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Jan 1, 1550
1550-1700 – Introduction of outdoor entertainment including bowling, primitive amusement rides, music and dancing.
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Fans paid to attend a baseball game between two teams in the New York City area at Fashion Rack Course in Queens.
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1906 – National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) was officially formed to govern collegiate athletics.
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Charlie Chaplin, 1915, signed with Essanay for $1,250/week to make 14 films
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1919 – Development of recording of sound on motion picture film
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1920 – First commercial radio stations with regularly scheduled broadcasts
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1926 – RCA established the National Broadcasting Company (NBC)
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1927 – Farnsworth transmits first electronic television picture; receives patent.
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1927 – The Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) is founded
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1929 – The Stock Market Crash leads to the Great Depression closing nearly three-fourths of amusement parks
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1934 – Lou Gehrig appeared on a Wheaties box.
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1939 – First television is sold.
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1943 – All-American Girls Professional Baseball League was formed due to many Major League Baseball players serving in WWII.
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1948 – Televisions are in over one million homes.
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1949 – Wilson Sporting Goods signed golfer Babe Didrickson Zaharias to an endorsement contract for $100,000 per year.
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1951 – Color television is introduced
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Lucille Ball 1952: Best Comedienne
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Opened Disneyland in Anaheim, California in 1955.
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Lucille Ball 1955: Best Actress in a Continuing Performance, I Love Lucy
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1955 – Disneyland in Anaheim, California opens costing $17 million to build.
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1960 – Over 100 million television sets are in homes around the world
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1961 – Six Flags opens in Texas
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1964 – Phil Knight opens Blue Ribbon Sports
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Lucille Ball 1967& 1968: Outstanding Lead Actress in Comedy Series, I Love Lucy
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The Beatles 1970, band split
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Developed Disney World in Orlando, Florida in 1971
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In 1972, the name is changed to Nike.
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1972 – Title IX is enacted, mandating equal access to educational opportunities for men and women.
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1973 – Rich Foods pays $60,000/year for the naming rights to the Buffalo Bills football stadium.
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The Beatles 1980, Lennon murdered
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1980 – The US boycotts the Summer Olympics in Moscow
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1981 – First IBM Personal Computers are available for retail sales
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1981 – MTV debuts
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Vince McMahon 1982 – purchased Capitol Wrestling from father, later called World Wrestling Federation
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1982 – Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” sells 20 million albums
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1983 – First compact disc is released
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1984 – The Olympics becomes commercialized. Peter Ueberoth helps to make the Olympics profitable
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1985 – Nintendo home entertainment system is introduced
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Oprah Winfrey 1986 launched the Oprah Winfrey ShowGrossed $125 million by end of first year
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1989 – Time and Warner merge to become Time Warner Inc.
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1995 – First television program delivered via the Internet (webcast)
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1996 – Olympic Park in Atlanta, GA is bombed.
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1997 – Princess Diana is killed in an automobile accident
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1986 launched the Oprah Winfrey ShowGrossed $125 million by end of first year