The Super Bowl is easily one of America's most notorious events. It doesn't even matter whether you live and breathe football, or if the only time you pay attention is when the big game finally arrives. Once Super Bowl Sunday nears, there's no denying the hypnotic and enthralling spirit that looms the air... it's game time, baby!
While we're talking about it, we can't help but wonder how the Super Bowl got started in the first place. What we mean is: When exactly was the first Super Bowl? Plus, which two teams made it to the first big game, and who won? If you found yourself wondering these same things, then read on because your Super Bowl history lesson awaits!
And before your mind starts drifting to those yummy Super Bowl snacks, go ahead and print out our Super Bowl squares template for some game day fun!
When was the first Super Bowl?
Diehard football fans may already know this answer, but the first Super Bowl took place on January 15, 1967 over at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California! Except, it wasn't actually called the Super Bowl at first. Shocking, we know, but this was because there were actually two football leagues back in 1967: the National Football League (NFL) and the American Football League (AFL).
The two leagues comprised of many of the teams we all root for today, just in separate divisions. That's why the first big game was called the AFL-NFL World Championship Game. This day would see the two best teams from each league compete for the winning title. It wasn't until the third championship game in 1969 that the term "Super Bowl" was coined, technically making it Super Bowl III. It was after Super Bowl III that the two leagues merged in 1970.
Who won the first Super Bowl?
Super Bowl I officially saw the Green Bay Packers (the NFL champion) face off with the Kansas City Chiefs (the AFL champion). And, it went like this: The Green Bay Packers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 35-10. It's worth noting that during this time period, the NFL and AFL were what we would call rivals. The NFL and its fans somewhat looked down on the AFL—the latter was considered newer and inexperienced. So, you could imagine the tension that ensued during the very first Super Bowl.
Josiah is the Digital Content Producer for the commerce team at Popular Mechanics, Best Products, Runner’s World, and Bicycling Magazine. He also writes for “BIO Buys”—a column on Biography.com—giving readers the lowdown on what products their favorite celebs are using. In another life, Josiah was an editor at ThePioneerWoman.com, where he sharpened his expertise on all things lifestyle, food-news, and entertainment. Outside work related matters, he’s a fan of Studio Ghibli films, unimportant reality TV drama, and melancholy Lorde songs.
