Al Bello/Allsport

Ice hockey emerged in the early 1800s as a cross between English field hockey and Indian lacrosse. The sport spread across Canada, played by Scottish and Irish immigrants as well as British soldiers. Athletes blended field hockey rules with an on-ice game created by the Micmac Indians of Nova Scotia.

1892: The first known organized women's hockey game takes place in Ontario, Canada.

1904: American dentist J.L. Gibson starts the first International Pro Hockey League, importing Canadian players to fill his teams.

1908: The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) is formed, using the French name Ligue Internationale de Hockey sur Glace (LIHG).

1920: Men's ice hockey debuts as an Olympic sport at the Summer Games held in Antwerp, Belgium. Canada captures the gold and the United States takes the silver.

1936: The Amateur Hockey Association of the United States (AHAUS), now called USA Hockey, Inc., is formed.

1960: At the Squaw Valley, Calif., Winter Games, the United States men's team wins its first Olympic gold medal. The victory increases the country's interest in the sport. High school programs begin feeding stronger players into the college hockey system.

1964-1976: The Soviet Union men's team captures four straight Olympic gold medals.

1980: Called the “Miracle on Ice,” the American men's ice hockey team defeats the powerhouse Soviet Union on its way to a gold medal at the Lake Placid, N.Y., Winter Games. The United States, seeded seventh in a 12-team field, stuns the Soviet Union 4-3 in one of Olympic ice hockey's greatest upsets.

1990: The IIHF sanctions the first Women's World Championships in Ottawa, Canada.

1998: Women's ice hockey debuts at the Nagano, Japan, Olympic Winter Games. Led by captain Cammi Granato, the United States beats Canada 3-1 for the gold medal.