The 4th of July is a special day for Americans everywhere, but the 5th of July should hold a unique soft spot in the heart of Dolphins fans everywhere too. On July 5, 1966, the Miami Dolphins opened up their football operations with their first ever training camp — kicking off the franchise. The first four seasons of the Dolphins’ organization were trying times — the team logged a 15-39-2 record in their first 56 games.
And from there, the rest is history. The team signed coach Don Shula and conceded a 1st-round pick to the Baltimore Colts as compensation for his transition. In Shula’s first season, the Dolphins went from 3-10-1 to 10-4. Shula’s second season featured the first of three consecutive Super Bowl appearances for the Dolphins. Shula’s third season? Perfection. His fourth? Back to back world championships.
A pretty incredible start out of the gate — the Dolphins appeared in their first Super Bowl just six years into their existence, winning two within the first eight seasons.
So much history so soon. And it all stems from a hot, steamy morning on July 5, 1966 at St. Petersburg Beach. So in addition to the 4th of July celebrations this week, Dolphins fans have something else to celebrate — the anniversary of the debut of the team all those years ago.
