George Halas
The iron-willed patriarch who built the Chicago Bears and, in doing so, shaped the entire modern NFL.
1895–1983 (age 88)·American football player and coach·Birthday: February 2·The Lost Generation
Biography
George Halas didn't just own a football team; he willed a league into existence and then spent six decades ensuring its survival and growth. After a brief stint in professional baseball, he used a $5,000 stake in 1920 to become a founding member of the American Professional Football Association, which became the NFL. His team, first called the Decatur Staleys and then the Chicago Bears, was his life's work. He coached them to six championships across four different decades, innovating strategies and emphasizing a hard-nosed, running game. Beyond the sidelines, he was a fierce and savvy negotiator, pioneering television revenue sharing and player pension plans. His relentless drive and vision helped transform a ragged collection of regional teams into America's most powerful sports league.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
George was born in 1895, placing them squarely in The Lost Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When George Was Born
The biggest hits of 1895
George's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1895Born
First public film screening by the Lumiere brothers
President: Grover Cleveland
1900Started school
Boxer Rebellion in China
President: William McKinley
1908Became a teenager
Ford Model T goes into production
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1911Could drive
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire kills 146 in New York
President: William Howard Taft
1913Could vote
The Federal Reserve is established
President: Woodrow Wilson
1916Turned 21
The Battle of the Somme claims over a million casualties
President: Woodrow Wilson
1925Turned 30
The Scopes Trial debates evolution in schools
Home: $4,366President: Calvin Coolidge"Sweet Georgia Brown" — Ben Bernie
1935Turned 40
Social Security Act signed into law
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,450President: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Cheek to Cheek" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Mutiny on the Bounty
1945Turned 50
WWII ends; atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $4,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Sentimental Journey" — Les Brown & Doris DayBest Picture: The Lost Weekend
1955Turned 60
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1965Turned 70
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1975Turned 80
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1983Died at 88
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
Key Achievements
- Founded the Chicago Bears in 1920 and owned the team for 63 years until his death.
- Won 6 NFL championships as a coach or owner, including the 1963 title.
- Served as a driving force in the creation of the NFL and later the NFC-AFC structure.
- The NFC Championship trophy is named the George Halas Trophy in his honor.
Did You Know?
He caught the final pass ever thrown by the legendary baseball player and football star Jim Thorpe in a professional game.
He played 12 games as an outfielder for the New York Yankees in 1919, hitting .091.
He served as an officer in the U.S. Navy during World War II, earning a Bronze Star.
He returned to coach the Bears in 1958 at age 63 after a five-year hiatus, winning Coach of the Year in 1963.
“Nobody who ever gave his best regretted it.”
