The Atlanta Falcons are an American professional football team that is based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Falcons are a member of the National Football League(NFL) and serves in the National Football Conference(NFC) South Division.
The Falcons were founded on June 30th, 1965 and joined the NFL in 1966 as an expansion team. The Atlanta Falcons was approved to begin play in 1966 by a unanimous vote to join the NFL by club owners. Ownership was given to Rankin Smith, a 41-year-old life insurance executive. He paid $8.5 million, which was the highest price in NFL history at the time for any franchise. The Falcons played in the Atlanta Fulton County Stadium.
The Falcons got their name in August 1965. They were initially known as the Atlanta Fire Birds, which was a reference to Georgia’s state bird, and its burning hot summers. They decided to hold a naming contest to determine the name of the team. The winning entry was made by a school teacher named Miss Julia Elliot. While there were plenty of entries, she was selected as a winner for her reasoning behind the name. “The falcon is proud and dignified, with great courage and fight. It never drops its prey. It is deadly, and has a great sporting tradition.”