The Bears were originally established as the Decatur Staleys by A. E. Staley in Decatur, Illinois. They moved to Chicago in 1921 and became the Bears in 1922.¹⁾

The Bears are one of the two remaining original franchises from the NFL’s founding in 1920 (the other being the Arizona Cardinals).²⁾

George Halas, nicknamed “Papa Bear,” was the founding father of the Bears. He coached the team for 40 seasons, winning six championships.³⁾

Halas owned the team for over 60 years and helped shape the NFL. The NFC Championship trophy is named in his honor, the “George Halas Trophy.”⁴⁾

The Bears have the 2nd most wins of any NFL franchise in history.⁵⁾

Before the Super Bowl era, the Bears won 8 NFL championships. Their ninth championship came with their Super Bowl XX victory in 1985.⁶⁾

The nickname “Monsters of the Midway” originally came from the University of Chicago's football team in the 1930s, but it became synonymous with the Bears' intimidating defense in the 1940s.⁷⁾

The Bears won their only Super Bowl in 1985, defeating the New England Patriots 46-10, led by coach Mike Ditka and a dominant defense.⁸⁾

The '85 Bears defense is widely considered one of the greatest in NFL history, allowing just 198 points in the regular season and recording two playoff shutouts.⁹⁾

Hall of Fame running back Walter “Sweetness” Payton is considered one of the greatest players in NFL history. He spent his entire career (1975-1987) with the Bears.¹⁰⁾

At the time of his retirement, Payton held the NFL records for most career rushing yards (16,726), rushing attempts, and touchdowns.¹¹⁾

The Bears have called Soldier Field home since 1971. The stadium, located in Chicago, is one of the oldest in the NFL.¹²⁾

Soldier Field has the smallest seating capacity in the NFL, holding around 61,500 fans after renovations.¹³⁾

George Halas and his staff revolutionized football by popularizing the T-formation in the 1940s, which transformed offensive strategies in the NFL.¹⁴⁾

The Bears played in the first NFL game ever televised, on October 22, 1939, against the Philadelphia Eagles.¹⁵⁾

Quarterback Sid Luckman led the Bears to four championships in the 1940s and is widely considered one of the NFL’s first great passers.¹⁶⁾

In the 1940 NFL Championship Game, the Bears beat the Washington Redskins 73-0, still the largest margin of victory in NFL history.¹⁷⁾

Hall of Fame linebacker Brian Urlacher was a cornerstone of the Bears defense from 2000 to 2012, earning eight Pro Bowl selections.¹⁸⁾

William “The Refrigerator” Perry, a 335-pound defensive lineman, became famous for scoring a rushing touchdown in Super Bowl XX.¹⁹⁾

During their 1985 Super Bowl run, the Bears recorded “The Super Bowl Shuffle,” a novelty rap song, which became a huge hit and earned a Grammy nomination.²⁰⁾

George Halas signed Joe Lillard in 1932, who is often credited as one of the first African-American players in modern NFL history.²¹⁾

The Bears have retired nine jersey numbers, the most of any NFL team. Some of the numbers include Walter Payton (#34), Dick Butkus (#51), and Mike Ditka (#89).²²⁾

Widely regarded as one of the most feared linebackers in NFL history, Butkus played for the Bears from 1965 to 1973 and was known for his brutal tackling.²³⁾

Nicknamed “The Kansas Comet,” Gale Sayers was one of the most dynamic running backs in NFL history, despite his career being cut short by injuries.²⁴⁾

The Bears have more Hall of Fame inductees (30) than any other NFL franchise.²⁵⁾

Several Bears players, including Bronko Nagurski and Red Grange, played both offense and defense in the early days of the NFL.²⁶⁾

George Halas holds the record for the longest tenure of any coach in NFL history, serving as Bears head coach for 40 seasons.²⁷⁾

In 2007, Lovie Smith became the first African-American head coach to lead the Bears to a Super Bowl (Super Bowl XLI).²⁸⁾

The Bears selected the first-ever NFL draft pick in 1936, taking Joe Stydahar, who later became a Hall of Fame tackle.²⁹⁾

Before they moved to Chicago, the Bears had a fierce rivalry with the Chicago Cardinals (now Arizona Cardinals), who shared the city until the 1960s.³⁰⁾

The Bears' famous 46 defense, designed by defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan, was instrumental in the team's 1985 success.³¹⁾

The only person to win an NFL championship with the Bears as both a player (1963) and a coach (1985), Ditka is a Chicago legend.³²⁾

Known as “The Meanest Man in Football,” Sprinkle was a feared defensive end for the Bears from 1944 to 1955.³³⁾

Beattie Feathers of the Bears was the first NFL player to rush for 1,000 yards in a single season (1934).³⁴⁾

The Bears-Packers rivalry is the longest-running rivalry in NFL history, dating back to 1921.³⁵⁾

In 2018, the Bears made headlines by trading for star linebacker Khalil Mack, in one of the biggest defensive trades in NFL history.³⁶⁾

Bears kick returner Devin Hester set an NFL record with a 108-yard touchdown return in 2006.³⁷⁾

Considered the greatest return specialist in NFL history, Hester holds the record for most return touchdowns in a career.³⁸⁾

The Bears played in the first-ever Monday Night Football game on September 21, 1970, against the Cleveland Browns.³⁹⁾

The NFL’s prestigious community service award is named after Walter Payton, honoring his contributions on and off the field.⁴⁰⁾

From 1940 to 1960, the Bears led the NFL in defensive rankings 10 times, reflecting their early dominance.⁴¹⁾

In the 1930s and 1940s, the Bears were known for producing some of the greatest linemen, including George Musso and Bulldog Turner.⁴²⁾

The Bears are known for having a long tradition of great running backs, from Bronko Nagurski to Walter Payton and Matt Forte.⁴³⁾

The Bears are still owned by the Halas family, with George Halas' granddaughter Virginia Halas McCaskey acting as the principal owner.⁴⁴⁾

In recent years, the Bears have committed to rebuilding with young talent, hoping to return to their historic winning ways.⁴⁵⁾