The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is set to become the first venue in history to host the track and field competitions and the opening ceremony in three Olympic Games. Camilla Rambaldi reports for the NBC4 News at 5 p.m. on Monday, August 12, 2024.
With state-of-the art venues like SoFi Stadium and Intuit Dome set to host Olympic events, the century-old Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum may not initially come to mind for Angelenos as the premiere venue for the Olympics.
But the Coliseum in 2028 will once again mark another special moment in Olympics history, becoming the first venue to host the opening ceremony and track and field competitions in three Summer Games.
The Coliseum’s place in LA history is unparalleled. It hosted the 1932 and 1984 Olympics and has been home to nearly two dozen sports teams, including the Dodgers in 1958 when they moved here from Brooklyn.
Here are a few moments when the Coliseum, declared a National Historic Landmark in 1984, became the epicenter of big events:
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- In 1967, Super Bowl 1 was held here. The Green Bay Packers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs.
- It was the host of the 1959 World Series. The Dodgers beat the White Sox to win the title.
- John F. Kennedy accepted his party’s nomination for president here at the 1960 Democratic National Convention.
- The Dalai Lama, Pope John Paul II, Martin Luther King, Jr., Cesar Chavez, Pele, Diego Maradona and Nelson Mandela are counted among the Coliseum's visitors over the years.
