Soldier Field was designed in 1919 and opened on October 9, 1924, as Municipal Grant Park Stadium. The name was changed to Soldier Field on November 11, 1925, as a memorial to U.S. soldiers who had died in combat.

By chance, these two decades—the 1970s and 1990s—are the only decades in the Bears history that the franchise has not won or played for an NFL Championship or Super Bowl. In the 1969 season, the franchise posted their worst regular season record with a 1–13 showing.

The team moved into Wrigley Field, which was home to the Chicago Cubs baseball franchise. As with several early NFL franchises, the Bears derived their nickname from their city's baseball team (some directly, some indirectly – like the Bears, whose young are called "cubs").

The Bears are one of football's most successful franchises, having won eight NFL championships and one Super Bowl.