Sports: Olympics and Athletes

History Shorts: Getting Back to Sports After a 1918 Pandemic (Forged in Crisis)

Faced with the Spanish Flu pandemic, sports across America were forced to adapt, setting themselves up to come back stronger than ever.

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Flashback: Soap Box Derby Mania

Hundreds of thousands tuned in on the radio to the 1936 All‑American Soap Box Derby, held in Akron, Ohio. This was only the Derby’s third year in existence, but its popularity soared as America was looking for something to root for, still struggling from the Great Depression. The All‑American Soap Box Derby has been held […]

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The Dictators

The 1978 World Cup was hosted by Argentina, which was under a brutal military dictatorship at the time. Discover what really motivated the Argentine players to win the tournament, and some of the controversies they dealt with on their journey to victory.

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The Nearly Men

English Hooliganism had placed a black cloud over the 1990 World Cup in Italy. Find out how the team’s inspiring journey, and heartbreaking loss to West Germany in the semi‑finals, helped turn perceptions around.

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The Meltdown

The 1998 World Cup in France featured several high‑profile players making memorable mistakes. Discover how David Beckham, Ronaldo and Zinedine Zidane “melted down” in France.

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The Icon

Learn about Argentina’s Diego Armando Maradona—one of the greatest, and most controversial, icons in the history of the sport.

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The Rout

As the hosts of the 2014 World Cup, Brazil was one of the favorites to win the whole tournament. Discover how that dream turned into a nightmare for the South American nation, when it was handed its biggest defeat in World Cup history at the hands of Germany.

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The Ball

Find out more about how we make soccer balls, from the early days using inflated pig bladders to today’s vulcanized rubber balls.

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The Boots

King Henry the VIII of England wore the first pair soccer boots, but the footwear didn’t kick off until several centuries later. Find out how they became popular, and evolved, in this brief history of football boots.

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The Stadium

Although arenas have been around since ancient Greece and Rome, soccer stadiums were were not yet a thing when the sport became popular in the 1880s. Learn about how the sport eventually evolved its multi‑billion dollar arenas, in this brief history of soccer stadiums.

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The Goal Posts

In ancient China, the goal was a hole in the net. In ancient Rome, it was the gates of a fort. Discover how the soccer goal has evolved over the centuries, in this brief history of the goal posts.

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The Kit

Discover how colored caps and knickerbockers gave way to today’s more traditional numbered jerseys and shorts, in this brief history of soccer uniforms.

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