[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 124 (Wednesday, July 19, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3145-S3146]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE LOS ANGELES MEMORIAL COLISEUM

 Mr. PADILLA. Mr. President, I rise as a proud Angeleno to 
celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
  Few stadiums in the world have such a storied history and such a 
lasting cultural impact, as the LA Coliseum. Since opening in 1923, it 
has served as a living memorial to those who bravely fought in World 
War I, and it has endured as a landmark for generations of Angelenos.
  The Coliseum remains the only stadium in the world to have hosted two 
Summer Olympics. The first games, held in 1932, helped revolutionize 
the format for the modern Olympic Games and displayed America's resolve 
through the Great Depression. The second, held in 1984, was highly 
regarded as a financial success and a masterclass in hosting and 
showcasing the Olympic Games. As a boy, I remember watching in awe as 
Olympic legend and California icon, Rafer Johnson, ran up the steps of 
the Coliseum and lit the Olympic cauldron. With plans to once again 
welcome athletes from around the world and showcase Los Angeles as a 
world-class city in 2028, the Coliseum will soon break its own record 
as a third-time host for the Olympic Games. The Coliseum also hosted 
the 2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games to showcase the skills and 
accomplishments of athletes with intellectual disabilities.
  Many iconic sports teams have called the Coliseum home over the 
years. The USC Trojans' and the UCLA Bruins' athletic programs shared 
the stadium for over 50 years. Today, the Coliseum's timeless white 
arches provide the backdrop for thousands of loyal USC fans waiting to 
erupt each time their team plays a home game. In the National Football 
League, the Rams, the Raiders, and the Chargers have all called the 
Coliseum home at one point, and the stadium hosted three NFL 
championship games in 1949, 1951, and 1955, as well as the very first 
Super Bowl in 1967 and Super Bowl VII in 1973.
  As a point of personal privilege, my Los Angeles Dodgers called the 
Coliseum home for several years when they first moved out west, and 
they would host the first World Series played on

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the west coast at the Coliseum on their way to winning the 1959 World 
Series.
  For decades, the Coliseum was where leaders would go to speak to 
large masses of Southern Californians. The stadium has hosted 
Presidents Roosevelt, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, and Reagan, 
as well as notable dignitaries and civil rights leaders, such as Martin 
Luther King, Jr., Nelson Mandela, Cesar Chavez, and the Dalai Lama. It 
has also hosted decades of legendary concerts from greats like the 
Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Bruce Springsteen, Van Halen, and more. 
Since 2022, NASCAR has hosted the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum, 
which is the first exhibition race of the NASCAR Cup Series season each 
year.
  As we recognize 100 years of memorable events and historic firsts, I 
join all of Los Angeles in celebrating a century of competition, 
camaraderie, civic engagement, and culture, and I know the next 100 
years have even more in store.

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