24 January 1947 - The Start Of Giorgio's Journey

On 24 January 1947, Lazio and New York Cosmos star Giorgio Chinaglia was born in Carrara, Italy.

His family moved to Wales when he was 8, resulting in the striker starting his professional career in 1964 with Swansea Town. But after only six league appearances in two seasons, he moved back to Italy, where he spent three seasons in Serie C--one with Massese and two with Internapoli--before joining Lazio in 1969.

At Lazio, he became a dominating center forward, scoring 123 goals in seven seasons, including the matchwinner in a 1974 Rome derby. After the goal, he taunted the Roma supporters, a move that endeared him to Lazio's fans. That season, Lazio won their first-ever Scudetto.

In 1976, Chinaglia joined the New York Cosmos. Although other international stars preceded him to the US, he was the first to join the NASL while still in the prime of his career, as evidenced by his 242 goals in 254 matches. He was a six-time NASL all-star and was instrumental in delivering four of the team's five league titles.

He retired from playing when the Cosmos folded in 1985. A naturalized American, Chinaglia was inducted into the USA National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2000 and currently hosts a daily show on Sirius satellite radio.

20 December 1992 - The Cosmos Lose A Star

On 20 December 1992, New York Cosmos founder Steve Ross died in Los Angeles at the age of 65.

Ross (pictured, center), who started his entrepreneurial career with a rental car business in the late 1950s, purchased the Warner Brothers-Seven Arts film studio in 1969 for $400 million. Ross served as CEO, president, and chairman of his new acquisition, soon expanded and renamed as Warner Communications.

Ross, along with brothers Ahmet and Neshui Ertegün from Atlantic Records, founded the Cosmos in 1971. With a collection of local talent, the Cosmos won the NASL title in their second season, but could not sustain their success, failing even to qualify for the playoffs in 1974. Their declining form prompted Ross to make a bid for Brazilian superstar Pelé, who came out of semi-retirement and joined the Cosmos in 1975. Ross also used Warner Communications' deep pockets to bring additional high-profile players to New York, including Franz Beckenbauer, Carlos Alberto, and Giorgio Chinaglia.

Under Ross' stewardship, the Cosmos became a club célèbre, becoming a prominent fixture in the New York social scene. They were also successful, winning four more NASL titles. But the extravagant spending eventually caught up with them and Warner sold the club in the early '80s to a consortium led by Chinaglia, ending Ross' association with the club.

Ross's death in 1992 was caused by complications with prostate cancer.

1 October 1977 - The End Of An Era

On 1 October 1977, Pelé played the last match of his outstanding career - an exhibition between his two former clubs, the New York Cosmos and Santos, with Pelé playing one half for each side.

The match was played at New Jersey's Giants Stadium before a capacity crowd of 77,000 that included such luminaries as President Jimmy Carter and Muhammad Ali. After a pre-match speech in which he asked the crowd to chant "love" three times, Pelé played the first half for the Cosmos and the second for Santos.

Santos took the lead with a first-half goal from Reynaldo, but Pelé equalized for the Cosmos off a direct free kick. It was the final goal of his career. At the half, the Cosmos retired his jersey as he exchanged it for a Santos shirt. His replacement for the Cosmos, striker Ramon Mifflin, then scored the match winner in the second half.

When the match ended, several Cosmos players lifted Pelé and carried him around the stadium as he held a US flag in one hand and a Brazilian flag in the other.

28 August 1977 - The Cosmos Go Bowling

On 28 August 1977, the New York Cosmos won their first Soccer Bowl, beating the Seattle Sounders 2-1.

Playing before a crowd of 41,270 at the Civic Stadium in Portland, Oregon, the Cosmos capitalized on a mistake by Sounders goalkeeper Tony Chursky to take an early lead. In the 20th minute, Chursky collected a pass intended for Cosmos striker Giorgio Chinaglia and dropped the ball to the ground in front of him, unaware that NY winger Stephen Hunt was lurking nearby. Hunt stole the ball away from Chursky and poked it into an open goal to put the Cosmos up 1-0.

The Sounders responded quickly, with former Cosmo forward Tommy Ord heading in an equalizer four minutes later. Both teams continued to attack, combining for 55 shots (29 from the Cosmos and 26 from the Sounders), but they scored only one more goal - a 78th-minute header from Chinaglia that was set up by a cross from Hunt and again put the Cosmos in front, 2-1.

It was the first Soccer Bowl win for the Cosmos, but their second NASL title, since they had won the pre-Soccer Bowl championship in 1972. For his performance, Hunt was named the match's MVP.

23 October 1940 - If Football Is Your Religion, Today Is Your Christmas

On 23 October 1940, Edson Arantes do Nascimento was born in Três Corações, Brazil. Better known as "Pelé," he went on to become one of football's first global superstars.

He began his professional football career with Brazilian club Santos, for whom he played from 1956 to 1974. During that time, Santos won loads of silverware, including ten league titles and five Taça Brasil trophies. Pelé made 656 official appearances for Santos in all competitions, scoring 643 goals. He was the Brazilian top flight's top scorer eleven times.

Between 1957 and 1971, he made 92 appearances for the Brazilian national team. He scored 77 goals, making him the national team's all-time top scorer. Along the way, he became the only footballer to be a member of three World Cup-winning teams (1958, 1962, 1970).

In 1975, he signed with the New York Cosmos, helping them to the league title in 1977.

He played his last match on 1 October 1977, an exhibition between the Cosmos and Santos. Pelé played the first half for New York, scoring on a free kick. He then switched sides to play for Santos in the second half. New York won 2-1. After the match, several Cosmos players carried Pelé around the field while he held up the flags of Brazil and the United States.

Pelé reportedly acquired his nickname as a schoolboy due to his mispronounciation of the last name of Vasco de Gama goalkeeper Bilé.

9 October 1949 - Messing Makes His First Appearance In His Birthday Suit

On 9 October 1949, future US international and New York Cosmos goalkeeper Shep Messing was born in the Bronx, New York.

Messing first rose to prominence as the goalkeeper for New York University's football team, for whom he played during his freshman and sophmore years (1968-69). In his second season, he was named second team All-America. He transferred to Harvard University for his junior and senior years (1970-71), again earning second team All-America honors in 1971.

He joined the US national team at the 1971 Pan American games in Colombia and again for the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. His only appearance was a 7-0 loss to Germany in the United States' final group stage match of the Olympics.

Messing graduated from Harvard in 1973 and signed for the New York Cosmos of the NASL as a backup keeper. He appeared for them only nine times before being transferred to the Boston Minutemen in 1975. Reportedly, his transfer was partially due to the Cosmos management's unhappiness with his having posed for a nude photo shoot that appeared in Viva magazine. Messing later joked that the photo shoot gave the Cosmos more media exposure than they had received up to that point.

Messing rejoined the Cosmos in 1976 and was the starting keeper for the side that won the 1977 Soccer Bowl, alongside Pelé, Franz Beckenbauer, and Giorgio Chinaglia. He left New York after the 1977 season and played for several teams from 1978 to 1987, spending six years (1979-1984) with the Rochester Lancers/New York Arrows.

He is currently a broadcaster and analyst covering the MLS and European matches.

11 September 1945 - Der Kaiser Starts To Roll

On 11 September 1945, future Bayern Munich star defender and West German national side captain Franz Beckenbauer was born in Munich.

Nicknamed "Der Kaiser," Beckenbauer started playing football at the age of 8 and signed with the Bayern Munich youth team in 1959 (despite supporting local rivals 1860 Munich). He debuted for Bayern's senior side on 6 June 1964 and stayed through the 1976-77 season, accruing a total of 461 appearances and 53 goals in all competitions. During that time, Bayern won four Bundesliga titles, four DFB Cups, three European Cups, one UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and one Intercontinental Cup.

In the meantime, Beckenbauer also enjoyed success with the West German national team, for whom he made 103 appearances, winning the 1972 European Championship and the 1974 World Cup. Beckenbauer's West Germany also finished as runners-up in the 1966 World Cup and in third place for the 1970 World Cup. He also claimed numerous individual honors, including the 1972 and 1976 Ballon d'Or awards.

Beckenbauer left Bayern in 1977 to play for the New York Cosmos (1977-80, 1983) and Hamburg (1980-82). He retired from playing in 1983 and turned to management, starting with the West German national side (1984-90). When West Germany won the 1990 World Cup, Beckenbauer became only the second person to win the Jules Rimet Trophy as both a player and manager (Brazil's Mário Zagallo was the first).