page_title: Soldier Field
section_title: Other events
hierarchical_section_title: Soldier Field / Events / Other events
caption_attribution_description: Gen. Douglas MacArthur addressing an audience of 50,000 at Soldier's Field, Chicago, on his first visit to the United States in 14 years. ID #HD-SN-99-03036 Public Domain. Suggested credit: National Archives via pingnews. Additional information from source: ARC Identifier: 541955 Local Identifier: 306-PS-51(6988) Title: General Douglas MacArthur addressing an audience of 50,000 at Soldier's Field. The General, on his first visit to the United States in 14 years, April 1951. Chicago, Illinois. Acme., 1948 - 1983 Large image (70336 Bytes) Creator: U.S. Information Agency. Press and Publications Service. Visual Services Branch. Photo Library. (ca. 1982 - ) ( Most Recent) Type of Archival Materials: Photographs and other Graphic Materials Level of Description: Item from Record Group 306: Records of the U.S. Information Agency, 1900 - 1992 Location: Still Picture Records LICON, Special Media Archives Services Division (NWCS-S), National Archives at College Park, 8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD 20740-6001 PHONE: 301-837-3530, FAX: 301-837-3621, EMAIL: stillpix@nara.gov Coverage Dates: 1948 - 1983 Part of: Series: Master File Photographs of U.S. and Foreign Personalities, World Events, and American Economic, Social, and Cultural Life, 1948 - 1983 Access Restrictions: Unrestricted Use Restrictions: Unrestricted General Note: Use War and Conflict Number 1377 when ordering a reproduction or requesting information about this image. Variant Control Number(s): NAIL Control Number: NWDNS-306-PS-51(6988)
context_page_description: Soldier Field is an American football and soccer stadium located in the Near South Side of Chicago, Illinois, near Downtown Chicago. It opened in 1924 and is the home field of the Chicago Bears of the National Football League, who moved there in 1971, and Chicago Fire FC of Major League Soccer, who will begin playing at the stadium in 2020. It has a football capacity of 61,500, and it is the oldest stadium in the NFL.
  The stadium's interior was rebuilt as part of a major renovation project in 2002, which modernized the facility but lowered seating capacity, while also causing it to be delisted as a National Historic Landmark. Soldier Field has served as the home venue for a number of other sports teams in its history, including the Chicago Cardinals of the NFL, University of Notre Dame football, as well as games from the 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup, and multiple CONCACAF Gold Cup championships. In 1968, it hosted the first Games of the Special Olympics.
context_section_description: The 28th International Eucharistic Congress held three days of outdoor day and evening events from June 21–23, 1926.
  The Long Count Fight, the second heavyweight championship bout between Jack Dempsey and Gene Tunney, was held at Soldier Field on September 22, 1927.
  June 24, 1932, a war show celebrating the bicentennial of George Washington's birth featured Amelia Earhart.
  May 27, 1933, Soldier Field opening ceremonies of the Century of Progress World's Fair. Postmaster General and DNC-Chairman James Farley facilitated the opening ceremony.
  October 28, 1944, President of the United States Franklin D. Roosevelt made an appearance at Soldier Field, which was the only Midwestern speaking appearance he made in his last reelection campaign. This appearance was attended by over 150,000 (with at least as many people attempting to attend who were unable to gain admission).
  US General during World War II Douglas MacArthur addressed a crowd of 50,000 at Soldier Field, which was his first visit to the United States in 14 years in April 1951.
  Glenn "Fireball" Roberts won the only NASCAR Grand National race held at the stadium's short track which ran across the old configuration, in 1956. Three Convertible Division races were held at the stadium.
  The Chicago Freedom Movement, led by Martin Luther King, held a rally here on June 21, 1964. As many as 75,000 came to hear Reverends Martin Luther King Jr. and Theodore Hesburgh (president of the University of Notre Dame, Archbishop Arthur M. Brazier, and Minister Edgar Chandler among others.
  The Chicago Freedom Movement held a second rally here on July 10, 1966. As many as 60,000 people came to hear Dr. King as well as Mahalia Jackson, Stevie Wonder and Peter, Paul and Mary.
  The early-to-mid 1980s saw the US Hot Rod Association host Truck and Tractor Sled Pull Competitions and Monster Truck exhibitions here. The engines on some of the vehicles would echo through the skyscrapers in downtown Chicago as they made their pull. Damage to the stadium turf on a few of the event occasion's led USHRA to move events to the Rosemont Horizon (known today as Allstate Arena).
  1974 The Chicago Fire of the World Football League played here before folding in 1975.
  October 13 David D. Meilahn made the first-ever commercial cell phone call from his 1983 Mercedes-Benz 380SL at Soldier Field on a Motorola DynaTAC. This is considered a major turning point in communications. The call was to Bob Barnett, the former president of Ameritech Mobile Communications, who then placed a call on a DynaTAC from inside of a Chrysler convertible to the grandson of Alexander Graham Bell who was in Germany.
  The stadium was listed on the National Register of Historic Places beginning in 1984.  Its National Historic Landmark status was removed in 2006.
  In the summer of 2006, the stadium hosted the Opening Ceremony of the Gay Games
  In 2012, United States President Barack Obama held the 2012 Chicago summit, a summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), at McCormick Place and Soldier Field.
caption: Gen. Douglas MacArthur at Soldier Field
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