Baseball’s National League Celebrates 150 Years

Quick Smiles:

• The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs turns 150 years old today as the world’s oldest pro sports league.
• The Ramsar Convention on wetlands, a landmark environmental agreement, was signed 55 years ago today.
• Grand Central Terminal opened 113 years ago and is now among the top ten most-visited attractions globally.

One hundred fifty years ago, the National League of Professional Baseball Clubs was established, becoming the most longstanding professional sports league in existence. This league is the senior circuit of Major League Baseball, which spans both the US and Canada, and was foundational in launching what became the iconic World Series competition.

Eight charter clubs founded the league in 1876, including the Chicago White Stockings and Boston Red Stockings—who would eventually become the Chicago Cubs and Atlanta Braves—alongside legendary teams from New York, St. Louis, Philadelphia, Hartford, Cincinnati, and Louisville. Despite early challenges and team changes, the league grew into the beloved baseball tradition we know today.

The Ramsar Convention for wetlands, signed 55 years ago in Iran, is celebrated for sparking global cooperation for environmental preservation before many other major agreements. Today, more than 2,300 Ramsar sites span over 2.1 million square kilometers worldwide, sheltering treasured natural wonders like Florida’s Everglades.

In New York City, Grand Central Terminal first opened its doors to the public 113 years ago and stands as an architectural marvel, earning National Historic Landmark status and hosting millions of visitors annually. With artistic spaces, a tennis club, and a unique train departure tradition, Grand Central remains an icon of travel and grand design.

This date also marks literary achievements and historical milestones, from the incorporation of New York City to the famed rescue story that inspired “Robinson Crusoe,” and the birthdays of celebrated innovators and writers like James Joyce.

Let’s keep these uplifting milestones in mind and carry their spirit of innovation and joy into our day!

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