Editing International Amphitheatre (section)

==Events and tenants==
The original primary purpose of the arena was to host the [[North American International Livestock Exposition]]. This event would be held at the arena until several years after the [[Union Stock Yards]] closed in July 1971, when it left for [[Louisville]], [[Kentucky]].<ref name="Backc"/><ref name="aepstein"/>

===Presidential nominating conventions===
[[File:John Daly News 1956.JPG|thumb|[[John Charles Daly|John Daly]] and [[Quincy Howe]] providing [[CBS]]' coverage of the 1952 political conventions]]

The Amphitheatre hosted several national American presidential nominating conventions, with an overall record of 1-4:
*[[1952 Republican National Convention]] (nominated [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]] for President and [[Richard Nixon|Richard M. Nixon]] for [[Vice President of the United States|Vice President]]; ticket won)
*[[1952 Democratic National Convention]] (nominated [[Adlai Stevenson II|Adlai E. Stevenson]] for President and [[John Sparkman|John J. Sparkman]] for Vice President; ticket lost)
*[[1956 Democratic National Convention]] (nominated Adlai E. Stevenson for President and [[Estes Kefauver]] for Vice President; ticket lost)
*[[1960 Republican National Convention]] (nominated Richard M. Nixon for President and [[Henry Cabot Lodge Jr.]] for Vice President; ticket lost)
*[[1968 Democratic National Convention]] (nominated [[Hubert Humphrey|Hubert H. Humphrey]] for President and [[Edmund Muskie|Edmund S. Muskie]] for Vice President; ticket lost)

The [[1952 Republican National Convention]] had the distinction of being the first political convention broadcast live by television coast to coast, with special studio facilities provided for all the major networks.<ref>{{cite journal| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XNwDAAAAMBAJ&dq=true&pg=PA94| title=TV Goes to the Conventions| journal=[[Popular Mechanics]]| date=June 1952| pages=94–97}}</ref>

The [[1968 Democratic National Convention]] was one of the most tumultuous political conventions in American history, noted by [[Opposition to the Vietnam War|anti-war]] [[1968 Democratic National Convention protest activity|protests]].

===Sports===
Televised boxing and wrestling events were held at the venue for decades, making it a well-known venue across the United States.<ref name="Backc"/> In December 1981, [[Joe Frazier]] had his final boxing match at the Amphitheatre against [[Floyd Cummings]], which resulted in a draw.

The arena, which seated 9,000, was the first home of the [[Chicago Packers]] of the [[National Basketball Association|NBA]] during [[1961&ndash;62 NBA season|1961&ndash;62]], before changing their name to the [[Chicago Zephyrs]] and moving to the [[Chicago Coliseum]] for their second season.<ref>{{cite web| last=Hareas| first=John| title=A Colorful Tradition| url=http://www.nba.com/wizards/news/WizHistory_010806.html| publisher=Washington Wizards| access-date=2008-03-19}}</ref> It was also the home of the [[Chicago Bulls]] during their inaugural season of [[1966&ndash;67 NBA season|1966&ndash;67]]; they also played only one game in the Chicago Coliseum, a playoff game in their first season, as no other arena was available for a game versus the [[St. Louis Hawks]]. Afterwards, the Bulls then moved permanently to Chicago Stadium, where they remained until {{nbay|1993|end}}, when they moved to their current home court at the [[United Center]].

The Amphitheatre was also the primary home of the [[Chicago Cougars]] of the [[World Hockey Association|WHA]] from [[1972 in sports|1972]] to [[1975 in sports|1975]]. It was originally intended to be only a temporary home for the Cougars, but the permanent solution, the Rosemont Horizon, was not completed until 1980, five years after the team folded and a year after the WHA ceased operation. The International Amphitheatre was the home for Chicago's [[Professional wrestling|wrestling]] scene for years as well as the [[Chicago Auto Show]] for approximately 20 years beginning in the 1940s.<ref>{{cite web| title=Regional Territories-WWA Indianapolis| url=http://www.kayfabememories.com/Regions/wwa-ind/wwaind12.htm| publisher=Kayfabe Memories| date=April 21, 2004| last=Tito| first=Rich| access-date=2016-02-03}}</ref><ref name=demo/>

Strangely enough, on December 30, 1962, and January 5, 1964, the Chicago Amphitheatre hosted The Southside WinterNationals INDOOR Drag Races. With the smooth concrete floors, Drivers reported it was like racing on ice. It was also reported that after the first races, cases of Coca-Cola syrup were brought in, poured on the floor and allowed to dry overnight. Drivers like Arnie "The Farmer" Beswick, and Mr. Norm from Grand Spaulding Dodge later admitted the syrup did little to help traction. Staging was outside in the Chicago - January cold. Drivers did as many as 5 "burnouts" just to heat the rear tires. The shutdown area involved a sharp turn and wall that claimed more than a few of the entries.

On March 13–14, 1976, the Midwest Regional of the [[North American Soccer League (1968–84)|North American Soccer League]]'s [[1976 NASL Indoor tournament|1976 Indoor tournament]] was hosted by the [[Chicago Sting]] at the Amphitheater. The [[Rochester Lancers (1967–80)|Rochester Lancers]] won the Region to advance to the Final Four played in Florida.<ref>{{cite news| title=Opener for the Sting tonight| url=http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1976/03/13/page/205/article/opener-for-the-sting-tonight| last=Milbert| first=Neil| work=[[Chicago Tribune]]| date=March 13, 1976| page=5, Section 2}}</ref>

The Loyola Ramblers basketball team were tenants of the venue during their 1987–88 and 1988–89 seasons,<ref name="Backc"/><ref name="Jauss1"/> but faced poor attendance at the aging facility.<ref name="Jauss1"/>

===Concerts and entertainment===
Notable performers who held shows at the venue included [[Dale Evans]] and [[Roy Rogers]], [[Evel Knievel]], [[The Rolling Stones]], [[Frank Sinatra]], [[Led Zeppelin]], [[The Who]], [[Pink Floyd]], [[AC/DC]], [[Black Sabbath]], [[Santana (band)|Santana]], [[Ike & Tina Turner]], [[Grateful Dead]], [[Van Halen]], [[Aerosmith]], [[UFO (band)|UFO]], [[Selena]] and [[The Jackson 5]].<ref name="Backc"/><ref>{{cite web |title=International Amphitheatre |url=https://interactive.wttw.com/timemachine/international-amphitheatre |website=WTTW Chicago |access-date=11 August 2022 |language=en |date=25 November 2013}}</ref> The Amphitheatre is noted for being the site of one of [[Elvis Presley]]’s most notable concerts, on March 28, 1957, with the singer wearing his now legendary gold lamé suit for the first time.<ref name=Elvis>{{cite journal| title=Elvis in Chicago Was 'Electrifying': An 80th Birthday Celebration| url=https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20150108/bridgeport/elvis-chicago-was-electrifying| last=Cora| first=Casey| date=January 8, 2015| journal=[[DNAinfo.com]]| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160316215423/https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20150108/bridgeport/elvis-chicago-was-electrifying| archive-date=March 16, 2016}}</ref> On September 5, 1964, and August 12, 1966, [[The Beatles]] performed at the Amphitheatre. The 1966 show was the first show of what proved to be their [[The Beatles' 1966 US tour|last tour]].<ref name=BB>{{cite web| title=Live: International Amphitheatre, Chicago| date=5 September 1964| url=http://www.beatlesbible.com/1964/09/05/live-international-amphitheatre-chicago/| publisher=The Beatles Bible| access-date=2016-02-03}}</ref> For eighteen years, the arena was the site of Chicago visits by the [[Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus]].<ref name="Backc"/> In October 1978, English rock group [[UFO (band)|UFO]] recorded parts of what would become ''[[Strangers in the Night (UFO album)|Strangers in the Night]]'' at the International Amphitheatre.