAR Convertible Division, Convertible Division races were held at Soldier Field in 1956. *In 1956 38,000 saw Tom Pistone win the Soldier Field 100. Pistone won a record 38 motor race events at Soldier Field. *Fred Lorenzen won Soldier Field's 1956 stock car racing, stock car championship. *Bert Olson won Soldier Field's 1956 rookie/novice stock car racing, stock car championship. * Leo defeated Calumet High School (Chicago), Calumet 12–0 in the 1956 Prep Bowl. Jim Arneberg, who was a star Lineman (American football), lineman for the 1941 and 1942 Leo teams coached the Leo Lions in this Prep Bowl, becoming the first person to both play and coach in the Prep Bowl.


1957

*June 15 Soldier Field hosted a 50-lap NASCAR Grand National race. While considered to be a Sprint Cup Series, Grand National event at the time it was held, the event does not currently appear on NASCAR's lists of Grand National events held that year. The event was won by Bill Brown (NASCAR driver), Bill Brown *June 29 Soldier Field hosted a 100-lap NASCAR event, which was won by Glen Wood. *August 9 75,000 saw the
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisio ...
defeat the College All-Stars 22–12 in the
Chicago College All-Star Game The Chicago Charities College All-Star Game was a preseason American football game played from 1934 to 1976 between the National Football League (NFL) champions and a team of star college seniors from the previous year. It was also known as the ...
. The MVP was
Stanford Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a Private university, private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. S ...
quarterback The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Am ...
John Brodie. *List of schools of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago#Former high schools in Chicago, Mendel defeated Calumet High School (Chicago), Calumet 6–0 in the 1957 Prep Bowl, scoring the game's only points with a Hail Mary pass in the final play. *In 1957 NASCAR held its final NASCAR Convertible Division, Convertible Division event at Soldier Field, which was won by Glenn Wood. This was the final NASCAR event held at Soldier Field. *Don Oldenberg won Soldier Field's 1957 stock car championship. *Lou Hoehn won Soldier Field's 1957 rookie/novicestock car racing, stock car championship.


1958

*August 14 70,000 saw the College All-Stars defeat the
Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at For ...
35–19 in the
Chicago College All-Star Game The Chicago Charities College All-Star Game was a preseason American football game played from 1934 to 1976 between the National Football League (NFL) champions and a team of star college seniors from the previous year. It was also known as the ...
. The MVPs were Illinois Fighting Illini football, Illinois halfback/wide receiver Bobby Mitchell and
Michigan State Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It i ...
quarterback The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Am ...
Jim Ninowski. *The 1958 Chicagland Music Festival featured a reenactment of the Lincoln-Douglas Debates. *In the Summer of 1958 the Christiana Brothers Circus visited Soldier Field's parking lot for 17 performance dates. *Don Oldenberg won Soldier Field's 1958 stock car racing, stock car championship. *Marty Boecher won Soldier Field's 1958 rookie/novicestock car racing, stock car championship. *
Austin Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...
defeated Fenwick 20–7 in the 1958 Prep Bowl.


1959

*August 14 70,000 saw the Baltimore Colts defeat the College All-Stars 29–0 in the
Chicago College All-Star Game The Chicago Charities College All-Star Game was a preseason American football game played from 1934 to 1976 between the National Football League (NFL) champions and a team of star college seniors from the previous year. It was also known as the ...
. The MVP was
Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and t ...
running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback to rush the ball, to line up as a receiver to catch the ball, and block. Th ...
Bob Ptacek. *August 27 Soldier Field hosted the opening ceremonies of the 1959 Pan American Games. The opening was held in sunny 90 °F (32 °C) heat, and was attended by 40,000 spectators. *Soldier Field hosted the Athletics at the 1959 Pan American Games, athletics component of the 1959 Pan American Games. Notable competitors included the US' Greg Bell (athlete), Greg Bell, Don Bragg, Earlene Brown, Lee Calhoun, Lester Carney, Dick Cochran, Hal Connolly, Josh Culbreath, Clifton Cushman, Isabelle Daniels, Bill Dellinger, Charles Dumas, Jim Grelle, Barbara Jones (athlete), Barbara Jones, Hayes Jones, Dallas Long, Margaret Matthews, Parry O'Brien, Al Oerter, Bo Roberson, Wilma Rudolph, Bill Sharpe (athlete), Bill Sharpe, Lucinda Williams (athlete), Lucia Williams, Dyrol Burleson, Al Cantello, Phil Coleman (athlete), Phil Coleman, Dave Edstrom, Phil Mulkey, Tom Murphy (athlete), Tom Murphy, Ray Norton, Bob Backus, Ann Marie Flynn, Albert Hall (athlete), Albert Hall and Max Truex; Puerto Rico's Rolando Cruz; Trinidad and Tobago's Clifton Bertrand and Mike Agostini; Chile's Marlene Ahrens; Cuba's Enrique Figuerola and Bertha Díaz; Jamaica's George Kerr (runner), George Kerr, Malcolm Spence (Jamaican athlete), Malcolm Spence, Mel Spence and Dennis Johnson (athlete), Dennis Johnson; Canada's Doug Kyle, Sally McCallum, George Stulac and Alice Whitty; Brazil's Adhemar da Silva and Wanda dos Santos; Argentina's Osvaldo Suárez; Mexico's Alfredo Tinoco. Also among the athletes competing was future Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda Lester Bird. *September 7 Soldier Field hosted the closing ceremonies of the 1959 Pan American Games. *November 29 the Arizona Cardinals, Cardinals played their last home game as the Chicago Cardinals (NFL, 1920–1959), Chicago Cardinals. The following season they St. Louis Cardinals (NFL, 1960–1987), moved to St. Louis (and later would leave St. Louis for Arizona). *Lane Technical College Prep High School, Lane Tech defeated Fenwick 19–0 in the 1959 Prep Bowl. *NASCAR Convertible Division race


1960s


1960

*August 12 70,000 saw the Baltimore Colts defeat the College All-Stars 32–7 in the
Chicago College All-Star Game The Chicago Charities College All-Star Game was a preseason American football game played from 1934 to 1976 between the National Football League (NFL) champions and a team of star college seniors from the previous year. It was also known as the ...
. The MVP was Cincinnati Bearcats end Jim Leo. *Soldier Field hosted the 1960 Western
Golden Gloves The Golden Gloves is the name given to annual competitions for amateur boxing in the United States, where they are awarded a belt and a ring. And the title of nations champion is awarded. The Golden Gloves is a term used to refer to the Nationa ...
. Muhammad Ali fought in this event, and received the Outstanding Fighter trophy for his weight class. *93,000 spectators attended two performances of the Police show, headlined by Jack Paar. Other performers included Wimpy the Clown, an acrobat named Bettina, and Trans-World Airdevils auto stunts. Stanley R. Sarbaneck, president of the benevolent association, spoke at the event. *Bryant Tucker won Soldier Field's 1960 stock car racing, stock car championship. *
Mount Carmel Mount Carmel ( he, הַר הַכַּרְמֶל, Har haKarmel; ar, جبل الكرمل, Jabal al-Karmil), also known in Arabic as Mount Mar Elias ( ar, link=no, جبل مار إلياس, Jabal Mār Ilyās, lit=Mount Saint Elias/ Elijah), is a ...
, coached by List of Notre Dame Fighting Irish starting quarterbacks, Tom Carey (the older brother of their
quarterback The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Am ...
Tony), defeated William Howard Taft High School (Chicago), Taft 27–8 in the 1960 Prep Bowl. Tom Carey became one of the first individuals to both play and coach in a Prep Bowl, having won it as a quarterback exactly ten years earlier. Jim Arneberg, who was a star Lineman (American football), lineman for the 1941 and 1942 Leo teams, had previously coached the Leo Lions to a 12-0 victory over their neighborhood rival Calumet High School (Chicago), Calumet in the 1956 Prep Bowl


1961

*July 28 18,000 spectators attended double-header
soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
matches at Soldier Field. The first match was between a Chicago all-star team and the US national amateur champion Saint Louis Kutis. The Chicago all-stars won with a surprising score of 6-0. This game was followed by a benefit game for March of Dimes pinning Vienna's Rapid team against the Español of Barcelona. Vienna won 5-4. *August 4 66,000 saw the Philadelphia Eagles defeat the College All-Stars 28–14 in the
Chicago College All-Star Game The Chicago Charities College All-Star Game was a preseason American football game played from 1934 to 1976 between the National Football League (NFL) champions and a team of star college seniors from the previous year. It was also known as the ...
. The MVP was UCLA Bruins football, UCLA
quarterback The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Am ...
Billy Kilmer. *Bryant Tucker won Soldier Field's 1961 stock car racing, stock car championship. *83,750 people saw
Weber Weber (, or ; German: ) is a surname of German origin, derived from the noun meaning " weaver". In some cases, following migration to English-speaking countries, it has been anglicised to the English surname 'Webber' or even 'Weaver'. Notable pe ...
defeat Lane Technical College Prep High School, Lane Tech 14–12 in the 1961 Prep Bowl. Weber defeated Lane Tech after a muffed punt Snap (American and Canadian football), snap in the last minute after Lane fumbled the ball far in its own territory with only minutes remaining.


1962

*June 17 116,000 spectators attended a
Billy Graham William Franklin Graham Jr. (November 7, 1918 – February 21, 2018) was an American evangelist and an ordained Southern Baptist minister who became well known internationally in the late 1940s. He was a prominent evangelical Christi ...
crusade at Soldier Field. This event followed nineteen days of crusades that Graham had held at the nearby McCormick Place convention center. Those events averaged 37,000 spectators a day (the opening speech alone was attended by 33,000). *The America FC of Rio de Janeiro defeated the Palmero of Italy 3-2 in a match held at Soldier Field. This was one of several International Soccer League matches that were held at Soldier Field in 1962, which altogether attracted a total of 50,000 spectators. *August 3 65,000 saw the
Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. It is the t ...
defeat the College All-Stars 42–20 in the
Chicago College All-Star Game The Chicago Charities College All-Star Game was a preseason American football game played from 1934 to 1976 between the National Football League (NFL) champions and a team of star college seniors from the previous year. It was also known as the ...
. The MVP was Kansas Jayhawks football, Kansas
quarterback The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Am ...
John Hadl. *Bryant Tucker won Soldier Field's 1962 stock car racing, stock car championship. *91,328 people saw Fenwick defeat Schurz 40–0 in the 1962 Prep Bowl. This ended a 10-0 season for the Fenwick Friars (in which they outscored their opponents 317-32). In the Prep Bowl game, Fenwick's Jim DiLullo ran for 224 yards and scored five touchdowns on just 12 carry (American football), carries. This was the third most-attended Prep Bowl to date.


1963

*In 1963 nine International Soccer League matches were held at Soldier Field. This included the first game of a two-game championship series. *August 2 65,000 saw the College All-Stars defeat the
Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. It is the t ...
20–17 in the
Chicago College All-Star Game The Chicago Charities College All-Star Game was a preseason American football game played from 1934 to 1976 between the National Football League (NFL) champions and a team of star college seniors from the previous year. It was also known as the ...
. The MVP was
Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
quarterback The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Am ...
Ron Vander Kelen. This was the final game in which the All-Stars beat their NFL competitors. *August 17 Lawrence Weller headlined the 34th annual Chicagoland Music Festival. Bob Bell (actor), Bob Bell performed as Bozo the Clown alongside other Bozo's Circus cast members at the beginning of the Festival. *Sal Tovella won Soldier Field's 1963 stock car racing, stock car championship. *November 2 Soldier Field hosted the
Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
–Air Force Falcons football, Air Force game. It was the first game between two military colleges at Soldier Field since the 1927 Army-Navy Game. President of the United States John F. Kennedy was scheduled to make an appearance at halftime as part of his reelection campaign. Kennedy had worked with
Chicago Mayor The mayor of Chicago is the chief executive of city government in Chicago, Illinois, the third-largest city in the United States. The mayor is responsible for the administration and management of various city departments, submits proposals and ...
Richard J. Daley in attracting the game to Chicago. *81,270 saw St. Rita of Cascia High School, St. Rita defeat Chicago Vocational Career Academy, Chicago Vocational 42–7 in the 1963 Prep Bowl. The St. Rita squad was named the High School Football National Champions that year. Mendel halfback John Byrne scored five touchdowns and six extra points.


1964

*Three International Soccer League games were held at Soldier Field in 1964. *An invitational
soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
tournament was held at Soldier Field. The tournament was promoted by local amateur teams, and also featured three international matches. The event culminated in a team from Liverpool winning the Otto Kerner Jr., Governor Otto Kerner Trophy. *May 3 Bill Lutz won the first of Soldier Field's two stock car racing, stock car championships held in 1964. *May 9 Harry Simonsen won the second of Soldier Field's two stock car racing, stock car championships held in 1964. *In 1964 Soldier Field hosted the ''Tournament of Thrills'' racing event. *June 21 75,000 attended a Chicago Freedom Movement rally featuring the Reverends Martin Luther King Jr. and Theodore Hesburgh (president of Notre Dame University). The Master of Ceremonies of the event was the Archbishop Arthur M. Brazier. The event's directors were Edgar Chandler (minister), Edgar Chandler and Edwin C. Berry. *August 7 65,000 saw the
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine ...
defeat the College All-Stars 28–17 in the
Chicago College All-Star Game The Chicago Charities College All-Star Game was a preseason American football game played from 1934 to 1976 between the National Football League (NFL) champions and a team of star college seniors from the previous year. It was also known as the ...
. The MVP was Arizona State Sun Devils football, Arizona State guard Chuck Taylor. *August 15 Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash, June Carter headlined the Chicagoland Music Festival. *November 22 Soldier Field hosted the 52nd Annual Chicago Catholic League, Catholic League Championship between DePaul College Prep#Archbishop Weber High School, Weber and
Mount Carmel Mount Carmel ( he, הַר הַכַּרְמֶל, Har haKarmel; ar, جبل الكرمل, Jabal al-Karmil), also known in Arabic as Mount Mar Elias ( ar, link=no, جبل مار إلياس, Jabal Mār Ilyās, lit=Mount Saint Elias/ Elijah), is a ...
. *
Weber Weber (, or ; German: ) is a surname of German origin, derived from the noun meaning " weaver". In some cases, following migration to English-speaking countries, it has been anglicised to the English surname 'Webber' or even 'Weaver'. Notable pe ...
defeated Chicago Vocational Career Academy, Chicago Vocational 34–13 in the 1964 Prep Bowl. Critical to the success of Weber's 1964 season and Prep Bowl victory was defensive back Rich "Chico" Kurzawski.


1965

*The first game of the 1965 International Soccer League season at Soldier Field was attended by 9,000 spectators. This was the league's final season. *August 6 68,000 saw the Cleveland Browns defeat the College All-Stars 24–16 in the
Chicago College All-Star Game The Chicago Charities College All-Star Game was a preseason American football game played from 1934 to 1976 between the National Football League (NFL) champions and a team of star college seniors from the previous year. It was also known as the ...
. The MVP was Notre Dame
quarterback The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Am ...
John Huarte. *A crowd of 10,000 (including 7,000 UIC Students) saw the UIC Flames, UIC Chikas defeat the Milwaukee Panthers football, Milwaukee Panthers 20-6 in their homecoming game at Soldier Field. The game was preceded by a parade from the University's new campus (near the Jane Byrne Interchange, Circle Interchange) to Soldier Field. The teams' homecoming festivities also included a concert at the Medinah Temple attended by over 1,000 students the night prior to the game, and a post-game dance which entertainment by such acts as The Cryan' Shames and Josh White. *November 6 Soldier Field again hosted the
Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
–Air Force Falcons football, Air Force game. *75,400 saw Loyola Academy defeat Chicago Vocational Career Academy, Chicago Vocational 33–13 in the 1965 Prep Bowl. By the time of the preceding Chicago Catholic League championship game Loyola was down to their thirdstring quarterback, QB (Ken Krakovich) and a Sophomore year, sophomore
running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback to rush the ball, to line up as a receiver to catch the ball, and block. Th ...
(Jack Spellman) due to injuries of QB Tim Foley (defensive back), Tim Foley and AllState running back Randy Marks, but Loyola nonetheless won both the Catholic League championship and Prep Bowl under those circumstances.


1966

*A number of international
soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
matches were played at Soldier Field. in 1966. many of these were exhibition matches played by touring teams. *July 10 the Chicago Freedom Movement, led by Martin Luther King Jr., held a rally at Soldier Field. As many as 64,000 people came to hear Dr. King, James Meredith, Floyd B. McKissick, Albert Raby Joseph H. Jackson, Edwin C. Berry as well as Mahalia Jackson, Stevie Wonder and Peter, Paul and Mary. Auxiliary Bishop Aloysius Wycislo read a statement from Archbishop John Cody. *July 23 Mike McGreevy won the last United States Auto Club, USAC midget feature race held at Soldier Field. *A 5-day
rodeo Rodeo () is a competitive equestrian sport that arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain and Mexico, expanding throughout the Americas and to other nations. It was originally based on the skills required of the working vaq ...
competition was the final such event held at Soldier Field. Among the animals entered was a prized bull named Lippy Leo, owned by Chicago Cubs manager and Baseball Hall of Famer Leo Durocher. *A 1966 pageant celebrating 1,000 years of Christianity in Poland was the last large pageant to be held at Soldier Field. *August 5 72,000 saw the
Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. It is the t ...
defeat the College All-Stars 38–0 in the
Chicago College All-Star Game The Chicago Charities College All-Star Game was a preseason American football game played from 1934 to 1976 between the National Football League (NFL) champions and a team of star college seniors from the previous year. It was also known as the ...
. The MVP was Missouri Tigers football, Missouri
quarterback The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Am ...
Gary Lane (football player), Gary Lane. *August 9 Barbra Streisand concert *Whitey Gerken won Soldier Field's 1966 stock car racing, stock car championship. *Loyola Academy defeated Chicago Vocational Career Academy, Chicago Vocational 20–14 in the 1966 Prep Bowl.


1967

*April 16 about 5,000 spectators watched the Chicago Spurs of the National Professional Soccer League (1967), National Professional Soccer League play their first game. They defeated Saint Louis 2-1. Native Chicagoan Willie Roy scored both goals for the Spurs. *August 4 70,934 saw the
Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. It is the t ...
defeat the College All-Stars 27–0 in the
Chicago College All-Star Game The Chicago Charities College All-Star Game was a preseason American football game played from 1934 to 1976 between the National Football League (NFL) champions and a team of star college seniors from the previous year. It was also known as the ...
. The MVP was Michigan State Spartans football, Michigan States defensive end Bubba Smith, Charles Smith. *Norm Nelson won Soldier Field's 1967 stock car racing, stock car championship, organized in this year by the United States Auto Club, USAC. *September 10 Soldier Field hosted the ''Mixed Breed Dog Show'', a toungue-in-cheek event organized by Mike Royko. *In 1967 Soldier Field hosted the Chicago Park District's Mum Bowl, the championship for its football teams. *
Mount Carmel Mount Carmel ( he, הַר הַכַּרְמֶל, Har haKarmel; ar, جبل الكرمل, Jabal al-Karmil), also known in Arabic as Mount Mar Elias ( ar, link=no, جبل مار إلياس, Jabal Mār Ilyās, lit=Mount Saint Elias/ Elijah), is a ...
defeated Dunbar Vocational High School, Dunbar 37–0 in the 1967 Prep Bowl. This was the final year of Frank Maloney (American football), Frank Maloney's tenure as Mount Carmel's coach. He began his collegiate coaching career thereafter.


1968

*June 2 George Kladis and Bill Kollman won 20-lap United Auto Racing Association, UARA feature races at Soldier Field. *July 4 musician Al Morgan (musician), Al Morgan, WGN-AM's Ray Leonard, WCIU-TV's Ted Weber, and others participated in the annual
American Legion The American Legion, commonly known as the Legion, is a non-profit organization of U.S. war veterans headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. It is made up of state, U.S. territory, and overseas departments, and these are in turn made up of ...
show. *June 7 Sal Tovella won what was the last stock car racing, stock car race held at Soldier Field, thus marking the end of an era. *July 19-August 3 1968 Special Olympics Summer World Games, the first edition of the Special Olympics Summer Special Olympics World Games, World Games were held at Soldier Field in Chicago. The games spanned two days and more than 1,000 kids ages 8–18 with intellectual disabilities from 26 U.S. states and from Canada competed. The competition included athletics (sport), athletics, four different difficulty-level aquatic sports, aquatics (a pool was erected on Soldier Field's arena floor especially for these events), figure skating (an ice sheet was erected within the halls of Soldier Field), basketball (nets were erected in the stadium), and floor hockey. The event began a worldwide Special Olympics movement that thrives to this day. Mayor of Chicago, Mayor Richard J. Daley of Chicago was involved in the administration of the event, as well as the ceremonies, along with Special Olympics co-founders Eunice Kennedy Shriver and Anne M. Burke and others including Dr. Dr. Frank J. Hayden Secondary School#About Dr. Frank J Hayden, Frank J. Hayden of the Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Foundation, Public figure, statesman Sargent Shriver, Olympics, Olympic gold medalist decathlon, decathlete Rafer Johnson. *August 2 69,917 saw the
Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. It is the t ...
defeat the College All-Stars 34–17 in the
Chicago College All-Star Game The Chicago Charities College All-Star Game was a preseason American football game played from 1934 to 1976 between the National Football League (NFL) champions and a team of star college seniors from the previous year. It was also known as the ...
. The MVP was Syracuse Orange football, Syracuse
running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback to rush the ball, to line up as a receiver to catch the ball, and block. Th ...
Larry Csonka. Other collegiate participants included Forrest Blue. *August 27 a Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party rally was scheduled to be held at Soldier Field. The Democratic Party had rented out Soldier Field for the entire week of the 1968 Democratic National Convention held at the International Amphitheatre in Chicago. Despite deciding against seeking reelection, incumbent President Lyndon B. Johnson had planned on attended the rally, which would have doubled as a birthday party for him. Instead, due to riots surrounding the convention, all regular Democratic Party rallies were cancelled, and the President did not leave the
White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in ...
to attend the convention. *List of schools of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago#Former high schools in Chicago, Mendel defeated Chicago Vocational Career Academy, Chicago Vocational 41–19 in the 1968 Prep Bowl.


1969

*August 1 74,208 saw the New York Jets defeat the College All-Stars 26–24 in the
Chicago College All-Star Game The Chicago Charities College All-Star Game was a preseason American football game played from 1934 to 1976 between the National Football League (NFL) champions and a team of star college seniors from the previous year. It was also known as the ...
. The MVP was Cincinnati Bearcats football, Cincinnati
quarterback The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Am ...
Greg Cook. *In 1969 the Flame of Hope (Special Olympics), Flame of Hope was again lit as Soldier Field hosted the inaugural edition of the annual Special Olympics Chicago. The Special Olympics Chicago have been held with Soldier Field as its main venue since, with the exception of 2002. *Loyola Academy defeated Lane Technical College Prep High School, Lane Tech 26–0 in the 1969 Prep Bowl.


1970s


1970

*In June Soldier Field hosted an association football match between Polish national football team, Poland and Portuguese national football team, Portugal. All fans had to sit in the west stands, due to repairs taking place on the eastern stands. *July 4 Soldier Field's final auto racing event took place, with drag races being organized during the American Legion's annual Independence Day (United States), Independence Day celebrations. *July 18 Soldier Field hosted ''WCFL (AM), WCFL's Big Ten Summer Music Festival''. The event featured Chicago (band), Chicago, Illinois Speed Press, The Illusion (band), The Illusion, It Doesn't Matter, Happy Day, Pig Iron, The Stooges, Dreams (band), Dreams, Leon Russell, MC5, Funkadelic, Joe Kelley Blues Band, Mason Proffit, Bloomsbury People, Bush (Canadian band), Bush, and Iggy Pop amongst others. The event began at dawn with a fireworks display. *The final fire show at Soldier Field occurred as a part of a lakefront festival that also included the Chicago Air and Water Show. 38,000 spectators were in attendance, including Mayor of Chicago, Mayor Richard J. Daley and Fire Commissioner Robert Quinn. *July 31 69,940 saw the Kansas City Chiefs defeat the College All-Stars 24–3 in the
Chicago College All-Star Game The Chicago Charities College All-Star Game was a preseason American football game played from 1934 to 1976 between the National Football League (NFL) champions and a team of star college seniors from the previous year. It was also known as the ...
. The MVP was Boston University Terriers football, Boston University defensive back Bruce Taylor. *Soldier Field was the main venue of the ''II Special Olympics World Games'' held August 13–15, 1970. *Soldier Field hosted the ''Special Olympics Chicago''. *St. Rita of Cascia High School, St. Rita defeated Lane Technical College Prep High School, Lane Tech 12–8 in the 1970 Prep Bowl. Members of the St. Rita team included Billy Marek and Dennis Lick (who would later play at Soldier Field as a member of the Chicago Bears). The team was coached by Pat Cronin.


1971

*July 30 52,289 saw the Baltimore Colts defeat the College All-Stars 24–17 in the
Chicago College All-Star Game The Chicago Charities College All-Star Game was a preseason American football game played from 1934 to 1976 between the National Football League (NFL) champions and a team of star college seniors from the previous year. It was also known as the ...
. The MVP was Grambling State Tigers football, Grambling State Defensive end Richard Harris. *September 12 the
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine ...
faced the Denver Broncos in their first preseason home game as tenants of Soldier Field. *September 19 55,701 spectators saw the
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine ...
defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers 17-15 in their first regular-season game as tenants at Soldier Field. *St. Rita of Cascia High School, St. Rita defeated Morgan Park High School, Morgan Park 18–12 in the 1971 Prep Bowl. St. Rita defeated Lane Tech 12–8 in the 1970 Prep Bowl. Members of the St. Rita team included Billy Marek and Dennis Lick (the latter would later play at Soldier Field as a member of the Chicago Bears). The team was coached by Pat Cronin.


1972

*July 28 54,162 saw the Dallas Cowboys defeat the College All-Stars 20–7 in the
Chicago College All-Star Game The Chicago Charities College All-Star Game was a preseason American football game played from 1934 to 1976 between the National Football League (NFL) champions and a team of star college seniors from the previous year. It was also known as the ...
. The MVP was Auburn Tigers football, Auburn
quarterback The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Am ...
Pat Sullivan (football player), Pat Sullivan. *July 4 50,000 spectators attended the annual American Legion show. *Tennessee State Tigers football, Tennessee State defeated Alcorn State Braves football, Alcorn 40-13 in Soldier Field's annual American football, football game between historically African-American, black colleges. *St. Laurence High School, St. Laurence defeated William Howard Taft High School (Chicago), Taft 24–7 in the 1972 Prep Bowl.


1973

*July 23 54,103 saw the Miami Dolphins defeat the College All-Stars 14–3 in the
Chicago College All-Star Game The Chicago Charities College All-Star Game was a preseason American football game played from 1934 to 1976 between the National Football League (NFL) champions and a team of star college seniors from the previous year. It was also known as the ...
. The MVP was Southern Miss Golden Eagles football, Southern Mississippi Punter (football), punter Ray Guy. *St. Laurence High School, St. Laurence defeated Phillips 40-24 in the 1973 Prep Bowl. * Amateur Boxing U.S.A. versus Ireland Sept. 28t


1974

*July 10 42,000 attended the inaugural game of the World Football League's Chicago Fire (WFL), Chicago Fire. *In 1974 the North End of Soldier Field (the end that was cut off from the main stadium by the northern end zone seats installed during the renovations completed following the arrival of the
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine ...
) hosted the 1974 ''International Festival of Tennis''. Notable-figures that competed in the tournament include, among others, Lloyd Bridges, Raúl Ramírez, Grant Golden (tennis), Grant Golden, Stan Smith, Marty Riessen, Roscoe Tanner, Billy Martin (tennis), Billy Martin. Bud Collins called the mini-stadium at the north end of Soldier Field the best venue in the nation for events such as the Davis Cup to be held in the future. Grant Golden lauded the venue saying ''"This stadium at the north end of Soldier Field is the best in the world, and I've played 'em all,"'' and added ''"We can seat 20,000 and there isn't a bad seat in the house."'' Additionally, national reporters named Soldier Field's courts as the best in the country. The attendance was not as high as expected, with only 20,000 people attending the nearly week-long tournament, but the event was declared a success in many other respects. Over 4,400 spectators attended the final, in which Stan Smith defeated Marty Riessen. Among those spectators that attended events during tournament were Butch Buchholz, Janet Young (tennis), Janet Young, Kim Warwick, Graham Stilwell, and Sue Eastman. *September 13 Soldier Field, for the fifth year, held its annual collegiate American football, football game between historically african american, black colleges. The game was played between Tennessee State Tigers football, Tennessee State and Central State University#Football, Central State. Proceeds benefited charities relating to sickle cell anemia. *St. Laurence High School, St. Laurence defeated Chicago Vocational Career Academy, Chicago Vocational 34–0 in the 1974 Prep Bowl.


1975

*In 1975 the North Field of Soldier Field again held the ''International Festival of Tennis''. Amongst the participants were Billy Martin (tennis), Billy Martin and Roscoe Tanner (who won the tournament with a $9,000 purse). The attendance was even less than the previous year. Only 2,000 people attending the quarter finals (while at the same time 5,000 spectators watched a Chicago Sting game that was taking place in the South End of Soldier Field). *The Chicago Winds of the World Football League played their only season at Soldier Field in 1975. Their only win was attended by a mere 3,502 spectators at Soldier Field, with them defeating the Portland Thunder (WFL), Portland Thunder *The ''Emmet Kelly Jr. Circus'', organized by Chicago Park District superintendent Edmund Kelly, performed in Soldier Field's north end for several nights beginning on June 14. Its headlining performer was Emmet Kelly Jr. playing the circus clown made famous by Emmet Kelly Sr., Wearie Willie. *1975 Marvin Gaye concert in the northern arena of Soldier Field. *August 1 54,562 saw the Pittsburgh Steelers defeat the College All-Stars 21–14 in the
Chicago College All-Star Game The Chicago Charities College All-Star Game was a preseason American football game played from 1934 to 1976 between the National Football League (NFL) champions and a team of star college seniors from the previous year. It was also known as the ...
. *Brother Rice High School (Chicago), Brother Rice defeated Chicago Vocational Career Academy, Chicago Vocational 26–0 in the 1975 Prep Bowl.


1976

*July 23 52,095 saw the Pittsburgh Steelers play the Chicago All-Stars in what would be the final
Chicago College All-Star Game The Chicago Charities College All-Star Game was a preseason American football game played from 1934 to 1976 between the National Football League (NFL) champions and a team of star college seniors from the previous year. It was also known as the ...
. The game was called late with 1:22 left in the third quarter due to heavy rain. Despite featuring stars such as Chuck Muncie, Mike Pruitt, Lee Roy Selmon, and Jackie Slater, the all-stars were hopelessly outmatched by the 1976 Pittsburgh Steelers season, Pittsburgh Steelers, winners of Super Bowl X. The star quarterback for the College All-Stars was Steeler draft pick Mike Kruczek, out of Boston College Eagles football, Boston College. Late in the third quarter, with the Steelers leading 24–0, high winds prompted all-star coach Ara Parseghian to call time out. Fans began pouring out onto the field and sliding on the turf. With the rain getting harder, the officials ordered both teams to their locker rooms. All attempts to clear the field failed; the fans even tore down the goalposts. However, by this time the rain had become so heavy as to make the field unplayable even if order had been restored. Finally, at 11:01 pm NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle and the ''Tribune'' announced that the game had been called. The news was greeted with jeers, and numerous brawls broke out on the flooded field before order was finally restored. Joe Washington of 1975 Oklahoma Sooners football team, Oklahoma was selected MVP of this final College All-Star game. Chicago Tribune Charities had every intention of staging a 1977 game. However, with coaches increasingly unwilling to let their high draft picks play and insurance costs on the rise due to higher player salaries, the ''Tribune'' announced on December 21, 1976, that the game would be discontinued. Serving as the coach of the All-Stars was also the final coaching experience of Ara Parseghian. *July 25 ZZ Top concert *The Chicago Sting ended their 1976 postseason at the postseason at Soldier Field, with a double-overtime loss to Toronto. Toronto would subsequently win the league's championship that season. *Chicago Vocational Career Academy, Chicago Vocational defeated St. Rita of Cascia High School, St. Rita 13–6 in the 1976 Prep Bowl.


1977

*June 4 80,000 people attended as Soldier Field held the ''Super Bowl of Rock'' concert featuring Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Foghat, The J. Geils Band and The Climax Blues Band. *June 19 95,000 spectators attended a Pink Floyd 'Animals' tour concert. *July 9 77,197 spectators attended a Lynyrd Skynyrd and Point Blank (band), Point Blank concert. *July 10 ''Super Bowl of Rock Game 3'' concert featuring Ted Nugent, Lynyrd Skynyrd, REO Speedwagon, Journey (band), Journey and 38 Special (band), .38 Special. *August 13 Peter Frampton concert, with Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band, Rick Derringer and UFO (band), UFO. *In 1977 Pelé made his final Soldier Field appearance in a Chicago Sting match against the New York Cosmos (1970–85), New York Cosmos. *St. Rita of Cascia High School, St. Rita defeated Lane Technical College Prep High School, Lane Tech 20–8 in the 1977 Prep Bowl. *October 4, Daisy Jones & The Six played a sold out show in what would turn out to be their final performance *November 20, despite playing with Influenza, flu symptoms, Chicago Bears, Bears
running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback to rush the ball, to line up as a receiver to catch the ball, and block. Th ...
Walter Payton managed to rush for 275 yards in forty carries, beating a single-game record that O. J. Simpson had set the previous year. More than 49,000 fans attended the game, which saw the Bears defeat the Minnesota Vikings 10-7.


1978

*July 4 18,000 attended the 1978 American Legion show. *July 8 The Rolling Stones US Tour 1978 concert, with Journey (band), Journey, Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes and Peter Tosh. A sour note of the event though came with Soldier Field's second accidental death on-record, a concertgoer fell 30 feet from a walkway at the stadium and was pronounced dead on arrival at Mercy Hospital that afternoon. *August 26 a concert event called Funk Fest was held at Soldier Field, with performances by Parliament-Funkadelic, A Taste of Honey (band), A Taste of Honey, The Bar-Kays, and Con Funk Shun. *St. Laurence High School, St. Laurence defeated Roger C. Sullivan High School, Sullivan 34–8 in the 1978 Prep Bowl.


1979

*July 4 15,000 attended the 1979 American Legion show. *Julian High School (Chicago), Julian defeated Joliet Catholic Academy, Joliet Catholic 30–22 in the 1979 Prep Bowl.


1980s


1980

*July 19 Smokey Robinson concert, with The O'Jays. *Brother Rice High School (Chicago), Brother Rice defeated Julian High School (Chicago), Julian in the 1980 Prep Bowl.


1981

*July 4 6,500 attended the 1981 American Legion show, which also included a World Football League, WFL Chicago Fire (WFL), Chicago Fire game against the Shreveport Steamer. The Fire won 25-15. *
Mount Carmel Mount Carmel ( he, הַר הַכַּרְמֶל, Har haKarmel; ar, جبل الكرمل, Jabal al-Karmil), also known in Arabic as Mount Mar Elias ( ar, link=no, جبل مار إلياس, Jabal Mār Ilyās, lit=Mount Saint Elias/ Elijah), is a ...
defeated Paul Robeson High School (Chicago), Robeson 14–6 in the 1981 Prep Bowl. Mount Carmel were defending Illinois High School Association, IHSA champions, having won the state title in 1980.


1982

*Gordon Tech High School defeated Julian High School (Chicago), Julian 24–0 in 1982 Prep Bowl.


1983

*August 10–18 Soldier Field hosted the final edition of "ChicagoFest." All other editions of Chicago Fest had been held annually at Navy Pier the previous five years. The event featured such acts as Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble (band), Double Trouble, The Association, The Beach Boys, Buddy Guy and Junior Wells, The Hollies, The Kind, Laura Branigan. *October 13 David D. Meilahn made the first-ever commercial mobile phone, cell phone call from his 1983 Mercedes-Benz 380SL at Soldier Field on a Motorola DynaTAC. This is considered a major turning point in communications. The call was to Bob Barnett, the former president of Ameritech Mobile Communications, who then placed a call on a DynaTAC from inside of a Chrysler convertible to the grandson of Alexander Graham Bell who was in Germany. *
Mount Carmel Mount Carmel ( he, הַר הַכַּרְמֶל, Har haKarmel; ar, جبل الكرمل, Jabal al-Karmil), also known in Arabic as Mount Mar Elias ( ar, link=no, جبل مار إلياس, Jabal Mār Ilyās, lit=Mount Saint Elias/ Elijah), is a ...
defeated Simeon Career Academy, Simeon 28–6 in the 1983 Prep Bowl. *6,000 spectators saw the Chicago Sting win a North American Soccer League (1968–1984), North American Soccer League playoff match at Soldier Field. This was the Sting's last postseason game at Soldier Field.


1984

*De La Salle Institute, De La Salle defeated Julian High School (Chicago), Julian 25–20 in the 1984 Prep Bowl.


1985

*August 9 a sold-out crowd of 71,222 attended a Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band Born in the U.S.A. Tour concert. *
Mount Carmel Mount Carmel ( he, הַר הַכַּרְמֶל, Har haKarmel; ar, جبل الكرمل, Jabal al-Karmil), also known in Arabic as Mount Mar Elias ( ar, link=no, جبل مار إلياس, Jabal Mār Ilyās, lit=Mount Saint Elias/ Elijah), is a ...
defeated Lane Technical College Prep High School, Lane Tech 19–14 in the 1985 Prep Bowl. *1985–86 NFL playoffs, 1985 NFC Divisional Playoff: 1985 Chicago Bears season, Bears 21, 1985 New York Giants season, New York Giants 0. *1985–86 NFL playoffs, 1985 NFC Championship Game took place in Soldier Field, where the 1985 Chicago Bears season, Bears defeated the 1985 Los Angeles Rams season, Los Angeles Rams 24–0.


1986

*Loyola Academy defeated Simeon Career Academy, Simeon 14–12 in the 1986 Prep Bowl. *November 23 Jerry Markbreit began what would be a 23-season career as an NFL referee (during which he would become one of the league's most recognizable referees) when he refereed a game between the Chicago Bears and the
Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. It is the t ...
. In the second quarter of the game, Bears quarterback Jim McMahon was intercepted, and as he watched the proceedings downfield, Packers defensive end Charles Martin (football player), Charles Martin picked up McMahon and bodyslammed him shoulder-first into the AstroTurf. Martin remained hovered over an injured McMahon on one knee and taunted him until Bears offensive tackle Jimbo Covert barreled full-speed into Martin. Despite strenuous protests from Packers coach Forrest Gregg, Markbreit ejected Martin, Markbreit's first ejection as an NFL official. When describing the penalty, Markbreit stated that Martin "stuffed" McMahon into the ground. Martin was suspended for two games by NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle, the longest suspension for an on-field incident until Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth was suspended five games by commissioner Roger Goodell for stomping on the face of Dallas Cowboys center Andre Gurode during an October 1, 2006 game During the game, Martin wore a "hit list" towel with the numbers of several Bears listed, including those of McMahon, running back Walter Payton, wide receiver Willie Gault, and center Jay Hilgenberg. The call was largely credited by the media and NFL executives in helping Markbreit land the assignment as the referee of Super Bowl XXI two months later. *1986–87 NFL playoffs, 1986 NFC Divisional Playoff: 1986 Washington Redskins season, Washington Redskins 27, 1986 Chicago Bears season, Bears 13.


1987

*July 31, 1987 a sold-out crowd of 46,923 attended a Madonna (entertainer), Madonna Who's That Girl World Tour performance, with Level 42 as the opening act. The concert grossed $751,854. *Gordon Tech High School defeated Julian High School (Chicago), Julian 29–14 in the 1987 Prep Bowl. *1987–88 NFL playoffs, 1987 NFC Divisional Playoff: 1987 Washington Redskins season, Washington 21, 1987 Chicago Bears season, Bears 17.


1988

*November 28 2,500 spectators saw Loyola Academy defeat Julian High School (Chicago), Julian 21–6 in the 1988 Prep Bowl. *1988–89 NFL playoffs, 1988 NFC Divisional Playoff: 1988 Chicago Bears season, Bears 20, 1988 Philadelphia Eagles season, Philadelphia Eagles 12 (this game is best remembered as the Fog Bowl (American football), Fog Bowl, where a dense fog covered the stadium, reducing visibility to 15–20 yards.) *During the annual ''Special Olympics Chicago'' in 1988, the ''Keith Magnuson Spirit Award'' was presented for the first time. The Spirit Award is presented annually to a team which models the Special Olympics mission by "encouraging physical fitness, demonstrating courage, experiencing joy, and participating in the sharing of gifts, skills, and friendship with their families, community, and other Special Olympic athletes throughout the calendar year". *The 1988–89 NFL playoffs, 1988 NFC Championship Game took place here, where the 1988 Chicago Bears season, Bears lost to eventual Super Bowl XXIII champions 1988 San Francisco 49ers season, San Francisco 49ers 28–3. *Julian High School (Chicago), Julian defeated Fenwick 48–14 in the 1989 Prep Bowl.


1989

*July 20–22 Soldier Field hosted the Marlboro Cup (soccer), Marlboro Cup. Among those playing were Brian Bliss, Bruce Murray (soccer), Bruce Murray, David Vanole, Diego Francolino da Silva, Diego Silva, Eduardo de la Torre, Hugo Pérez (soccer), Hugo Pérez, Jimmy Banks, John Stollmeyer, Juan Davila (soccer), Juan Davila, Julio Rodas, Ken Snow, Krzysztof Warzycha, Krzysztof "Kristof" Warzycha, Luis Antonio Valdéz, Mike Windischmann, Paul Caligiuri, Steve Snow, Steve Trittschuh, Tab Ramos and Tony Meola. The tournament's promoter was Mundail Sports Group, a group that was chaired by Clive Toye. The final was attended by 25,102 spectators, which at the time was the largest crowd that had attended a Association football, soccer match at Soldier Field since 1976. *Julian High School (Chicago), Julian defeated Fenwick 48-14 in the 1989 Prep Bowl.


1990s


1990

*July 29 The Paul McCartney World Tour, Paul McCartney World Tour concert. *Paul Robeson High School (Chicago), Robeson defeated Gordon Tech High School 48–14 in the 1990 Prep Bowl. *1990–91 NFL playoffs, 1990 NFC Wild Card: 1990 Chicago Bears season, Bears 16, 1990 New Orleans Saints season, New Orleans Saints 6


1991

*June 22 Grateful Dead concert. *1991–92 NFL playoffs, 1991 NFC Wild Card: 1991 Dallas Cowboys season, Dallas Cowboys 17, 1991 Chicago Bears season, Bears 13. * Fenwick defeated Bogan High School (Chicago), Bogan 27–0 in the 1991 Prep Bowl.


1992

*Matches of the 1992 U.S. Cup, 1992 U.S. Cup: *June 25 and 26 Grateful Dead concerts, with The Steve Miller Band. *September 5, 1992 64,877 spectators saw Notre Dame defeat Northwestern 42–7. It was Notre Dame's first game at Soldier Field in a half-century. *October 10, 1992 43,692 spectators attended the First Annual Chicago Football Classic, a American football, football game between historically black colleges. The 1992 edition featured the Grambling State Tigers football, Grambling State Tigers and the Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils football, Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils. *Mather High School, Mather defeated Brother Rice High School (Chicago), Brother Rice 15–6 in the 1992 Prep Bowl.


1993

*1993 U.S. Cup, 1993 U.S. Cup: *The Grateful Dead concerts June 17, 18 and 19, 1993, with Sting (musician), Sting. *September 11 the Tennessee State Tigers football, Tennessee State Tigers and the Jackson State Tigers football, Jackson State Tigers competed in the Second Annual Chicago Football Classic. The game was won by Jackson State. *
Mount Carmel Mount Carmel ( he, הַר הַכַּרְמֶל, Har haKarmel; ar, جبل الكرمل, Jabal al-Karmil), also known in Arabic as Mount Mar Elias ( ar, link=no, جبل مار إلياس, Jabal Mār Ilyās, lit=Mount Saint Elias/ Elijah), is a ...
defeated Bogan High School (Chicago), Bogan 34–14 in the 1993 Prep Bowl.


1994

*July 12 a sold-out crowd of 51,981 attended a Pink Floyd The Division Bell Tour concert. The show grossed $2,056,105. *July 17, 1994, preceding the opening match (also held at Soldier Field), the stadium hosted the opening ceremonies of the 1994 FIFA World Cup, 1994 FIFA FIFA World Cup, World Cup. The temperature was hot, at 97° Fahrenheit, at the beginning of the ceremonies, but dropped down to a cooler 83° by the start of the opening match. The event featured Oprah Winfrey, Diana Ross, Daryl Hall, Jon Secada, Richard Marx, President Bill Clinton,
Mayor of Chicago The mayor of Chicago is the chief executive of city government in Chicago, Illinois, the third-largest city in the United States. The mayor is responsible for the administration and management of various city departments, submits proposals and ...
Richard M. Daley, World Cup chairman and Chief executive officer, CEO Alan Rothenberg, 1,500 local high-school students, a 300-person children's choir, and two-thousand volunteer dancers. Portions of the performance included music and folk dancers from the 24 nations that were competing in the World Cup. Over 750 million viewers worldwide watched the ceremony on television. *1994 FIFA World Cup matches Numerous celebrities were in attendance for the World Cup matches at Soldier, including Plácido Domingo during the match on June 21, as well as such dignitaries as United States of America, US President Bill Clinton, Chancellor of Germany, German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, and President of Bolivia, Bolivian President Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada at the opening match. *July 23 and 24 Grateful Dead concerts, with Traffic (band), Traffic. *September 1 Washington State Cougars football, Washington State defeated Illinois Fighting Illini football, Illinois 10–9. *September 3 66,946 spectators saw Notre Dame defeat Northwestern Wildcats football, Wildcats 42–15. *September 11 and 12 The Rolling Stones Voodoo Lounge Tour concerts, with Lenny Kravitz. *October 8 the Alabama State Hornets football, Alabama State Hornets and the Jackson State Tigers football, Jackson State Tigers competed in the Chicago Football Classic. The halftime entertainment featured a "battle of the bands" between both schools' marching bands. Portions of the pre-game ceremonies honored both Jackson State alumni Lewis Tillman (American football), Lewis Tillman and Alabama State alumni Jesse White (politician), Jesse White. One of the star athletes competing in this game was Alabama State's Reggie Barlow. The game was won by Jackson State. *Brother Rice High School (Chicago), Brother Rice defeated Lane Technical College Prep High School, Lane Tech 28–22 in the 1994 Prep Bowl.


1995

*July 8 and 9 Grateful Dead concerts, with The Band. The concert on the 9th was the Grateful Dead's final concert before the death of Jerry Garcia. *July 11 Pearl Jam Vitalogy Tour concert, with Bad Religion and Otis Rush. *In 1995 Soldier Field was the venue of two international soccer games. *In 1995 Soldier Field hosted a skateboarding tournament. *In 1995 Soldier Field hosted a street hockey tournament. *In 1995 Soldier Field hosted several ethnic and religious festivals including German, Indian, Pan-American, and Polish ones. *September 30 36,712 spectators saw the Jackson State Tigers football, Jackson State Tigers defeat the Alabama State Hornets football, Alabama State Hornets 24-22. This was the third-straight year that Jackson State won the game. Among the star athletes competing in this game was Alabama State's Reggie Barlow. *1,100 people saw Loyola Academy defeat Julian High School (Chicago), Julian 15–14 in the 1995 Prep Bowl.


1996

*May 11–12 Soldier Field's parking lot hosted the annual Windy City Weedfest. This was an event organized by supporters of marijuana/ cannabis Cannabis in the United States, legalization. The event was attended by over 25,000. The event had been held elsewhere in Chicago in previous years. Rev Michael Pfleger was present to protest marijuana use at the event. Following the festival, the Chicago Park District (owners of the stadium) refused to allow the event to be held at Soldier Field again due to widespread cannabis use at the event. *September 14, 1996 Little Feat concert, with Taj Mahal (musician), Taj Mahal. *In 1996 the Promise Keepers drew 69,000 to an event at Soldier Field. *Loyola Academy defeated Dunbar Vocational High School, Dunbar 28–8 in the 1996 Prep Bowl.


1997

*June 27, 28 and 29, U2 PopMart Tour concerts, with The Fun Lovin' Criminals and Rage Against the Machine. *July 18 Vans Warped Tour concert. The 1997 Vans Warped Tour featured Bad Religion, Blink-182, Descendents (band), Descendants, Hed PE, Jimmy 2 Times, Lagwagon, Latex Generation, Less Than Jake, Limp Bizkit, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Millencolin, Murder City Devils, Orange 9mm, Pennywise (band), Pennywise, Reel Big Fish, Sick of It All, Tons (band), Snot (now known as ''Tons''), Social Distortion, Strung Out, Sugar Ray, Trading Bryson, Vision of Disorder, and White Kaps. List of Warped Tour lineups by year, The list of artists that have participated in the Warped Tour over the years is an extensive one. *August 23 Northwestern defeated Oklahoma Sooners football, Oklahoma 24–0 in the 1997 Pigskin Classic. *The College Football Classic was revived, having not been played the previous year, with the inaugural edition of the current incarnation of the game. The game saw Melvin Williams (American football), Melvin Williams and Steve Wofford lead the Southern Jaguars football, Southern Jaguars defeat the Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils football, Mississippi State Delta Devils 51-30. *September 23 and 25 The Rolling Stones kicked off their Bridges to Babylon Tour performing two sold-out shows at Soldier Field with Blues Traveler. The two dates had a combined attendance of 107,186 and grossed $6,260,000. *Dunbar Vocational High School, Dunbar defeated Marian Catholic High School (Illinois), Marian Catholic 28–21 in the 1997 Prep Bowl.


1998

*May 10, 1998 George Strait Country Music Festival Tour concert. *Over 36,000 spectators saw the MLS' Chicago Fire Soccer Club, Chicago Fire play their first home game ever. The Chicago Fire defeated the Tampa Bay Mutiny 2-0. *September 12 the Alcorn State Braves football, Alcorn States Braves faced Virginia State Trojans in the 1998 Chicago Football Classic. *1998 U.S. Open Cup, 1998 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, U.S. Open Cup 1998 U.S. Open Cup Final, Final: *Hubbard High School (Illinois), Hubbard defeated Joliet Catholic Academy, Joliet Catholic 28–16 in the 1998 Prep Bowl 28–16.


1999

*April 25 George Strait Country Music Festival Tour concert. *1999 FIFA Women's World Cup matches: *September 4 the Alcorn State Braves football, Alcorn State Braves faced the Grambling State Tigers football, Grambling State Tigers in the Chicago Football Classic. *35,000 spectators saw Hubbard High School (Illinois), Hubbard defeat De La Salle Institute, De La Salle 20–13 in the 1999 Prep Bowl.


2000s


2000

*May 13 Wilco concert. *2000 U.S. Cup: *June 29 and 30 Dave Matthews Band concerts, with Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals and Ozomatli *July 20–22 Bassmaster Classic weigh-ins were held at Soldier Field. The boats used in the competition were docked nearby at Burnham Harbor. The competition took place within the Chicago-area in Lake Michigan and its connected waterways. The Bassmaster Classic is a major fishing competition, sometimes dubbed to be the "Super Bowl, Superbowl of Fishing". Live coverage of the event was streamed online. This was the 30th edition of the competition. 45 competitors participated in the competition At the end of the competition, a closing ceremony was held at Soldier Field with performances (including Grammy Awards, Grammy-winning singer Trisha Yearwood) and fireworks. Competitor, and Bassmaster Classic XXIX, 1999 champion, Davy Hite, failed to defend his title in the 2000 edition. The winner of the competition was Woo Daves, who, at 54, became the oldest person to win a Bassmaster Classic title. It was Daves' 15th time competing in the Classic. Daves received a $100,000 prize. In descending order, the top six finishers were Woo Daves (Spring Grove, Virginia), Mark Rizk (Antelope, California), Shaw Grigsby Jr. (Gainesville, Florida), Rick Clunn (Ava, Missouri), Kotaro Kiriyama (Tokyo, Japan), and Norio Tanabe (Tokyo, Japan). This was the 27th consecutive (and overall) Classic that third-place finisher Rick Clunn had competed in. It was Kevin VanDam's 10th consecutive Classic, with VanDam then having managed to make the Classic every season of his ten-years in Bass Anglers Sportsman Society, B.A.S.S. competition. This was also the Larry Nixon's 22nd, Gary Klein's 19th, Georg Cohcharn's 18th, and Ron Sheffield's 12th total Classic. The 2000 edition was considered to be one of the most challenging editions of the Bassmaster Classic. Chicago was the third northern location to host the event, with Alexandria Bay, New York City (Saint Lawrence River) and Cincinnati (Ohio River) having previously hosted the 1980 and 1983 editions, respectively. *September 2 the Howard Bison football, Howard Bisons faced the Jackson State Tigers football, Jackson State Tigers in the Chicago Football Classic. *2000 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final: *Marian Catholic High School (Illinois), Marian Catholic defeated Simeon Career Academy, Simeon 23–14 in the 2000 Prep Bowl.


2001

*February 10 XFL (2001), XFL Chicago Enforcers first home game. Was played against NY/NJ Hitmen. *April 7 XFL (2001), XFL Chicago Enforcers final home game. Was played against Orlando Rage. *June 16 and 17 'N Sync PopOdyssey concerts, with BBMak, 3LW and Dream (American group), Dream. *June 24 30,000 attended a celebration of the new millennium held by Chicago's Catholic archdiocese. *July 6 and 7 Dave Matthews Band concerts, with Buddy Guy and Angélique Kidjo. These two concerts were attended by a total of 170,000 concertgoers. Recordings from the later date were included on Warehouse (Dave Matthews Band)#The Warehouse 5 Volume 2, The Warehouse 5 Volume 2. *September 1 the Jackson State Tigers football, Jackson State Tigers faced the Howard Bison football, Howard Bisons in the Chicago Football Classic. The game was attended by 50,000 spectators. *September 9 Soldier Field hosted 2001 Women's U.S. Cup. These matches were preceded by an opening match at Schwaben Field in the Chicago suburb of Buffalo Grove two days prior. The second game played at Soldier Field was the third and the final game played in the tournament, as the tournament's additional matches were cancelled following the September 11 attacks, 9/11 terrorist attacks, which occurred while the tournament was still in its Round-robin tournament, round-robin phase. *
Mount Carmel Mount Carmel ( he, הַר הַכַּרְמֶל, Har haKarmel; ar, جبل الكرمل, Jabal al-Karmil), also known in Arabic as Mount Mar Elias ( ar, link=no, جبل مار إلياس, Jabal Mār Ilyās, lit=Mount Saint Elias/ Elijah), is a ...
defeated Morgan Park High School, Morgan Park 50–0 in the 2001 Prep Bowl. *2001–02 NFL playoffs, 2001 NFC Divisional Playoff: 2001 Philadelphia Eagles season, Philadelphia 33, 2001 Chicago Bears season, Bears 19. This was also the last home game before the renovations took place.


2002

No events took place due to Soldier Field's renovation.


2003

*The Chicago Bears moved back into Soldier Field for after playing their home games in Memorial Stadium (Champaign), Memorial Stadium at the University of Illinois in Champaign, Illinois, Champaign for 2002 Chicago Bears season, their 2002 season. The Chicago Fire also returned after spending a season at Benedetti–Wehrli Stadium in Naperville, Illinois, Naperville. *In the autumn the newly reopened stadium hosted a meeting of AT&T's Illinois salespeople in its banquet hall lounge. *Loyola Academy defeated Simeon Career Academy, Simeon 22–14 in the 2003 Prep Bowl. *The week after Christmas a winter festival, including snowman building contest, was held in the newly created parkland surrounding the renovated stadium.


2004

*In early 2004 a snowboarding competition was held at Soldier Field's sledding hill (part of the new parkland that was created around the stadium during its renovation). *May 29 the inaugural edition of the Soldier Field 10 Mile was held. This race has been held every year since. *July 11 USA vs. Poland international-friendly soccer match. The game finished 1–1. *October 9 the Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils football, Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils faced the Grambling State Tigers football, Grambling State Tigers in the Chicago Football Classic. *Brother Rice High School (Chicago), Brother Rice defeated Lane Technical College Prep High School, Lane Tech in the 2004 Prep Bowl.


2005

*In 2005 the inaugural Kickoff Classic, an annual preseason Soldier Field matchup of two high-ranking high school football teams, was played. *September 10 The Rolling Stones A Bigger Bang (concert tour), A Bigger Bang concert, with Los Lonely Boys *Morgan Park High School, Morgan Park defeated Brother Rice High School (Chicago), Brother Rice in the 2005 Prep Bowl. *2005–06 NFL playoffs, 2005 NFC Divisional Playoff: 2005 Carolina Panthers season, Carolina Panthers 29, 2005 Chicago Bears season, Bears 21


2006

*July 15 Soldier Field hosted the opening ceremonies of the 2006 Gay Games. 40,000 spectators attended.
Mayor of Chicago The mayor of Chicago is the chief executive of city government in Chicago, Illinois, the third-largest city in the United States. The mayor is responsible for the administration and management of various city departments, submits proposals and ...
Richard M. Daley delivered a speech at the event. The ceremony featured the likes of George Takei, Megan Mullally, Margaret Cho, Greg Louganis, Jody Watley, Frankie Knuckles, Andy Bell (singer), Andy Bell, Staceyann Chin, Jorge Valencia, Keith Boykin, James Hormel, Holly Near, Barbara Higbie, Nedra Johnson, Teresa Trull, Kate Clinton, Saskia Webber, Billy Bean, Heather Small, Esera Tuaolo, and Suzanne Westenhoefer. The event also included a performance by the cast of Avenue Q. Among the event's several choreographers was Christopher Harrison (choreographer), Christopher Harrison. *July 21 60,000 spectators attended Bon Jovi concert, with Nickelback, on the Have a Nice Day Tour. The concert lasted three hours, the longest a concert had ever at Soldier Field. *October 11 The Rolling Stones A Bigger Bang (concert tour), A Bigger Bang concert, with Elvis Costello & The Imposters. *Brother Rice High School (Chicago), Brother Rice defeated Hubbard High School (Illinois), Hubbard 24–14 in the 2006 Prep Bowl. *2006–07 NFL playoffs, 2006 NFC Divisional Playoff: 2006 Chicago Bears season, Bears 27, 2006 Seattle Seahawks season, Seattle Seahawks 24 (OT)


2007

*January 21 the 2006–07 NFL playoffs, 2006–2007 NFC Championship Game granted the 2006 Chicago Bears season, Bears their second trip to the Super Bowl XLI, Super Bowl, the first in 21 years, with a 39–14 victory over the 2006 New Orleans Saints season, New Orleans Saints. *2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup, 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup *August 7 Democratic Party (United States), Democratic 2008 Democratic presidential candidates, presidential candidates Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Bill Richardson, Chris Dodd, John Edwards, and Dennis Kucinich participated in the AFL–CIO Democratic Party presidential debates, 2008#August 7, 2007 – Chicago, Illinois, Working Families Vote Presidential Forum, a Democratic Presidential debate, was held at Soldier Field before a crowd of approximately 15,500 union members. The forum was moderated by Keith Olbermann broadcast by MSNBC. The candidates spoke from a stage in Soldier Field's north end zone. Hillary Clinton, Clinton was, at the time, a United States Senate, Senator, a former First Lady of the United States, First Lady, and would later become United States Secretary of State, Secretary of State and serve as the Democratic nominee for President in the 2016 United States presidential election, 2016. Barack Obama, Obama was, at the time, a Senator, and would ultimately become President. Joe Biden, Biden was, at the time, a senator, and would ultimately become
Vice President A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on ...
. Bill Richardson, Richardson was, at the time, Governor of New Mexico and was also a former United States Secretary of Energy, Secretary of Energy, United States Ambassador to the United Nations, UN Ambassador, and U.S. House of Representatives, Representative. John Edwards, Edwards was a former senator and had previously been the Democratic Nominee for Vice President in the 2004 United States Presidential Election, 2004 election. Chris Dodd, Dodd was, at the time, a Senator and a former Representative. Dennis Kucinich, Kucinich was, at the time, a Representative and the former List of mayors of Cleveland, Mayor of Cleveland. *The 2007 edition of the annual Special Olympics Chicago featured an opening ceremony with a performance by the Jesse White Tumbling Team and a speech from Special Olympics Illinois Chief Executive Officer, CEO Doug Snyder. The Keith Magnuson Spirit Award was presented by Keith's son Kevin Magnuson to the D.S. Wentworth School, largely due to the efforts of their lead coach Ophelia Doyle who accepted the award for the school's team. *2007 Chicago Trophy football tournament: *August 26, at the halftime of a high school football game at Soldier Field Fenwick and Hubbard High School (Chicago), Hubbard at
Soldier Field Soldier Field is a multi-purpose stadium on the Near South Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Opened in 1924 and reconstructed in 2003, the stadium has served as the home of the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) since ...
, Johnny Lattner's #34 jersey was retired by Fenwick. Lattner played for Fenwick when he was in high school, and would later go on to play football collegiately (where he would win the 1953 Heisman Trophy) and professionally. This was the first time Fenwick had ever retired a number. *September 1 the 2007 Northern Illinois Huskies football team, NIU faced the 2007 Iowa Hawkeyes football team, University of Iowa in the first College Football, Division I College Football game at Soldier Field since its renovations. Iowa defeated NIU 16-3. A capacity crowd of 61,500 attended the game, setting a Mid-American Conference record for a home game in football (the match was considered a home game for NIU). *September 9 the United States men's national soccer team, United States men's soccer team played Brazil national football team, Brazil national team in a friendly match. *
Saint Rita Rita of Cascia, born Margherita Lotti (1381 – 22 May 1457), was an Italian widow and Augustinian nun venerated as a saint in the Roman Catholic Church. After Rita's husband died, she joined an Augustinian community of religious sisters, whe ...
defeated Morgan Park High School, Morgan Park 50–0 in the 2007 Prep Bowl.


2008

*June 8 33,608 attended an Exhibition game, international friendly between Mexico national football team, Mexico and Peru national football team, Peru, which Mexico won 4-0. *June 21 Kenny Chesney concert, with Keith Urban, LeAnn Rimes and Gary Allan. *August 3 CD Guadalajara vs. FC Barcelona international-friendly soccer match. Barcelona won the match 5–2. *October 11 and 12 Chicago Country Music Festival *Loyola Academy defeated Lane Technical College Prep High School, Lane Tech 17-0 in the 2008 Prep Bowl.


2009

*May 30 4,300 spectators were in attendance as Soldier Field played host to its first lacrosse match. For their season-opener the Major League Lacrosse's Chicago Machine (MLL), Chicago Machine faced the Boston Cannons at Soldier Field. The Cannons defeated the Machine 16-14. This was the first professional lacrosse match ever played within the city limits of Chicago, as all previous Chicago Machine games had been played in suburban locations. *June 13 Kenny Chesney concert, with Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Montgomery Gentry and Sugarland *2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup, 2009 CONCACAF CONCACAF Gold Cup, Gold Cup *August 8 Major League Lacrosse's Chicago Machine (MLL), Chicago Machine hosted the Long Island Lizards at Soldier Field for their season closer. *September 12 and 13 U2 kicked off the second leg of their U2 360° Tour, 360° Tour with to sold-out concerts, with Snow Patrol and Interpol (band), Interpol, attended by a cumulative 135,872 concertgoers. These concerts opened up U2's U2 360° Tour, 360° Tour in North America. One of the dates set Soldier Field's post-renovation attendance record at the time, with 67,936 spectators. *September 15 Soldier Field hosted the 2009 Medal of Honor Convention. *
Saint Rita Rita of Cascia, born Margherita Lotti (1381 – 22 May 1457), was an Italian widow and Augustinian nun venerated as a saint in the Roman Catholic Church. After Rita's husband died, she joined an Augustinian community of religious sisters, whe ...
defeated Simeon Career Academy, Simeon 34–20 in the 2009 Prep Bowl.


2010s


2010

*June 12 The Bamboozle Roadshow concert event in Soldier Field's parking lot. This event featured All Time Low, Boys Like Girls, Cady Groves, Forever the Sickest Kids, Good Charlotte, Hellogoodbye, LMFAO, Third Eye Blind, The Prices, The Ready Set, Stereo Skyline, and Vita Chambers. *June 19 29,233 spectators attended an Eagles (band), Eagles Long Road Out of Eden Tour concert, with The Dixie Chicks and JD & The Straight Shot. *July 2 deadmau5 concert, with Rye Rye and The Brazilian Girls. *July 23–24 Soldier Field's 'South Festival Lot' hosted the 2010 Dew Tour's Nike, Inc, Nike 6.0 BMX Open. *July 30 and 31 sold-out crowds totalling in 95,959 spectators attended two Bon Jovi The Circle Tour concerts, with Kid Rock, Twisted Brown Trucker and 7th Heaven (band), 7th Heaven. *October 9 31,696 saw the United States men's national soccer team play the Poland national football team to a 2-2- draw. * Fenwick defeated Curie Metropolitan High School, Curie 6–0 in the 2010 Prep Bowl. *2010–11 NFL playoffs, 2010 NFC Divisional Playoff: 2010 Chicago Bears season, Bears 35, 2010 Seattle Seahawks season, Seattle Seahawks 24. *2010–11 NFL playoffs, 2010 NFC Championship Game matched the 2010 Chicago Bears season, Bears against the 2010 Green Bay Packers season, Green Bay Packers, where the Bears were defeated by the eventual Super Bowl XLV champions, 21–14.


2011

*June 2011 international soccer match between Chicago Fire Soccer Club, Chicago Fire and Manchester United. *Soldier Field was a venue of the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup hosting two matches: *July 5 a sold-out crowd of 64,297 attended an U2 U2 360° Tour, 360° Tour concert, with Interpol (band), Interpol. *August 2011 the U.S. Paralympic Team Valor Games Midwest were held at Soldier Field. *August 23 Wayne Baker Brooks Band concert, with Sugar Blue. *September 3 the Texas A&M Aggies football, Texas A&M Aggies faced the Hampton Pirates football, Hampton Pirates in the Chicago Football Classic. *September 17 the 2011 Northern Illinois Huskies football team, Huskies returned to play the 2011 Wisconsin Badgers football team, Wisconsin Badgers in a game that was called "Soldier Field Showdown II".


2012

*May 2012, United States President Barack Obama held a
NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two N ...
summit (the 2012 Chicago Summit) at Soldier Field. Chicago was also supposed to host the 38th G8 summit just prior to the NATO summit, but on May 5, 2010, the White House announced a last-minute venue change for the G8 Summit. The G8 Summit was instead held at Camp David. *June 16 and 17 the first annual Spring Awakening (festival), Spring Awakening Music Festival was held at Soldier Field. It has been held at Soldier Field every year since. The lineup featured Moby, Skrillex, Afrojack, Diplo, Flux Pavilion, Laidback Luke, Wolfgang Gartner, A-Trak, Ferry Corsten, Markus Schulz, Hardwell, Arty (musician), Arty, Claude Vonstroke, Derrick Carter, Dillon Francis, Destructo, Downlink, Felix Cartal, Gabriel & Dresden, Green Velvet, Curtis Jones (as 'Green Velvet'), Joachim Garraud, Kill The Noise, Lance Herbstrong, Midnight Conspiracy, Morgan Page, Nathan Scott, Nervo (duo), Nervo, and Nobody Beats the Drum. *July 7 a sold-out crowd of 51,100 attended a Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw Brothers of the Sun Tour concert with Jake Owen and Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. *August 2 Soldier Field hosted the Terrapin 5K & Music Festival. *September 1 2012 Northern Illinois Huskies football team, NIU hosted the 2012 Iowa Hawkeyes football team, Iowa Hawkeyes in a season opener that was called "Soldier Field Showdown III". *October 6 Notre Dame hosted a game at Soldier Field against the Miami Hurricanes football, University of Miami as part of their Shamrock Series. *Simeon Career Academy, Simeon defeated Brother Rice High School (Chicago), Brother Rice 14–12 in the 2012 Prep Bowl.


2013

*February 17 Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's ice hockey, Notre Dame and Miami RedHawks men's ice hockey, Miami of Ohio as well as Wisconsin Badgers men's ice hockey, Wisconsin and Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey, Minnesota played a collegiate hockey double-header at Soldier Field for the ''OfficeMax Hockey City Classic''. The Notre Dame-Miami game was the first outdoor hockey game in the history of the stadium. The ''Hockey City Classic'' is run by Chicago-based Intersport. Participants in the 2013 edition included several future NHL players, such as Notre Dame's Anders Lee, Wisconsin's Jake McCabe, and Minnesota's Nate Schmidt, Nick Bjugstad, and Erik Haula. *A ''Chicago Gay Hockey Association'' intra-squad game was held in affiliation with the Hockey City Classic in 2013. *July 2013 Big Ten 10k. *July 7 25,000 spectators attended a ''Leo Messi, Messi and Friends vs. the World'' charity association football match. Alongside Lionel Messi, the event featured Carlos Bocanegra, Florent Malouda, Alex Song, Dani Osvaldo, Thierry Henry, and others. Players including Cesc Fàbregas, Giovani dos Santos, David Luiz, Robert Lewandowski, Sergio Agüero and Kevin-Prince Boateng were originally scheduled to participate in the match, but all were ultimately unable to. Messi's all-star team defeated the "World" team 9–6. *July 12 a sold-out crowd of 45,178 attended a Bon Jovi Because We Can (concert tour), Because We Can concert, with The J. Geils Band. *June 14–16 Soldier Field hosted the Spring Awakening (festival), Spring Awakening Music Festival. The lineup featured Moby, Calvin Harris, Zedd (musician), Zeds, Bassnectar, Zeds Dead, 12th Planet (musician), 12th Planet, an21 & Max Vangeli, ATB, Bingo Players, Boys Noize, Break Science, Carnage, The Crystal Method, Chuckie (DJ), Chuckie, Clockwork, Dirty South (musician), Dirty South, DotExe, Excision, Felix Da Housecat, Figure (musician), Figure, Flosstradamus, DJ Godfather, Gramatik, DJ Green Lantern, Green Velvet, Curtis Jones (as 'Green Velvet'), Joachim Garruad, John Dahlbäck, Knuckle Children, Krewella, Lucky Date, Milk N Cookies, DJ Minnesota, Mord Fustang, Nathan Scott, Nero (band), Nero, Nervo (DJs), Nervo, Nicky Romero, PANTyRAID, Paul Oakenfold, Porn and Chicken, Porter Robinson, R3hab, Robbie Rivera, Savoy, Showtek, Stafford Brothers, Stratus, Team Bayside High, Tommy Trash, Topher Jones, Walden, Wolfgang Gartner, 2EBO, and Zomboy. *July 22 a sold-out crowd of 52,671 attended a JAY Z and Justin Timberlake Legends of the Summer concert, with DJ Cassidy. *2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup, 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup *August 2013 Soldier Field hosted the Chicago Match Cup. *August 8 Terrapin 5K & Music Festival *August 10 a sold-out crowd of 50,809 attended a Taylor Swift The Red Tour concert, with Ed Sheeran, Casey James and Austin Mahone. *August 31 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, NAIA collegiate football game between the Robert Morris University Illinois#Athletics, Robert Morris Eagles and the Ave Maria University#Athletics, Ave Maria Gyrenes. *September 14 47,312 attended an Illinois Fighting Illini football, Illinois vs
Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
football game. Washington won 34–24. *
Saint Rita Rita of Cascia, born Margherita Lotti (1381 – 22 May 1457), was an Italian widow and Augustinian nun venerated as a saint in the Roman Catholic Church. After Rita's husband died, she joined an Augustinian community of religious sisters, whe ...
defeated Simeon Career Academy, Simeon 35–20 in the 2013 Prep Bowl.


2014

*March 1 the Chicago Blackhawks played against the Pittsburgh Penguins as part of the 2014 NHL Stadium Series, 2014 National Hockey League, NHL NHL Stadium Series, Stadium Series. The Blackhawks defeated the Penguins 5–1 before a sold-out crowd of 62,921. *June 13–15 Soldier Field hosted the Spring Awakening (festival), Spring Awakening Music Festival. The lineup featured Tiesto, Diplo, Kaskade, Knife & Party, Pretty Lights, Big Gigantic, Benny Benassi, Dillon Francis, Eric Prydz, Flux Pavilion, Steve Aoki, A-Trak, Kill The Noise, Claude Vonstroke, Green Velvet, Curtis Jones (as 'Green Velvet'), Borgore, Chuckie (DJ), Chuckie, 3LAU, Alex Metric, Alvin Risk, Andy C, Arty (musician), Arty, Blasterjaxx, Caked Up, Candyland, Carnage, Datsik (musician), Datsik, Derrick Carter, Destroid, DVBBS, Dyro, Feed Me, Ferry Corsten, Gladiator, Gregori Klosman, Kap Slap, Kill Paris, Laidback Luke, Manic Focus, Markus Schulz, Midnight Consipracy, Nick Catchdubs, Nervo (DJs), Nervo, Oliver Ookay, Paper Diamond, Pete Tong, Sander van Doorn, Sandro Silva, DJ Snake, Thomas Gold, and Tommy Trash. *June 27–29, 2014 Soldier Field served as a landmark along the route of the Chicago installment of the 2014 ITU World Triathlon Series. *July 1 28,000 attended a viewing party of the broadcast 2014 World Cup Round of 16 game between the United States and Belgium. In attendance at this viewing party was Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. *July 24 a sold-out crowd of 50,035 attended a Beyoncé and Jay Z On the Run Tour (Beyoncé and Jay-Z), On the Run Tour concert. The performance earned $5,783,396 in ticket revenue. *July 27 2014 International Champions Cup, 2014 International Champions Cup match: *August 29 and 30 two sold-out crowds totalling 104,617 attended One Direction Where We Are Tour (One Direction), Where We Are Tour concerts with 5 Seconds of Summer. *August 31 a sold-out crowd of 50,529 attended a Luke Bryan That's My Kind of Night Tour concert with Dierks Bentley, Lee Brice, Cole Swindell, and DJ Rock. The show grossed $3,754,362. This concert broke the record the highest-attended country music concert at Soldier Field. *September 20 Soldier Field hosted the Annual Chicago Football Classic, which was played between Morehouse College and Central State University. Morehouse won 43-9. The halftime show featured Tone Kapone and Shag from WPWX, Power 92, WGCI-FM personality Leon Rogers, and Spenzo who performed his song ''Wife Er'' along with a new song. Spenzo was joined by Diggy Simmons, son of Run DMC member Joseph Simmons, Joseph "Rev Run" Simmons. The halftime show ended with a battle of the bands between the Morehouse and Central State marching bands. *November 1, 2014 Soldier Field hosted its first international rugby union Test match (rugby league), test match between the United States national Rugby Union team, United States and All Blacks, New Zealand as part of the 2014 end-of-year rugby union tests. More than half of the 61,500 tickets were sold within two days. The attendance was a capacity crowd of 61,500. This set the record for the most attended international rugby test held in the United States, surpassing the previous record by over 40,000. The All Blacks beat the USA Eagles 76-6. *Loyola Academy, Loyola defeated Curie Metropolitan High School, Curie 14-7 in the 2014 Prep Bowl.


2015

*February 5 the organizers of the ''2015 Coyote Logistics Hockey City Classic'' launched a 12-day winter festival at Soldier Field with a ''Unite on the Ice'' event benefiting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The event included a celebrity hockey game with former National Hockey League, NHL and American Hockey League, AHL players, as well as a public free skate at Soldier Field. Participants in the celebrity game included Éric Dazé, Jamal Mayers and Gino Cavallini. Denis Savard was in attendance, serving as an 'honorary coach' during the game. *February 7 Soldier Field hosted the 2015 Hockey City Classic, the second edition of the game to be held at Soldier Field. The games of the 2015 ''Coyote Logistics Hockey City Classic'' had to be delayed due to unusually warm weather (42 °F) and complications with the quality of the ice. The 2015 edition of the Hockey City Classic featured a match between Miami RedHawks men's ice hockey, Miami of Ohio and Western Michigan Broncos men's ice hockey, Western Michigan, followed by a match between the Big Ten's Michigan Wolverines men's ice hockey, Michigan and Michigan State Spartans men's ice hockey, Michigan State. Due largely to the delay and other factors, attendance was a disappointing 22,751. *February 15, 2015 Soldier Field hosted a ''Chicago Gay Hockey Association'' intra-league match in association with the Hockey City Classic at Soldier Field. *April 6 ''BT5K Chicago Breakthrough for Brain Tumors Run & Walk'' to benefit the American Brain Tumor Association. *May 9 ''American Beer Classic'' beer festival (Chicago's largest) inside Soldier Field. *May 9 ''Cinco de Miler'' 5 mile race on the Chicago lakefront starting and finishing in Soldier Field's South Tailgate Lot. *June 6 Kenny Chesney The Big Revival Tour concert with Miranda Lambert, Brantley Gilbert, Chase Rice, and Old Dominion (band), Old Dominion. 43,630 spectators attended the show, which generated $3,776,207 in ticket-revenue. *June 12–14 Soldier Field hosted the Spring Awakening Music Festival. The first day (the 12th) featured Zedd, Eric Prydz, Martin Garrix, Duke Dumont, Paul van Dyk, Andrew Rayel, Borgore, Cosmic Gate, DJ Slink, Ilan Bluestone, Mija, Myon & Shane 54, Seven Lions, Shiba San, Slander the Floozies, Thomas Jack, Tommy Trash, A Guy Called Amir, Dani Deahl, Freak Island, Jake Terra, Kite!, Louis the Child, Mario Florek, M.O.B., Peter Kontor, PT & PT, Skyler Shores, Sleepy Pilch, and The Trap House. The second day (the 13th) featured Hardwell, Flosstradamus, Dada Life, Zomboy, Diplo (performing both solo and alongside Skrillex as they made their Midwestern United States, midwest debut as ''Jack Ü''), Adventure Club, Brillz, Bro Safari, Dusky, Eats Everything, Figure (musician), Figure, Grandtheft, Headhunterz, Lane 8, Morgan Page, Nicole Moudaber, Oliver Heldens, Pegboard Nerds, Sander van Doorn, Savoy, Skream, Ummet Ozcan, Alfonz Delamota, Attak, Bucky Fargo, DJ White Owl, Fatboy, Inphinity, Kalendr, Jack Trash, Porn and Chicken, RJ Pickens, Ryan B, Stratus, Teknicolor, Xonic, and Zander. The final day (the 14th) featured Tiësto, Afrojack, Zeds Dead, Excision, Jamie Jones (DJ), Jamie Jones, Aero Chord, Audien, Boombox, Branchez, Cajmere, Curtis Jones (as 'Cajmere'), Derrick Carter, DVBBS, Eva Shaw, Hucci, Justin Martin, Keys N Krates, MK (DJ), MK, Party Favor, TJR (DJ), TJR, W&W, Yellow Claw (DJs), Yellow Claw, Antics, Delusive, DJ Nurotic, Funky Mack, Goodsex, Howie Doin, Juno Moss, Light.Em.Up, Mikho, Nathan Scott, Soultech (performing alongside Gene Ferris and Dustin Sheridan), The Pool House, Xposur, and Zerogravity. *June 18 65,000 attended the Chicago Blackhawks 2015 Stanley Cup Finals, 2015 Stanley Cup victory rally at Soldier Field. *June 27 Kam Franklin and her band The Suffers performed and Eugene Mirman served as the host on the main stage of ''Woofstock: Road to the Puppy Bowl'', a charity event held a Soldier Field. Other performers included JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. *June 29, as part of the 2015 International Champions Cup, 2015 International Champions Cup, Manchester United played Paris Saint-Germain at Soldier Field. *July 3–5, 2015 the Grateful Dead performed a series of three reunion concerts at Soldier Field celebrating the band's 50th anniversary. This was a portion of a concert series entitled "Fare Thee Well: Celebrating 50 Years of the Grateful Dead", which were their first concerts since their July 1995 concert at Soldier Field. The three concerts at Soldier Field were originally to be their only concerts, but due to overwhelming ticket demand the series was expanded to include two dates at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California (in the San Francisco Bay Area) performed the weekend prior to the Soldier Field concerts. The band at the concerts consisted of the surviving Grateful Dead members Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart, who had no performed together since The Dead (band), the Dead's 2009 tour, who were joined by Trey Anastasio, Bruce Hornsby and Jeff Chimenti. The concerts at Soldier Field were also broadcast with a live Simulcasting, simulcast seen by hundreds of thousands on pay-per-view cable television, (for free) on YouTube, on large screens at multiple concert venues in the United States, in movie theaters, as well as in various pay-per-view services. Sirius Satellite Radio played the concerts, with a slight delay, on their Grateful Dead channel. The pay-per-view set a new record for a music event with more than 400,000 subscriptions, surpassing a 1999 simulcast by the Backstreet Boys which drew 160,000 subscriptions. The concerts at Soldier Field were documented by director Martin Scorsese for a film. Recordings from the concert will be released as a live album on November 20, 2015. There will be three different versions of the recording. Each concert was attended by over 70,000 (more than 210,000 overall). The first date drew 70,764, setting a new record for attendance at Soldier Field post-renovation, a record that was surpassed the next night when 70,844 attended the second concert. Among those in attendance were Bill Murray, George R. R. Martin, Katy Perry and John Mayer, Al Franken, Perry Farrell, Bill Walton, Jenny Lewis, John Popper, Chloë Sevigny, Liz Phair, David Axelrod (musician), David Axelrod, and Sonic Youth's Lee Ranaldo. *2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup matches: *July 18 and 19 Taylor Swift The 1989 World Tour concerts with Vance Joy, Shawn Mendes, and Haim (band), HAIM. These shows were sold out, with 55,431 and 54,445 being purchased for the first and the second shows respectively. This is believed to have set Soldier Field's record for a concert independently headlined by a female artist. During the first concert, Swift invited Andy Grammer and Serayah to join her onstage. She invited Sam Hunt, Andreja Pejić and Lily Donaldson onstage during her second show. The sold-out shows were opened by Vance Joy, Shawn Mendes, and Haim (band), Haim, and generated $11,469,887 in revenue. *July 25 ''2015 Big Ten Network, BTN Big 10k''. *August 23 a sold-out crowd of 41,527 attended a One Direction On the Road Again Tour concert with Icona Pop. The show generated $3,382,655 in ticket revenue. *August 28 Chicago's St. Rita of Cascia High School played Pennsylvania's Malvern Preparatory School at Soldier Field as part of the ''High School Kick Off Classic''. Other games that were a part of this included one between Mount Carmel High School (Chicago), Mount Carmel High School and Marist High School (Chicago, Illinois), Marist High School, which Mount Carmel won 21-14. *September 5 23,000 spectators watched the Australia national rugby union team, Australian Wallabies defeat the United States national rugby union team, US Eagles 49-10 in Soldier Field's second-ever international rugby match. *September 10 ''2015 Super Bears Shuffle 5K'' race. *September 13 Jim Cornelison, the Chicago Blackhawks' National Anthem singer, sang the Star Spangled Banner, US National Anthem before a game between the Chicago Bears and their Bears-Packers rivalry, longtime–Sports rivalry, rival
Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. It is the t ...
. *September 28 the Morgan State Bears football, Morgan State Bears faced Howard Bison football, Howard Bisons in the Chicago Football Classic. *October 4 several members of the Chicago Blackhawks, including Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, appeared at a
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine ...
game with the Stanley Cup. *November 11
Mayor of Chicago The mayor of Chicago is the chief executive of city government in Chicago, Illinois, the third-largest city in the United States. The mayor is responsible for the administration and management of various city departments, submits proposals and ...
Rahm Emanuel oversaw the annual Veterans Day (United States), Veterans Day ceremony at Soldier Field. Captain William Albracht, a Purple Heart recipient who was the youngest captain of combat troops in the Vietnam War, served as the event's keynote speaker. Also taking part in the ceremony were US House of Representatives, Representative Tammy Duckworth (a Purple Heart recipient herself), US Senate, Senator Mark Kirk (a decorated veteran himself), Senator Dick Durbin, and Governor of Illinois, Governor Bruce Rauner. *November 28 Soldier Field hosted the annual Illinois–Northwestern football rivalry, Land of Lincoln Trophy rivalry game between Northwestern and Illinois Fighting Illini football, Illinois. This was the first time in the 123-year rivalry between the two school's that they have ever met at Soldier Field, and the third time that they played one another in Chicago (the previous two times being at
Wrigley Field Wrigley Field is a Major League Baseball (MLB) stadium on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is the home of the Chicago Cubs, one of the city's two MLB franchises. It first opened in 1914 as Weeghman Park for Charles Weeghman's Chicago ...
in 1923 and in 2010). Northwestern won the game 24-14.


2016

*May 27 and 28 Beyoncé Formation World Tour concerts. *In June, Soldier Field hosted matches of the Copa América Centenario. This was the 100th anniversary edition of the Copa América, and the first time it had been held outside of South America. The Copa América is the oldest continental football competition and is one of the most prestigious and most widely viewed sporting events in the world. *July 1 and 3 Guns N' Roses Alice in Chains Not in This Lifetime... Tour concerts *July 23 and 24 Coldplay A Head Full of Dreams Tour concerts with Alessia Cara and Foxes (singer), Foxes *November 5 the New Zealand national rugby union team, New Zealand All Blacks faced Ireland national rugby union team, Ireland in Soldier Field's third-ever international rugby match. This was the first time the two teams have faced one another in the United States. Ireland won the match 40-29, marking the first time they have ever defeated the All Blacks in International Test rugby. This game was part of "The Rugby Weekend", which also featured a game between the United States national rugby union team, US Eagles and the Maori All Blacks at Toyota Park one day earlier. The Maori All Blacks won the match 52-7.


2017

*June 3 and 4 U2 The Joshua Tree Tour 2017 concert with The Lumineers. *June 18 Metallica WorldWired Tour concert. *2017 Warrior Games opening ceremony on July 1, 2017. *The parkland adjacent to the stadium will host the field competitions of the 2017 Warrior Games on July 5, 2017. *2017 MLS All-Star Game, 2017 Major League Soccer All-Star Game on August 2, 2017 *Coldplay is returning to Soldier Field on August 17, 2017, for their A Head Full of Dreams Tour. *In 2017 Soldier Field will host the annual Illinois–Northwestern football rivalry, Land of Lincoln Trophy rivalry game between 2017 Northwestern Wildcats football team, Northwestern and 2017 Illinois Fighting Illini football team, Illinois.


2018

*January 6 Double Doink, 2018 NFC Wild Card: 2018 Philadelphia Eagles season, Philadelphia Eagles 16, 2018 Chicago Bears season, Chicago Bears 15


Scheduled upcoming events


2010s


2019

*In 2019 Soldier Field will host the annual Illinois–Northwestern football rivalry, Land of Lincoln Trophy rivalry game between Northwestern and Illinois Fighting Illini football, Illinois. *2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup Final on 7 July.


2020s


2024

*In 2021 Kanye West Performed his third concert of the Donda (album), Donda Listening Party series *In 2021 Soldier Field will host Notre Dame Fighting Irish Football, Notre Dame vs.
Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
. *In 2024 Soldier Field will celebrate the hundredth anniversary of its opening.


See also

List of events at Wrigley Field


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Soldier Field Lists of events in the United States Events in Illinois Chicago-related lists Soldier Field, Events Lists of events by venue