FIBA Timeline

From Hoopedia

December 1891: Basketball is invented in Springfield, Massachusetts, USA, when Dr. James Naismith tells his students to toss a soccer ball (futbol) into peach baskets.

June 18th, 1932: FIBA is founded by the following eight National Federations: Argentina, Czechoslovakia, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Portugal, Romania and Switzerland.

August 1st, 1936: Basketball is played for the first time in the Olympics at the Games of the XIth Olympiad in Berlin.

October 22nd, 1950: First FIBA World Championship for Men is opened in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

March 7th, 1953: First FIBA World Championship for Women is opened in Santiago, Chile.

April 8th, 1989: The FIBA World Congress decides to eliminate the distinction between amateurs and professionals, making all basketball players eligible for FIBA competitions, including the Olympics.

1991: The Centennial of basketball is celebrated by an estimated 350 million basketball players throughout the world. Celebrations end at the birthplace of basketball in Springfield, Massachusetts, USA.

July 1992: For the first time, professional players participate at the Olympic Games in Barcelona.

January 2002: FIBA counts 211 member federations and an estimated 400 million players.

March 2003: FIBA counts 212 member federations.

August 2006: Montenegro becomes 213th FIBA Member