For the past five decades, millions of Americans have huddled around radios and televisions for the big game, the ultimate one-game playoff, the day second only to Thanksgiving for food consumption -- the Super Bowl.
The game has changed quite a bit since its inception 50 years ago. In fact, the first two NFL championships weren't even called Super Bowl games. 1967 and 1968, the Green Bay Packers won what was then referred to as the AFL-NFL World Championship Game between the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL), over Kansas City and Oakland, respectively.
The first use of the title 'Super Bowl' came in 1969 with Super Bowl III, and the name was then retroactively applied to Super Bowls I and II.
Before 1970, the championship was a competition between the NFL and the AFL -- two leagues that went on to become the National Football Conference (NFC) and American Football Conference (AFC) upon merging into one league. In the first official meeting between the conferences in 1971, the Baltimore Colts of the AFC defeated the NFC's Dallas Cowboys 16-13.
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Each Super Bowl champion in history
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Each Super Bowl champion in history
Super Bowl I
Green Bay Packers 35, Kansas City Chiefs 10
(Photo by James Flores/Getty Images)
Super Bowl II
Green Bay Packers 33, Oakland Raiders 14
(Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
Super Bowl III
New York Jets 16, Baltimore Colts 7
(Photo by Fred Roe/Getty Images)
Super Bowl IV
Kansas City Chiefs 23, Minnesota Vikings 7
(Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
Super Bowl V
Baltimore Colts 16, Dallas Cowboys 13
(Photo via Getty Images)
Super Bowl VI
Dallas Cowboys 24, Miami Dolphins 3
(Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
Super Bowl VII
Miami Dolphins 14, Washington Redskins 7
(Photo by Nate Fine/Getty Images)
Super Bowl VIII
Miami Dolphins 24, Minnesota Vikings 7
(Photo by Focus On Sport/Getty Images)
Super Bowl IX
Pittsburgh Steelers 16, Minnesota Vikings 6
(Photo by Sylvia Allen/Getty Images)
Super Bowl X
Pittsburgh Steelers 21, Dallas Cowboys 17
(Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
Super Bowl XI
Oakland Raiders 32, Minnesota Vikings 14
(Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
Super Bowl XII
Dallas Cowboys 27, Denver Broncos 10
(Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
Super Bowl XIII
Pittsburgh Steelers 35, Dallas Cowboys 31
(Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
Super Bowl XIV
Pittsburgh Steelers 31, Los Angeles Rams 19
(Photo by Focus On Sport/Getty Images)
Super Bowl XV
Oakland Raiders 27, Philadelphia Eagles 10
(Photo by Sylvia Allen/Getty Images)
Super Bowl XVI
San Francisco 49ers 26, Cincinnati Bengals 21
(Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
Super Bowl XVII
Washington Redskins 21, Miami Dolphins 17
(Photo by Wally McNamee/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images)
Super Bowl XVIII
Los Angeles Raiders 38, Washington Redskins 9
(Photo by Ronald C. Modra/Sports Imagery/Getty Images)
Super Bowl XIX
San Francisco 49ers 38, Miami Dolphins 16
(Photo by Icon Sportswire)
Super Bowl XX
Chicago Bears 46, New England Patriots 10
(Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
Super Bowl XXI
New York Giants 39, Denver Broncos 20
(Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
Super Bowl XXII
Washington Redskins 42, Denver Broncos 10
(Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
Super Bowl XXIII
San Francisco 49ers 20, Cincinnati Bengals 16
(Photo by Rich Pilling/Sporting News via Getty Images)
Super Bowl XXIV
San Francisco 49ers 55, Denver Broncos 10
(Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
Super Bowl XXV
New York Giants 20, Buffalo Bills 19
(Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
Super Bowl XXVI
Washington Redskins 37, Buffalo Bills 24
(Photo by Rogers Photo Archive/Getty Images)
Super Bowl XXVII
Dallas Cowboys 52, Buffalo Bills 17
(Photo by Rogers Photo Archive/Getty Images)
Super Bowl XXVIII
Dallas Cowboys 30, Buffalo Bills 13
(Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
Super Bowl XXIX
San Francisco 49ers 49, San Diego Chargers 26
(Photo by Colin Braley / Reuters)
Super Bowl XXX
Dallas Cowboys 27, Pittsburgh Steelers 17
(Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
Super Bowl XXXI
Green Bay Packers 35, New England Patriots 21
(Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
Super Bowl XXXII
Denver Broncos 31, Green Bay Packers 24
(Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
Super Bowl XXXIII
Denver Broncos 34, Atlanta Falcons 19
(Photo By Craig F. Walker/The Denver Post via Getty Images)
Super Bowl XXXIV
St. Louis Rams 23, Tennessee Titans 16
(Photo via Reuters)
Super Bowl XXXV
Baltimore Ravens 34, New York Giants 7
(Photo credit PETER MUHLY/AFP/Getty Images)
Super Bowl XXXVI
New England Patriots 20, St. Louis Rams 17
(Photo via REUTERS/Adrees Latiff GAC/HB)
Super Bowl XXXVII
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 48, Oakland Raiders 21
(Photo via REUTERS/Pierre DuCharme GAC/HB)
Super Bowl XXXVIII
New England Patriots 32, Carolina Panthers 29
(Photo via REUTERS/Ray Stubblebine)
Super Bowl XXXIX
New England Patriots 24, Philadelphia Eagles 21
(Photo via REUTERS/Mike Segar MR/SV)
Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Joey Porter kisses the Vince Lombardi Trophy after the Steelers beat the Seattle Seahawks 21-10 in the NFL's Super Bowl XL in Detroit, Michigan February 5, 2006.
(Photo via REUTERS/Shaun Best)
Super Bowl XLI
Indianapolis Colts 29, Chicago Bears 17
(Photo via REUTERS/Mike Blake)
Super Bowl XLII
New York Giants 17, New England Patriots 14
(Photo via REUTERS/Jeff Haynes)
Super Bowl XLIII
Pittsburgh Steelers 27, Arizona Cardinals 23
(Photo via REUTERS/Shaun Best)
Super Bowl XLIV
New Orleans Saints 31, Indianapolis Colts 17
(Photo via REUTERS/Carlos Barria)
Super Bowl XLV
Green Bay Packers 31, Pittsburgh Steelers 25
(Photo via REUTERS/Mike Stone)
Super Bowl XLVI
New York Giants 21, New England Patriots 17
(Photo via REUTERS/Brent Smith)
Super Bowl XLVII
Baltimore Ravens 34, San Francisco 49ers 31
(Photo via REUTERS/Jeff Haynes)
Super Bowl XLVIII
Seattle Seahawks 43, Denver Broncos 8
(Photo via REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton)
Super Bowl XLIX
New England Patriots 28, Seattle Seahawks 24
(Photo by Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports via Reuters)
Super Bowl 50
Denver Broncos 24, Carolina Panthers 10
(Photo by Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports via Reuters)
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The Super Bowl quickly became a game of dominant franchises -- and heartbreak:
The Green Bay Packers, who won Super Bowls I and II, did not make another appearance until 1997 when they defeated the New England Patriots.
The Miami Dolphins appeared in three straight Super Bowls from 1972 to 1974, winning the last two of the three-year series.
The Minnesota Vikings made it to four Super Bowls between 1970 and 1977, but racked up four losses and have not played in the big game since.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have won a league-leading six Super Bowls, with four of those championships coming between 1975 and 1980. They returned for two more victories in 2006 and 2009.
The Denver Broncos lost three Super Bowls between 1987 and 1990, before winning their first in 1998 -- and their second in 1999.
The Buffalo Bills became the only team in history to make it to -- and lose -- four Super Bowls, from 1991 to 1994. The latter two losses both came at the hands of the Dallas Cowboys.
After defeating the Bills twice, the Cowboys took one year off before winning Super Bowl XXX in 1996, marking their third in four years.
Between 2002 and 2005, the New England Patriots won three Super Bowls with a fresh new coach and quarterback duo -- Bill Belichick and Tom Brady.
The Patriots soon returned to the championship in 2008 and 2011, but were defeated by the New York Giants both times.
This year, the NFC Champion Atlanta Falcons are headed to the game in search of their first Super Bowl win. They will be facing off against the AFC Champion Patriots, in search of their fifth Super Bowl ring in their league-leading ninth appearance. They are also going for their second victory since 2015.
