Atlanta Falcons history

In 1971, the Falcons recorded their first winning season (7-6-1) under fiery Coach Norm Van Brocklin.

In 1973 Atlanta became the first major city in the South to elect an African American mayor, Maynard Jackson.

The Falcons aren't historically known for their defenses, but they put arguably the best one the NFL has ever seen on the field in 1977

Atlanta was one of the first teams to have a year-round practice facility, opening a complex in 1978 in suburban Suwanee.

The first rapid-transit commuter rail opened in 1979, and by the early 21st century the system had expanded to include several more lines.

In 1980, the Falcons won the NFC Western Division title with a club-record 12 wins and six Pro Bowl stars, including quarterback Steve Bartkowski and running back William Andrews.

A Falcons team featuring flashy personalities such as cornerback Deion Sanders, wide receiver Andre Rison, and flamboyant head coach Jerry Glanville won 10 games in 1991 but was again met with disappointment in the postseason.

In 1992, the Falcons would move from the Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium to the Georgia Dome and finish with a 6–10 record.

Centennial Olympic Park was built for use during the 1996 Summer Olympic Games.

In 1998, under recently acquired head coach Dan Reeves, quarterback Chris Chandler and running back Jamal Anderson the “Dirty Bird” Falcons had their greatest season to date.

The team was sold to Arthur M. Blank in 2002 for $545 million.

The team bounced back in 2016 as a potent Atlanta offense piled up 540 points during the season, the seventh highest total in NFL history.

Falcons Legend Deion Sanders had special cleats made for the 2018 'My Cause, My Cleats' initiative.