1960 - Chiefs begin as Dallas Texans in the inaugural AFL Season. Texans share Cotton Bowl with NFL expansion franchise Cowboys and proceed to win more games.
1960 - Abner Haynes named first AFL's first Player of the Year after leading the league with 875 yards rushing. Haynes led Chiefs in four categories - Rushing, Receiving, Punte Returns & Kick Returns. "Super Gnat" also held the combined yardage franchise mark untill 2002.
1962 - Chiefs aquire Purdue Alum Lenny Dawson who throws for 29 TDs & was 189-310 passing which was good enough for AFL player of theyear.
1962 - Texans win AFL Championship in classic double overtime fashion over Houston Oilers.
1962 - Abner Haynes 1960 Rookie of the Year & MVP scores an "at the time" franchise record 19 touchdowns.
1963 - Lamar Hunt moves his Texans to Kansas City MO. KC Mayor H. Roe Bartle who was knicknamed "The Chief" becomes the team's namesake. Hunt signs seven year lease for use of Municipal Stadium.
1964 - A record 14 Chiefs named to AFL All Star Game - Mack Lee Hill, Len Dawson, Abner Haynes, Fred Arbanas, Jim Tyrer, Tommy Brooker, Buck Buchanan, Jerry Maus, Bobby Bell, EJ Holub, Johnny Robinson, Jim Fraser, Bobby Hunt & Dave Grayson.
1965 - Tragedy strikes the Chiefs as rookie sensation Mack Lee Hill expires during knee surgery. Chiefs later name rookie of the year award after fallen RB.
1966 - AFL-NFL Merger occurs and Chiefs are the best team in the AFL & receiver berth to first Championship game vs. Vikings. Chiefs lose 35-10 but Stram's dub of "Super Bowl" lives on.
1969 - Tremendous Goal Line stand with time running out as Chiefs best Jets 13-6 in the playoffs. (12/20/1969)
1970 - Chiefs Win Last AFL Championship: The Kansas City Chiefs got four interceptions and beat the Oakland Raiders, 17-7, in the last AFL championship game. The Chiefs went on to beat the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV.
1970 - The Kansas City Chiefs show that the Jets' victory wasn't a fluke. Scoring four of the first five times they have the ball (three Jan Stenerud field goals and a five-yard touchdown run by Mike Garrett), the Chiefs tear through the Minnesota Vikings' "Purple People Eaters" and the Chiefs win Super Bowl IV, 23-7. It was the final year of existence for the AFL. The following year the two leagues merged and began inter-conference play.
1970 - Davidson spears Dawson after he had fallen to the turf, at which point Chiefs wide receiver Otis Taylor sprinted in and punched the huge defensive end. A bench-clearing brawl ensued. (10/1/1970)
1971 - Memorial Stadium, Kansas City, KS: AFC Divisional Playoff Game, Dolphins versus Chiefs, December 25. The Longest Day in NFL history. And maybe the greatest game ever played. The game started out as just another, normal, playoff game but soon evolved into one of the greatest contests in NFL history. The game was tied at halftime 10-10. The second half saw each team trading touchdowns in each quarter so with 1:36 remaining, the score was still tied at 24. At seven minutes and 40 second of the second overtime period, Dolphins kicker Garo Yepremian kicked a 37-yard field goal to give the Dolphins a hard fought 27-24 victory. Other memorable moments in this game were provided by Chiefs RB Ed Podolak who amassed a playoff record 350 yards in all-purpose yardage (85 rushing, 110 receiving, and 155 on kick returns). This was the last game played at Memorial Stadium-the Chiefs moved to Arrowhead Stadium the next year. The game totaled 82:40 making it "The Longest NFL Game Ever Played".
1972 - Arrowhead Stadium was dedicated at the inaugural pre-season game. (8/12/1972)
1972 - The largest crowd ever to see a game in Arrowhead Stadium is 82,094 when the Chiefs defeated the Oakland Raiders 27-14 (11/4/1972)
1972 - Lamar Hunt inducted into NFL Hall Of Fame - In 1959, a young man, totally frustrated in his repeated attempts to gain a franchise in the National Football League, hit upon an idea. His original Dallas Texans team had to battle head-to-head with the newly established Cowboys and, even though the battle was a dead-even affair, Hunt, after three years, wisely moved his team to Kansas City. There the Chiefs became known as one of pro football's finest organizations, both off and on the field.
1974 - Emmit Thomas sets franchise record for interceptions with 12.
1977 - Marv Levy implements run oriented wing-T offense with marginal success.
1979 - Chiefs blank Colts 14-0 - Their first shutout since 1969's 31-0 win over then Boston.
1980 - Nick Lowery supplants 23 year incumbant and hall of famer Jan Stenerud as place kicker.
1980 - Chiefs 21 vs Oilers 20- Steve Fuller’s scrambling 38-yd TD run with 2:51 to play is the difference (10/12/1980)
1981 - RB Joe Delaney named AFC Rookie of the Year with an at the time franchise record of 1,121 yards on 234 carries.
1983 - Tragedy yet again strikes the Chiefs: Joe Delaney drowns attempting to save life of three children.
1983 - Bill Kenney throws for 4,348 yards, the fourth highest total in NFL history. ( at the time )
1983 - Carlos Carson sets Chiefs reception record (80) and leads league in receiving with 1,351 yards.
1983 - Bobby Bell inducted into NFL Hall Of Fame - During his career, the versatile Bell intercepted 26 passes, returning six for touchdowns. He also scored on an onside kick and two fumble recoveries. Bell was the first Kansas City Chiefs player to be elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
1984 - Chiefs draft QB Todd Blackledge instead of Marino, Elway or Kelly.
1986 - Chiefs return to playoffs after 14 year drought.
1986 - Willie Lanier inducted into NFL Hall Of Fame - Played middle linebacker for the Kansas City Chiefs for 11 seasons from 1967 through 1977. As the first African-American to star at that demanding position, he not only was a true pioneer but also the key man on one of the National Football League's strongest defensive teams. Except for his first and last seasons, he intercepted at least two passes every year and wound up with 27 thefts, which were returned for 440 yards and two touchdowns. He also recovered 18 fumbles.
1987 - Len Dawson inducted into NFL Hall Of Fame - Noted for his calm, poised approach to every situation, the 6-0, 190-pound Dawson was often lauded by his coach, Hank Stram, as "the most accurate passer in pro football." His record adds credence to that contention. He was selected to play in six AFL All-Star games and the 1972 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl. An All-AFL selection in both 1962 and 1966, he was named the AFL Player of the Year in 1962. During his career, he completed 2,136 of 3,741 passes for 28,711 yards and 239 touchdowns. He also rushed for 1,293 yards before retiring after the 1975 season.
1989 - Chiefs Hire Marty Schottenheimer and turns the fortunes of the franchise around immediately.
1989 - RB Christian Okoye becomes first Chiefs RB to lead the NFL in rushing with an at the time franchise record of 1,480 yards on 370 carries. Recording 8 100 yard performances, Okoye was chose AFC Player of the year. Okoye also beacmes the first Chiefs RB to start in the Pro Bowls since the late Joe Delaney.
1990 - S. Deron Cherry flattens Raider RB Bo Jackson who fumbles which led to the Chiefs victory over the Raiders 9-7. (11/4/1990)
1990 – Chiefs linebacker Derrick Thomas sets the single-game record with seven sacks against the Seattle Seahawks during Seattle’s 19-7 victory. Thomas passed the mark set by Fred Dean, who recorded six sacks against the Saints in 1983. (11/11/1990)
1990 - Junious "Buck" Buchanan inducted into NFL Hall Of Fame - Was the first player taken in the 1963 American Football League Draft. Selected by the Kansas City Chiefs, Buck quickly proved the rave notices that preceded him were not unfounded. He played in 182 career games that included a string of 166 straight. He was named to his first AFL All-Star game after his second season in 1964. It was the first of an eight-season period during which he played in either the AFL All-Star game or the AFC-NFC Pro Bowl.
1991 - Jan Stenerud inducted into NFL Hall Of Fame - Excelled for 19 seasons and 263 games in pro football. He never missed a game because of injury or illness. He kicked for the Chiefs for 13 years from 1967 until 1979. Stenerud is the first “pure” placekicker to enter the Hall. His list of outstanding achievements is long. With 1,699 points, he ranked behind only the fabled George Blanda in all-time scoring at the time of his retirement. His 373 career field goals and seven seasons of scoring 100 or more points were also NFL records. He kicked 17 field goals over 50 yards and his personal best was a 55-yarder against Denver in 1970.
1993 - The Chiefs traded for QB Joe Montana, who directed the San Francisco 49ers to 4 Super Bowl victories. (4/20/1993) The Chiefs swapped their 1st Round in the '93 draft to the 49ers in exchange for Montana, safety David Whitmore and San Francisco's third-round pick in 1994. Kansas City wasn't done loading up the offense. On June 9 the club signed unrestricted free agent RB Marcus Allen. The additions paid off as the Chiefs went 11-5, and won their first AFC West title since 1971.
1993 - Kansas City fans got its first true taste of "Montana Magic", as the Hall of Fame QB engineered a brilliant comeback in a Wild Card Round win over the Steelers. The Chiefs trailed Pittsburgh, 24-17, as the two-minute warning sounded. On fourth-and-goal from the seven, Montana fired a game-tying TD pass to WR Tim Barnett, forcing overtime, where PK Nick Lowery booted a 32-yard field goal as Arrowhead Stadium erupted.
1993 - Montana hits Keith Cash for a back-breaking 41-yard play then Marcus Allen runs it in from 21 yards out to give Kansas City a 28-20 upset over the Oilers in the AFC Divisional game sending them to the AFC Championship game.
1994 - The turf is replaced in Arrowhead stadium with natural grass.
1994 - Montana's Chiefs bests Young's 49ers 24-17: "I compared (beating San Francisco) to competing against my neighbor growing up," Montana said. "He was my best friend. It was never more exciting than to beat him, because he knew me as well as I knew him." (12/11/1994)
1994 - Chiefs vs. Broncos, Imagine this. It's “Monday Night Football” from Mile High Stadium — and the Chiefs have the better quarterback. John Elway puts the Broncos ahead in the final 2 minutes, but Joe Montana (above right) responds, throwing a touchdown pass to Willie Davis with 8 seconds to go to give the Chiefs a 31-28 victory. One of the greatest MNF games of all time -- Joe was 34 for 54 for 393 yards and three touchdowns. And in the final drive, he ate up the clock, and with eight seconds remaining, hit Willie Davis with the winning touchdown pass, which left Elway with no room to come back. (10/17/1994)
1995 - Kansas City's Marcus Allen became the fourth NFL player to rush for 100 touchdowns as the Chiefs beat the Denver Broncos 21-7. (10/22/95)
1995 - Marcus Allen makes NFL history when he became the first player in league history to rush for over 10,000 yards and catch passes for 5,000 more.
1995 - Chiefs 23 vs Raiders 17 (OT) - James Hasty returns interception of QB Jeff Hostetler 64 yards for TD to win game (9/17/1995)
1995 - Chiefs 29 vs Chargers 23 (OT) - MNF; Tamarick Vanover's punt return in OT for TD wins game. (10/9/1995)
1995 - Chiefs 20 vs Oilers 13- Sun. nite Mark Collins’ fumble return for TD wins game in final minute of play. (11/19/1995)
1995 - WR\KR Tamarick Vanover becomes only player in NFL history to to score touchdowns on a pass, kickoff return and punt return.
1995 - Chiefs defensive unit dominates league finishing number 1 in scoring defense, avg. yards per play & were 2nd in points allowed.
1995 - Chiefs lose at home after going 13-3 the best record in the AFC, winning three times in overtime and another game on a fumble return in the final minute of regulation. Then, thanx to Lin Elliott's three missed field goals...losing 10-7 to the Colts. (1/7/1996)
1997 - Marcus Allen makes NFL history when he scores his 123rd rushing TD vs. New Orleans (12/21/1997)
1997 - Kansas City's 28-27 victory at Oakland on Monday night when Grbac found Andre Rison for a game-winning, 32-yard touchdown with three seconds to go. (9/8/1997)
1997 - Rich Gannon, who had passed for just 58 yards on the day, drove the Chiefs 40 yards for Pete Stoyanovich's 54-yard game-winning field goal, that improved them to 8-3, a game behind Denver in the AFC West instead of three back with five to go. (11/16/1997)
1999 - Cris Dishman scored twice for the Chiefs, on a 47-yard interception return and a 40-yard fumble runback, and Pete Stoyanovich kicked a 44-yard winning field goal against the Raiders as the game ended as Kansas City (6-5) broke a three-game losing streak. (11/28/1999)
2000 - For a third time, Tragedy strikes the Chiefs: Linebacker Derrick Thomas died Feb. 8 of a pulmonary embolism 16 days after he was paralyzed from the chest down in a single-car accident in Kansas City.
2000 - The most prolific scoring game in the series was a 54-34 Chiefs win at Arrowhead, Those 54 points were the third-highest tally in KC history and the most ever compiled by the club at Arrowhead. (10/22/00)
2000 - Elvis Grbac represents Chiefs in the Pro Bowl after he throws for more than 4,000 yards (4169, second most in Chiefs history), tosses 28 touchdown passes and whose 89.9 quarterback rating ranked fourth in the AFC and was the highest rating by a Chiefs passer since Steve DeBerg. (96.3, 1990 )
2001 - RB Priest Holmes becomes the most recent Chiefs RB to lead the NFL in rushing with 1,579 yards breaking RB Christian Okoye’s single-season Chiefs rushing record of 1,480 yards set in ‘89. Led the NFL with 2,169 total yards from scrimmage. Led the NFL with 52 runs of 10+ yards.
2002 - Priest Holmes continued to establish himself as one of the top Running Backs in the NFL scoring a league high 24 Touchdowns while 2,287 all-purpose yards on offense, , the fourth-highest seasonal total in league history on the way to winning the NFL offensive player of the year despite missing the last 2 games to a hip injury. Led the league with 144 points and 24 total TDs.
2002 - Chiefs 40 at Browns 39- Dwayne Rudd’s infamous helmet celebration foils Browns victory. (12/8/2002)
2003 - Dante does it again (4) -- He cut left, then right, then stutter-stepped and actually ran backward toward the end zone. Surrounded by Denver tacklers and just a couple of yards from the goal line, Dante Hall cut back left, looped around to the outside and darted 93 yards into the end zone -- and the record book. (10/5/2003)
2003 - TE Tony Gonzalez eclipses franchise reception record (416) with his 417th catch as Chiefs defeat Raiders 17-10.
2003 - Garned his third straight Pro Bowl invitation & becoming the first Chiefs RB to earn three such berths, Priest Holmes sets the record for touchdowns in a single season during the Chiefs’ 31-3 rout of the Chicago Bears. He scores his 26th touchdown, breaking Emmitt Smith’s record of rushing touchdowns in a season, and then scores his 27th to break Marshall Faulk’s record of total touchdowns. Holmes ended the regular season scoring 12 touchdowns in his last five games. (12/28/2003)
2003 - Quarterback Trent Green's 4,039 yards passing are the third-most in Chiefs history while his 92.6 rating was fourth overall in the league and was the highest rating by a Chiefs passer since Steve DeBerg. (96.3, 1990 ) Good enough to send him to the Pro Bowl. Trent won the 2003 Derrick Thomas Award as the Chiefs MVP, becoming the first QB to win that honor since Steve DeBerg in 1990. Green Started his 36th consecutive game at Baltimore (9/28), passing Steve DeBerg (35) for the second-longest streak by a QB in team history.
2003 - Hank Stram inducted into NFL Hall Of Fame - During the 10-year history of the AFL, Stram’s Texans/Chiefs won more games than any other AFL team and more championships than any other coach (1962, 1966, 1969). He also led the 1971 Chiefs to an AFC Western Division championship. An innovative coach, Stram developed or utilized such things as the “moving pocket,” which used the talents of his quarterback Len Dawson. He devised a two-tight end offense – it provided an extra blocker and slowed down the pass rush. On defense, he made famous his “stack defense,” with linebackers stacked behind down linemen. Whether he used a 3-4 defensive alignment or a 4-3, Stram differed from other coaches of that day by always having a man head-up on the center. An excellent evaluator and developer of talent, five players from the Stram-coached Chiefs are members of the Hall of Fame, including Bobby Bell, Buck Buchanan, Dawson, Willie Lanier, and Jan Stenerud. Lanier, Bell and teammate Jim Lynch were considered by many to be the best linebacker trio of that era.
2004 - Priest Holmes surpasses the Nigerian Nightmare Christian Okoye (4,897) to become the Chiefs all time rushing leader. (9/25/2004)
