The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion team, the team began play the following year. They are named after the Vikings of ancient Scandinavia, reflecting the prominent Scandinavian American culture of Minnesota. The team plays its home games at U.S. Bank Stadium in the Downtown East section of Minneapolis.
The Vikings have an all-time overall record of 516–442–11, the highest regular season and combined winning percentage among NFL franchises who have not won a Super Bowl, in addition the most playoff runs, division titles, and (tied with the Buffalo Bills) Super Bowl appearances. They also have the most conference championship appearances of non-winning Super Bowl teams, with them being one of three (along with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Los Angeles Rams) to appear in a conference championship every decade since the 1970s. The only NFL franchise with winning regular season and combined records to not win a Super Bowl, the Vikings hold the NFL franchise record for most playoff losses in league history at 30.
1961Sep, 17
The Minnesota Vikings play and win their first regular season National Football League game.
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Events on 1961
- 8Jan
Charles de Gaulle
In France a referendum supports Charles de Gaulle's policies in Algeria. - 16Apr
Fidel Castro
In a nationally broadcast speech, Cuban leader Fidel Castro declares that he is a Marxist-Leninist and that Cuba is going to adopt Communism. - 1May
Fidel Castro
The Prime Minister of Cuba, Fidel Castro, proclaims Cuba a socialist nation and abolishes elections. - 25Jul
NATO
In a speech John F. Kennedy emphasizes that any attack on Berlin is an attack on NATO. - 10Aug
Agent Orange
First use in Vietnam War of the Agent Orange by the U.S. Army.