1929: Lions and Packers first meet
In 1929, the Detroit Lions (then Portsmouth Spartans) and the Green Bay Packers played their first game against each other.
July 12, 1930: Portsmouth Spartans Join the NFL
On July 12, 1930, the Portsmouth Spartans were founded in Portsmouth, Ohio and joined the NFL.
1930: Hal Griffen becomes Lions' first head coach
In 1930, Hal Griffen became the first head coach of the Detroit Lions.
1930: Lions and Bears first meet
In 1930, the Detroit Lions (then Portsmouth Spartans) and the Chicago Bears played their first game against each other.
1933: Lions and Bears become division rivals
In 1933, the Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears became division rivals.
1933: Lions and Packers become division rivals
In 1933, the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers became division rivals.
1934: Honolulu Blue and Silver Selected as Team Colors
In 1934, team owner George A. Richards tasked Glenn Presnell, a player on the team, and his wife with selecting the team's colors. They chose Honolulu Blue and Silver, a combination inspired by the waves off the coast of Hawaii.
1934: Lions begin Thanksgiving Day tradition
In 1934, the Lions owner negotiated a deal with NBC to broadcast their Thanksgiving game live, starting a tradition that continues today.
1934: Portsmouth Spartans move to Detroit, become the Lions
In 1934, the Portsmouth Spartans relocated to Detroit due to financial struggles and were renamed the Lions in reference to the city's Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise, the Detroit Tigers.
1934: Lions Adopt Honolulu Blue and Silver
Upon moving to Detroit in 1934, the Lions adopted their now-iconic colors: Honolulu Blue and Silver.
1935: Lions Win First Championship
The Detroit Lions won their first NFL Championship in 1935.
1935: 1935 Championship Jerseys Serve as Inspiration
The Detroit Lions' 1994 throwback jerseys were modeled after the jerseys worn by the 1935 championship team.
1939: Lions Thanksgiving Day games paused for WWII
In 1939, due to World War II, the Lions paused their tradition of playing on Thanksgiving.
1944: Lions resume Thanksgiving Day games
In 1944, after a pause for World War II, the Lions resumed playing on Thanksgiving.
1948: White Pants Worn During "Scarlet and Black" Era
The Detroit Lions wore white pants without striping during the "scarlet and black" era of 1948 and 1949.
1948: Lions Change Team Colors to Scarlet and Black
In 1948, then head coach Bo McMillin changed the Lions' team colors to scarlet and black, influenced by his time as a coach at Indiana.
1949: End of White Pants Era
The Detroit Lions' use of white pants during the "scarlet and black" era ended in 1949.
1950: Lions Revert to Traditional Colors
The Lions' brief change to scarlet and black lasted only until 1950, when the team reverted to their traditional colors.
1955: Last Use of Blue Helmets
Prior to 2023, the last time the Detroit Lions wore blue helmets was in 1955.
1956: "TV Numbers" added to Jerseys
In 1956, the Lions added "TV numbers" to the sleeves of their jerseys to help TV broadcasters identify players from the line of scrimmage.
1957: Lions Win Fourth NFL Championship
The Detroit Lions won their fourth and most recent NFL championship in 1957.
1961: Lions and Vikings begin annual games
In 1961, the Detroit Lions and the Minnesota Vikings started playing twice a year when the Vikings joined the NFL.
1961: Lions Introduce New Logo
The Detroit Lions introduced a new logo in 1961.
1963: William Clay Ford Becomes Team Owner
William Clay Ford became the owner of the Detroit Lions in 1963.
1969: Lions Change Logo
The Detroit Lions changed their logo in 1969.
1970: Lions and Browns rivalry cools down after AFL-NFL merger
In 1970, after the AFL-NFL merger, the rivalry between the Detroit Lions and Cleveland Browns cooled down due to the Browns' move to the American Football Conference.
1970: White Trim Added to Logo
In 1970, the Detroit Lions added white trim to their logo.
1972: Outlines Added to Jersey Numbers
The Lions added outlines to the numbers on their jerseys in 1972, with white outlines on the blue jerseys and silver outlines on the white jerseys.
1977: Lions and Buccaneers become division opponents
In 1977, the Detroit Lions and Tampa Bay Buccaneers became division opponents in the NFL Central.
1982: Color Arrangement on Blue Jerseys Reversed
The Lions reversed the color arrangement on the numbers of their blue jerseys in 1982.
1984: Facemasks Changed to Blue
In 1984, the Detroit Lions changed the facemasks on their helmets from silver to blue.
1988: Wayne Fontes begins tenure as Lions head coach
In 1988, Wayne Fontes began his time as the head coach of the Detroit Lions.
1991: Lions Win First Playoff Game in Decades
In 1991, the Detroit Lions broke their long playoff win drought, which had stretched since their championship win in 1957.
1994: Lions Wear Throwback Jerseys
As part of a league-wide initiative, the Detroit Lions wore throwback jerseys in 1994, inspired by the jerseys worn during their 1935 championship season. These jerseys featured solid silver helmets and pants, Honolulu blue jerseys with silver numbers, solid blue socks, black cleats, and no "TV numbers" or logos on the helmets.
1996: Wayne Fontes ends tenure as Lions head coach
In 1996, Wayne Fontes ended his time as the longest-tenured head coach in Detroit Lions history.
1998: Lions Briefly Wear Blue Pants with White Jerseys
For the 1998 season, the Detroit Lions wore blue pants with their white jerseys and grey socks, a combination they abandoned after the season ended.
1998: White and Blue Uniform Combination Returns
The Detroit Lions' 2017 uniform redesign marked the return of the white jersey and blue pants combination, which had not been used since 1998.
1999: "TV Numbers" Moved to Shoulders
In 1999, the Lions moved the "TV numbers" on their jerseys from the sleeves to the shoulders.
2001: Lions Wear 1950s Throwback Jerseys
From 2001 to 2004, the Detroit Lions wore 1950s-style throwback jerseys for their traditional Thanksgiving Day games, as encouraged by the NFL.
2001: Lions and Buccaneers end division rivalry
In 2001, the Detroit Lions and Tampa Bay Buccaneers ended their time as division opponents in the NFL Central.
2002: Lions and Browns begin "Great Lakes Classic"
In 2002, the Detroit Lions and Cleveland Browns began playing an annual preseason game known as the "Great Lakes Classic".
2003: Black Trim Added to Logo and Jerseys, Black Facemasks Introduced
In 2003, the Detroit Lions incorporated black trim into their logo and jerseys, and the facemasks on their helmets were changed from blue to black.
2004: End of 1950s Throwback Jerseys
The Detroit Lions stopped wearing 1950s-style throwback jerseys for their Thanksgiving Day games after the 2004 season.
2005: Lions Introduce Black Alternate Jersey
In 2005, the Detroit Lions introduced an alternate black jersey to their uniform rotation.
November 9, 2008: Lions honor 75th Season All-Time Team
On November 9, 2008, the Lions honored their 75th Season All-Time Team during halftime against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
2008: Lions Introduce Throwback Uniforms for 75th Anniversary
In 2008, the Detroit Lions dropped their black alternate jersey and introduced throwback uniforms to commemorate the franchise's 75th anniversary.
April 20, 2009: Lions unveil new logo and uniforms
The Lions officially unveiled a new logo and uniforms on April 20, 2009. The logo was given a flowing mane and fangs, while the typeface featured a modern font.
2009: Lions establish "Pride of the Lions"
In 2009, the Lions created the "Pride of the Lions", a ring of honor to recognize the franchise's greatest players.
2014: William Clay Ford Passes Away
William Clay Ford, owner of the Detroit Lions, passed away in 2014.
2014: Lions and Browns end "Great Lakes Classic"
In 2014, the Detroit Lions and Cleveland Browns ended their tradition of playing an annual preseason game known as the "Great Lakes Classic".
2015: WJBK becomes flagship station for Lions preseason games
In 2015, WJBK took over as the flagship station for the Detroit Lions' preseason games.
2015: Lions announce move to WJR
In 2015, the Lions announced their move from WXYT-FM to WJR for the 2016 season, marking the end of a 20-year partnership with CBS Radio.
February 1, 2017: Lions Announce New Typeface and Removal of Black from Team Identity
The Detroit Lions announced a new typeface and logo on February 1, 2017, and completely removed the color black from their team identity.
April 13, 2017: Lions Unveil New Uniforms, Reintroduce White Jersey and Blue Pants
On April 13, 2017, the Detroit Lions unveiled new uniforms that included a white jersey and blue pants combination for the first time since 1998.
September 29, 2019: Lions honor All-Time Team for NFL's centennial
On September 29, 2019, the Detroit Lions honored their All-Time Team during halftime against the Kansas City Chiefs in celebration of the NFL's centennial.
January 20, 2021: Dan Campbell hired as Lions head coach
On January 20, 2021, Dan Campbell was hired as the head coach of the Detroit Lions.
September 20, 2021: Lions Wear White Pants with White Jerseys
On September 20, 2021, the Detroit Lions wore white pants without striping with their white road uniforms against the Green Bay Packers. This marked the return of the white pants, which had last been worn during the "scarlet and black" era in the 1948 and 1949 seasons.
2021: Lions return to WXYT-FM
In 2021, the Detroit Lions returned to WXYT-FM as their flagship station.
April 12, 2023: Lions Announce 90th Season Celebration
The Detroit Lions announced on April 12, 2023, that they would celebrate their 90th season in franchise history with a commemorative logo and jersey patch inspired by their logo from 1961 to 1969.
June 21, 2023: Lions Unveil Alternate Blue Helmet
On June 21, 2023, the Detroit Lions unveiled an alternate blue helmet featuring the 1960s logo. It was paired with their grey uniform, marking the first time the Lions had worn a blue helmet since 1955.
2023: Lions announce preseason game announcers
In 2023, the Detroit Lions announced their lineup of announcers for preseason games on WJBK.
2023: Lions win NFC North division title
In 2023, the Lions won the NFC North division title, which influenced their decision to bring back a black alternate jersey.
2023: Lions Win First Playoff Game Since 1991
The Detroit Lions won their first playoff game since the 1991 season in 2023.
April 18, 2024: Lions unveil new jersey set
On April 18, 2024, the Detroit Lions unveiled a new jersey set with home, away, and alternate options.
May 13, 2024: Lions roster updated
On May 13, 2024, the Detroit Lions updated their roster.