The Bears were one of the NFL's founding teams. Started by George Halas in 1920, they hailed from Decatur, Illinois, and were known as the "Staleys" (or the "Staley Bears").

Chicago Bears owner George "Mugs" Halas was an NFL founder, player, and head coach. (Halas coached the Bears for forty years.)

The Chicago Bears have won a total of nine NFL championships: in 1921, 1932, 1933, 1940, 194, 1943, 1946, 1963, and 1986. (The first two were won while the Bears were still known as the Staleys.) A total of twenty-eight Chicago Bears players have made it to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The Bears played their first 50 seasons at Wrigley Field (or "Cubs Park," as it was initially known). Soldier Field opened on October 9, 1924 as a memorial to the soldiers who fought in WWI.