On This Day

Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) forms in Paris

The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA; lit. 'International Association Football Federation' or 'International Federation of Association Football') is an international...

The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA; lit. 'International Association Football Federation' or 'International Federation of Association Football') is an international self-regulatory governing body of association football, beach football, and futsal. It was founded on 21 May 1904 to oversee international competition among the national associations of Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. Headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, its membership now comprises 211 national associations.

Historical Significance

The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA; lit.

Events Before

  1. First Powered Flight by the Wright Brothers

    Orville and Wilbur Wright make the first controlled, sustained flight of a powered, heavier-than-air aircraft near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

  2. German theoretical physicist Albert Einstein (23) weds Serbian physicist and mathematician Mileva Marić (27); divorce in

    German theoretical physicist Albert Einstein (23) weds Serbian physicist and mathematician Mileva Marić (27); divorce in 1919

  3. Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung (27) weds Swiss watch heiress Emma Rauschenbach (19), until her death in 1955

    Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung (27) weds Swiss watch heiress Emma Rauschenbach (19), until her death in 1955

  4. Fall of the Sokoto Caliphate in Northern Nigeria, British claim supremacy over 500,000 square miles

    Fall of the Sokoto Caliphate in Northern Nigeria, British claim supremacy over 500,000 square miles

  5. NY Highlanders (Yankees) play their first MLB game, losing 3-1 before 11,950 spectators against the Washington Senators

    NY Highlanders (Yankees) play their first MLB game, losing 3-1 before 11,950 spectators against the Washington Senators at American League Park

Events After

  1. Conference of 23 industrial trade unionists in Chicago, Illinois, issues the Industrial Union Manifesto, calling for a c

    Conference of 23 industrial trade unionists in Chicago, Illinois, issues the Industrial Union Manifesto, calling for a convention in Chicago in June and laying the groundwork for the formation of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW)

  2. A large demonstration of workers in St Petersburg, Russia, led by Father Gapon, marches to the Winter Palace with a peti

    A large demonstration of workers in St Petersburg, Russia, led by Father Gapon, marches to the Winter Palace with a petition to the Tsar; troops fire on the protesters in what becomes known as Bloody Sunday

  3. General officer John J. Pershing (44) weds Helen Frances

    General of the Armies John Joseph Pershing (September 13, 1860 – July 15, 1948), nicknamed "Black Jack", was an American army general, educator, and founder of the Pershing Rifles.

  4. Albert Einstein finishes his scientific paper detailing his quantum theory of light, a foundation of modern physics

    Albert Einstein (14 March 1879 – 18 April 1955) was a German-born theoretical physicist best known for developing the theory of relativity.

  5. Eleanor Roosevelt (20) marries Franklin D. Roosevelt (23) later 32nd US President in New York, & given away by her uncle

    Eleanor Roosevelt (20) marries Franklin D. Roosevelt (23) later 32nd US President in New York, & given away by her uncle, 26th President Theodore Roosevelt

More from the 1900s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on May 21, 1904?
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA; lit. 'International Association Football Federation' or 'International Federation of Association Football') is an international self-regulatory governing body of association football, beach football, and futsal. It was founded on 21 May 1904 to oversee international competition among the national associations of Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
Why is Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) forms in Paris significant?
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA; lit.

Explore More