Wrestling Historical Dates
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1873 - The first masked wrestler, appropriately named "The Masked Wrestler," debuts in Paris.

1878 - Frank Gotch is born in Homboldt, Iowa.

September 26, 1885 - Australia's first professional wrestling bout, William Miller vs. Clarence Whistler, is staged at Melbourne's Theatre Royal. Whistler won, but died afterward. The cause of death was internal bleeding caused by eating a champagne glass after the match.

September 1896 - George Hackenschmidt, 18, makes his wrestling debut.

April 2, 1899 - Gotch, trained by Martin Burns, makes his wrestling debut by defeating Marshall Green.

1901 - San Francisco hosts wrestling's first tag team matches. Another Californian innovation was an 18-foot padded mats laid atop risers, which is still being used today in American Pro Wrestling, but didn't became popular until the 1930s.

February 22, 1903 - Tom Jenkins defeats Frank Gotch in Cleveland in the first meeting of the dominant American wrestlers of the era.

May 5, 1905 - Hackenschmidt defeats Tom Jenkins for the Catch-as-Catch-Can championship. The title is later re-named the NWA World Heavyweight title.

April 3, 1908 - Hackenschmidt and Gotch do battle at Chicago's Dexter Park. The match ended when a frustrated Hackenschmidt leaves the ring, leaving Gotch with the World title.

1911 - The Hackenschmidt/Gotch rematch draws 33,000 fans to Comiskey Park, drawing a $87,000 gate.

April 1, 1913 - Gotch announces his retirement from wrestling in Kansas City, Missouri.

1916 - A battle between Ed "Stranger" Lewis and Joe Stecher ends in a five-hour draw.

July 18, 1916 - Gotch returns to wrestling and fractures his leg in an exhibition match against Bob Managoff, Sr. in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Gotch would never wrestle again.

1917 - Gotch passes away.

December 13, 1920 - "Stranger" Lewis becomes World champion by beating Stetcher.

1925 - Jess McMahon, grandfather of Vince McMahon Jr., promotes his first boxing card in the "old" Madison Square Garden in New York City.

October 25, 1932 - Paul Boesch makes his professional wrestling debut against Benny Ginsburg in Staten Island, New York.

January 26, 1934 - The New York State Athletic Commission issues new rules, outlawing syndicate agreements between promoters and banning the dropkick.

September 20, 1934 - A match between Jim Londos and "Stranger" Lewis at Wrigley Field is refereed by former Boxing champion Jack Dempsey.

1935 - Jim Crockett Sr. forms Jim Crockett Promotions. In the same year, Vince McMahon Sr. promotes his first wrestling card.

September 14, 1938 - Everett Marshall is awarded the National Wrestling Association's version of the World Title.

May 19, 1946 - Andre The Giant is born in Grenoble, France.

1947 - A New York match between Buddy Rogers and Billy Darnell is such a wild brawl, a ringside fan dies of a heart attack. Both wrestlers are disqualified from New York competition for two years.

Fred Blassie suffers a head injury that places him on the verge of retirement when he is bounced out of the ring by Rudy Dusek.

1948 - The National Wrestling Alliance is first formed in Waterloo, Iowa. The first NWA President was P.L. "Pinkie" George.

July 30, 1948 - Pro wrestling debuts on the Dumont Network.

February 22, 1949 - Gorgeous George headlines the first Madison Square Garden wrestling card in 12 years, against Ernie Dusek. Gorgeous George won the match in front of 4,197 fans.

October 4, 1949 - Lillian Ellison (later known as Fabulous Moolah) defeated Cecilia Blevins in Kansas City, Missouri.

November 25, 1949 - Lou Thesz is awarded his first of six NWA World titles after Orville Brown's career is ending by a car accident.

1951 - Japan's first post-war professional wrestling card is held ... Verne Gagne moves up to the heavyweight division.

1952 - The Sheik makes his professional wrestling debut.

1953 - Captain Lou Albano makes his professional wrestling debut by defeating Bob Lazaro in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

May 11. 1953 - The New York State Athletic Commission lifts a ban on tag team wrestling.

April 1, 1957 - Wrestler Danny Hodge appears on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine.

1959 - Bruno Sammartino makes his professional wrestling debut.

August 1960 - The American Wrestling Association (AWA) is formed.

1962 - Gorgeous George loses his hair, after dropping his match with the Destroyer in L.A.

April 1963 - The World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) recognizes its first champion, Buddy Rogers.

1964 - Andre Rene Rousimoff (later known as Andre the Giant) debuts at the Butcher.

May 17, 1964 - Sammartino defeats Buddy Rogers for the WWWF title. He retains the title until January 1971 when Ivan Koloff relieves him of the gold.

March 1972 - New Japan Pro Wrestling is formed.

October 1972 - Shohei "Giant" Baba forms All Japan Pro Wrestling.

1973 - Jim Crockett Jr. takes over Crockett promotions.

March 1973 - Hacksaw Jim Duggan captures the New York State high school wrestling championhip in the 250-Pound Division.

May 9, 1975 - WWWF champion Sammartino defends the title against PWF Giant Baba in Japan. The match ends in a no decision.

October 4, 1975 - Ric Flair is involved in a plane crash in Wilmington, North Carolina. "The Nature Boy" breaks his back in three different places.

November 8, 1975 - Nick Bockwinkel ends Verne Gagne's seven year plus AWA title reign.

April 26, 1976 - Bruno Sammartino suffers a broken neck at the hands of Stan Hansen at Madison Square Garden in New York.

April 1979 - Vince McMahon Sr. renames the WWWF the World Wrestling Federation (WWF).

July 18, 1980 - Verne Gagne wins his tenth AWA title by defeating Nick Bockwinkel in Chicago, IL. Bockwinkel had been champion since 1975.

August 2, 1980 - Hulk Hogan wrestles Andre the Giant to a time limit draw before 26,000 fans on a Bill Watts' show at the Superdome in New Orleans, LA.

August 9, 1980 - Bruno Sammartino defeats his protege Larry Zbyszko in a steel cage match at Shea Stadium in New York. The semi-main event saw Andre the Giant beat Hulk Hogan.

September 17, 1981 - Flair captures his first World title from Dusty Rhodes.

1982 - WTBS changes their wrestling television program from "Georgia Championship Wrestling" to "World Championship Wrestling."

June 1982 - Vince McMahon Jr. purchases the WWF from his father.

July 29, 1982 - Comedian Andy Kaufman and wrestler Jerry "The King" Lawler appeared on Late Night with Dave Letterman show. Kaufman, who was wearing a neck brace due to an injury he sustained in a match against Lawler, gets into an obscened-laced shouting match against Lawler and then threw Letterman's coffee on Lawer. The story made national headlines all over the country November 24, 1983 - The first Starrcade is staged in Greensboro, North Carolina.

1984 - McMahon purchases Georgia Championship Wrestling for $1,000,000 and closes the promotion.

January 24, 1984 - Hulk Hogan pins The Iron Sheik at Madison Square Garden for the WWF title. Hogan begins a four year title reign.

February 21, 1985 - ABC airs an installment of "20/20" during which Dr. D David Shultz hits reporter John Stossel in the ears; Stossel later sued and received a $280,000 settlement from the WWF.

March 31, 1985 - Vince McMahon Jr. stages the first WrestleMania on closed circuit television.

April 1985 - In need of revenue, Vince McMahon Jr. sold his WTBS timeslot to Jim Crockett Promotions for $1 million.

May 11, 1985 - NBC airs the first episode of "Saturday Night's Main Event." The show features Hogan defeating "Cowboy" Bob Orton, Jr. to retain the WWF title.

May 1986 - The Four Horsemen are formed, a quartet consisting of Ric Flair, Tully Blanchard, Arn Anderson and Ole Anderson, with management by James J. Dillon.

1987 - Jim Crockett purchases Mid South Sports (UWF) from Bill Watts for $4 million.

March 29, 1987 - Wrestlemania III is hosted by the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan. A crowd of over 78,000 fans witnesses Hogan successfully defending the WWF title against Andre the Giant in the main event.

May 26, 1987 - "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan and The Iron Sheik are arrested by New Jersey state police. Duggan is charged with possession of marijuana and drinking alcohol while driving; Sheik is charged with possession of cocaine and marijuana. Duggan receives a conditional discharge; Sheik receives a year probation.

January 24, 1988 - WWF airs its first "Royal Rumble" on the USA Network.

February 5, 1988 - Andre the Giant ends Hulk Hogan's four year WWF title reign. He later gives the title to the "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase, until the title is held up by WWF President Jack Tunney.

March 27, 1988 - The first "Clash of the Champions" air on WTBS, airing head to head with Wrestlemania IV. In the main event, Ric Flair and Sting wrestled to a 45 minute time limit draw.

November 1988 - Ted Turner buys out Jim Crockett Jr. for $9 million, and later renames his promotion World Championship Wrestling (WCW).

July 16, 1991 - At a press conference in New York, Vince McMahon announces that the WWF wrestlers will now undergo mandatory testing for anabolic steroids as part of its anti-drug policy.

March 2, 1992 - Two top-ranking WWF officials, Pat Patterson and Terry Garvin, resign their position on the heels of allegations of misconduct leveled by former WWF employees. Weeks later, Vince McMahon appeared on Larry King Live on CNN to address the allegations of misconduct and steroid abuse. A few days after the WWF denies allegations of sexual misconduct within its organization and promises to conduct its own investigation on the charges.

January 1993 - "Raw" debuts on the USA Network.

July 4, 1993 - Lex Luger bodyslams Yokozuna on the deck of the USS Intrepid in New York City.

October 28, 1993 - An early-morning brawl at the Moat House Hotel in Blackburn, England, takes place between Sid Vicious and Arn Anderson. Both men were rushed to a local hospital. Anderson received 20 stab wounds from a pair of scissors while Vicious suffered 4 punctured wounds.

November 18, 1993 - WWF Head Vince McMahon is indicted on charges of possession of anabolic steroids and conspiracy to distribute anabolic steroids, facing up to eight years in prison and a $500,000 fine on both counts if convicted.

June 11, 1994 - Hogan signs with World Championship Wrestling.

April 29, 1994 - Chad Austin, a jobber in the WWF, was paralyzed after a 1990 tag team match against the Rockers in Tampa, Florida. He was awarded $26.7 million in a lawsuit against the federation.

August 27, 1994 - Shane Douglas defeats 2 Cold Scorpio for the NWA World Heavyweight Title, but then dumps the belt and proclaims himself the first Extreme Championship Wrestling World Heavyweight Champion.

May 13, 1995 - Big Van Vader beats El Canek in Mexico City to win the UWA heavyweight title. With the win, Vader simultaneously holds major titles in Asia (New Japan's IWGP title), Europe (CWA title) and North America (UWA title).

July 5, 1995 - The trial of WWF head Vnce McMahon on steroid distribution charges gets underway in Uniondale, New York.

July 22, 1995 - Vince McMahon gets acquitted of conspiracy to distribute steroids to wrestlers following 16 hours of jury deliberation.

August 29, 1995 - Big Van Vader and Paul Orndorff are involved in a locker room brawl at Atlanta's Center Stage Theater that results in Vader's suspension and eventual dismissal from the organization.

September 4, 1995 - WCW debuts "Monday NITRO" live from the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota. Lex Luger shocked the world by appearing on the show after wrestling for the WWF the previous night and challenged Hogan for the WCW World title the following week.

December 3, 1995 - Randy Savage jumps to WCW from WWF.

1996 - Paul Heyman purchases ECW from Tod Gordon.

1996 - The WWF lost a state supreme court appeal of a court's decision that awarded Jesse "The Body" Ventura $800,000 in past royalties.

February 19, 1996 - Days after announcung of a Razor Ramon-Goldust street fight at WrestleMania XII, Ramon receives six weeks suspension for "unprofessional conduct."

March 5, 1996 - The WWF issues a statement that "Big Daddy Cool" Diesel (Kevin Nash) will be leaving for WCW. His last day with the WWF will be on June 6th.

May 19, 1996 - After a steel cage match between Shawn Michaels and Diesel (Kevin Nash) at Madison Square Garden, "The Kliq" (Hall, Nash, HBK, and Triple H) embrace, breaking tradition "kayfabe." Hall and Nash had already signed with WCW.

May 27, 1996 - During the first two-hour Monday NITRO broadcast, Scott Hall (Razor Ramon) emerges fromm the audience to declare war on WCW.

June 23, 1996 - Austin wins the King of the Ring tournament, and starts his Austin 3:16 gimmick.

July 7, 1996 - Hogan turns heel at Bash at the Beach, joining Hall and Nash in the New World Order (NWO).

July 8, 1996 - WWF President Gorilla Monsoon suspends the Ultimate Warrior for his failure to appear on several WWF house show cards. He never appeared in the WWF again.

September 22, 1996 - ECW makes it presence known at a WWF In Your House PPV when the Sandman, Tommy Dreamer, and Paul E. Dangerously buy ringside tickets. The three were escorted out of the building after the Sandman spit beer on Savio Vega.

September 23, 1996 - For a second straight night, ECW wrestlers upset WWF Monday Night RAW as Taz and Bill Alfonso break the security barriers and taunt other wrestlers. Jim Ross lashes out WWF head Vince McMahon for firing him twice and introduces a new Razor Ramon and new Diesel.

November 4, 1996 - After nearly four years in the same timeslot, WWF Monday Night RAW moves up to an hour earlier in an effort to boost ratings. The night features the infamous gun confrontation between Brian Pillman and Steve Austin.

November 17, 1996 - Rocky Maivia (The Rock) debuts at the Survivor Series.

April 13, 1997 - ECW finally debuts on PPV with Barely Legal.

November 9, 1997 - McMahon cheats Bret Hart out of the WWF title at the Survivor Series in Montreal.

November 1997 - Rick Rude becomes the only wrestler to appear on "Raw" and "Nitro" on the same night.

1998 - WCW earns $55 million in profits.

February 27, 1998 - A near-riot took place at a WCW show in Lincoln, Nebraksa when rowdy fans pelted objects at Chirs Jericho for making remarks about Nebraska and Curt Hennig making a remark about 'Huskers' coach Tom Osbourne.

April 13, 1998 - "Raw" ends "Nitro's" 83 week winning streak.

November 1998 - Former wrestler and announcer Jesse "The Body" Ventura is elected Governor of Minnesota.

May 23, 1999 - Owen Hart, 34, dressed as the Blue Blazer, falls to his death during the Over the Edge PPV in Kansas City, Missouri. The Hart family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the WWF, and settled out of court for $18 million in November 2000.

September 1999 - WCW hires WWF writers Vince Russo and Ed Ferrara.

October 5, 1999 - Darren Drozdov was severely injured at the hands of D'Lo Brown during a running powerbomb attempt in Uniondale, New York.

2000 - WCW loses $62 million.

September 25, 2000 - The WWF moves "Raw" to TNN.

February 27, 2001 - Jerry "The King" Lawler and his wife, Stacy "The Kat" Carter, left the World Wrestling Federation during the tapings of SmackDown. Vince McMahon decided to release The Kat for misconduct and Jerry Lawler left in protest of McMahon's decision.

March 5, 2001 - Paul Heyman debuted as the new color commentator for WWF's RAW IS WAR. Heyman replaces Lawler who left last week. Tazz replaces Lawler on WWF SmackDown with Michael Cole.

March 23, 2001 - The WWF purchases World Championship Wrestling (WCW) for approximately $3 million.

March 26, 2001 - The final "Nitro" airs on TNT.

April 4, 2001 - HHG Corporation, the owners of Extreme Championship Wrestling, filed for bankruptcy. In their filing, HHG Corp. claimed assets of $1,385,500 and listed debts of $8,881,435, leaving them with about $7.5 million in debt when they ceased operations. Vince McMahon later purchases ECW from the court.

For WWE events from 2001 on go to WWE main page of this site. 1