The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers have competed in the National Football League (NFL) since 1921, two years after their original founding in 1919 by Curly Lambeau and George Whitney Calhoun. From an organizational perspective, the history of the Packers has centered on their founding as a small-town team in the early NFL, their unique ownership structure as a publicly owned, non-profit corporation, the continued expansion of Lambeau Field (their home field), and the team's success on the field. The Packers have survived as the NFL's last small-town team largely due in part to continued support of the local community. Unlike other NFL teams, the Packers are owned by Green Bay Packers, Inc.; funding raised during stock sales in the corporation, dating back to 1923, have helped the team survive during financial troubles, pay off debt, and expand their football facilities. This includes increasing the capacity of Lambeau Field from about 30,000 to over 80,000 fans, developing new practice and player facilities, and the creation of the Titletown District, a mixed-use development that provides additional sources of local funding for the team. Having played over 100 years in the NFL, the Packers have won 13 NFL championships, including 4 Super Bowls, developed notable rivalries—especially with teams in the NFC North—and have expanded their support to new international markets. The following timeline highlights key moments in the history of the Packers, with a focus on organizational matters, such as the hiring of key staff, stock sales, the development and expansion of facilities, the establishment of rivalries, the winning of championships, and other notable occasions.

1910s 1919

August 11: The Green Bay Packers were founded by Curly Lambeau, a former college football player at Notre Dame, and George Whitney Calhoun, a local newspaper editor in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Indian Packing Company, who employed Lambeau as a clerk, sponsored the team, inspiring the name "Packers". September 14: The Packers played their first game, a 53–0 victory against the Menominee North End A.C. at Hagemeister Park; Curly Lambeau served as team captain, while Willard Ryan acted as the off-field coach. November 23: The Packers ended their inaugural season with a record of 10–1, with their only loss a being a controversial 6–0 game against the Beloit Fairies.

1920s

1921 January 10: The Indian Packing Company merged with the Acme Packing Company; the new company maintained the Acme Packing Company name. August 27: The "Acme Packers" were admitted to the American Professional Football Association (APFA) under the ownership of J. Emmett Clair, who worked for Acme Packing Company. October 23: The Packers played their first APFA game, a 7–6 victory against the Minneapolis Marines. November 27: The Decatur Staleys (later renamed to the Chicago Bears) beat the Packers 20–0, initiating one of the NFL's oldest rivalries.

1922 January 28: After acknowledging using college football players under false names during a league meeting, the Packers were removed from the APFA. June 14: The APFA changed its name to the National Football League (NFL) and readmitted the Packers into the league with Curly Lambeau as the owner of the "Green Bay Football Club". November 30: A non-league game against the Duluth Eskimos to raise funds for the Packers was scheduled for Thanksgiving, however a 12-hour rainstorm threatened to cancel the game, which would have been financially disastrous for the Packers. Andrew B. Turnbull, the owner of the Green Bay Press-Gazette, committed to rallying local business owners for financial support, but only if the Packers did not cancel the game. With this commitment, the game was played. December 7: A meeting, which included two members of The Hungry Five and was chaired by John Kittell, was held to begin the process of initiating a stock sale in a newly reorganized publicly-owned corporation that would own the Packers.

1923 August 23: Articles of incorporation for the "Green Bay Football Corporation", which had been signed nine days earlier, were filed with the State of Wisconsin; sale of stock in the new non-profit corporation began and continued for much of the rest of the year, ultimately raising over $5,000 . September 17: Andrew B. Turnbull was elected the team's first president. September 23: With the demolition of Hagemeister Park, the Packers moved to Bellevue Park, which hosted its first Packers game, a 10–0 victory over the Hibbing Miners. October 28: The Dolly Gray impostor played one game for the Packers and then disappeared.

1924 November 23: During a game against the Chicago Bears, one of the earliest documented ejections occurred, when Tillie Voss from the Packers and Frank Hanny from the Bears were thrown out of the game for fighting.

1925 September 13: City Stadium was opened with a Packers victory over a professional team from Iron Mountain, Michigan, by a score of 48–6.

1926 December 25: The Hagemeister Park Armory, which the Packers used for the storage of equipment, uniforms, and historic footballs, burned down.

1928 June 27: Ray Evrard, a local lawyer, was elected as the team's second president. October 7: The Packers played their first game against the New York Giants, beginning the two teams' rivalry.

1929 August 1: W. Webber Kelly, a local doctor, was elected as the team's third president. December 15: With a 25–0 victory against the Chicago Bears, the Packers were crowned NFL champions for the first time with an undefeated record of 12–0–1.

1930s

1930 June 13: Lee Joannes, owner of a grocery company, was elected as the team's fourth president. November 2: The Packers played their first game against the Portsmouth Spartans (later renamed the Detroit Lions), beginning the two teams' rivalry. December 14: With a final record of 10–3–1, the Packers secured their second NFL championship.

1931 September 20: A fan fell from temporary bleachers during a game at City Stadium and injured his back. December 6: Despite losing their last game of the season, the Packers' record of 12–2 was good enough to secure the NFL championship, making them the first team in NFL history to win the championship three straight years.

1932 December 11: The Packers lost their last game of the season to the Chicago Bears 9–0. The Bears finished with a record of 6–1–6, the Portsmouth Spartans finished 6–1–4, and the Packers finished 10–3–1. At the time, the NFL champion was determined by the team with the highest winning percentage, with ties not being counted in the calculation. Despite winning four more games, the Packers' .769 winning percentage was lower than both the Bears and Spartans, who tied with a .857 winning percentage. Because of the tie, the Bears and Spartans played in a playoff game the next week to determine the league champion, with the Bears winning 9–0.

1933 February 28: Judgement was made against Packers for almost $5,000 in a lawsuit that had been filed by the fan who fell from the City Stadium stands in 1931. July 8: Due to the tie in the standings and subsequent 1932 NFL Playoff Game the prior season, the NFL split teams into two divisions, with each winner facing off in the NFL Championship Game; the Packers were placed in the Western Division. August 15: After an unsuccessful appeal of the judgement against the team by Packers' lawyer Gerald Francis Clifford, the team declared bankruptcy and was placed in receivership; Frank Jonet, a former office manager for the Indian Packing Company, was appointed as a friendly receiver. October 1: To raise more money from ticket sales, the Packers began playing some homes games in Milwaukee, with their first NFL game in the city occurring at Borchert Field.

1934 September 30: The Packers played their first game at Wisconsin State Fair Park in Milwaukee. December 14: The Packers announced their second stock sale with the goal of raising enough money to pay off the team's debts and bring the team out of receivership.

1935 January 26: Articles of incorporation for the newly formed Green Bay Packers, Inc. were sent to the State of Wisconsin. January 29: At a Packers' board of directors meetings, the team announced that the stock drive goal had been met and officers in the new corporation were elected; the stock drive ended up raising about $15,000 . February 19: Don Hutson signed two contracts, one for the Packers and one for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Both contracts arrived at the NFL office at the same time; NFL president Joseph Carr determined Hutson would go to the Packers, since that contract had an earlier date of signing.

1936 February 8: The inaugural NFL draft was held, with the Packers selecting Russ Letlow as their first ever draft pick. December 13: The Packers won the 1936 NFL Championship Game 21–6 against the Boston Redskins, securing their fourth championship.

1937 August 13: Pigskin Champions, a short film documentary featuring the Green Bay Packers, premiered in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

1938 December 11: The Packers lost the 1938 NFL Championship Game 23–17 to the New York Giants.

1939 September 17: The Lumberjack Band, under the direction of Wilner Burke, played at their first Packers game after the team assumed control of the band. December 10: The Packers won the 1939 NFL Championship Game 27–0 against the New York Giants, securing their fifth championship.

1940s

1940 January 14: As champions of the previous season, the Packers played against an all-star team in the 1940 NFL All-Star Game, winning 16–7. November 17: The Packers became the first NFL team to use an airplane to travel to and from an away game, doing so to play the Giants in New York City.

1941 December 7: The attack on Pearl Harbor brought the United States into World War II; over 30 Packers players took part in the war, including future Hall of Famer Tony Canadeo. December 14: After identical 10–1 records, the Chicago Bears and Packers played in the NFL's first playoff game to determine who would play in the 1941 NFL Championship Game; the Bears beat the Packers 33–14.

1943 April 1: The Green Bay Press-Gazette ran a story as an April Fools' Day prank on the front page claiming that the Packers were converting City Stadium's field into a victory garden to support the war effort.

1944 December 17: The Packers beat the New York Giants 14–7 in the 1944 NFL Championship Game, securing their sixth championship.

1945 February 19: Howard Johnson, a guard for the Packers from 1940 to 1941, was killed in action at the Battle of Iwo Jima in the Pacific Theater during World War II. Johnson, who received a Silver Star for his actions, was the only Packers player to be killed in a war.

1946 May 24: The Packers purchased Rockwood Lodge, converting it into the first self-contained training facility in pro football history.

1947 July 25: Emil Fischer, a businessman in the local cheese industry, was elected as the team's fifth president.

1949 November 24: An intra-squad exhibition game was played on Thanksgiving that raised over $35,000 and helped the Packers pay their expenses for the rest of the season.

1950s

1950 January 24: Rockwood Lodge burned down under suspicious circumstances and was a total loss, although the Packers ultimately recouped about $75,000 in insurance money. February 1: After the loss of Rockwood Lodge and continual struggles with the Packers' board of directors over control of the team, Curly Lambeau resigned from the Packers. February 6: Gene Ronzani was hired as the Packers' head coach. April 12: The Packers initiated a third stock drive to help raise funds to prevent insolvency, ultimately raising over $100,000 .