Remembering the Georgia Dome
ATLANTA - After more than 25 years and more than 1,400 events, it's time to say goodbye to the Georgia Dome.
Construction began on November 22, 1989, and by March 1, 1992, the Georgia Dome was finished. It was the largest covered stadium in the world when it opened and had the world's largest cable-supported fabric roof.
The Falcons made their dome debut in style, with players such as Jessie Tuggle and Deion Sanders, and Coach Jerry Glanville.
Arguably, the biggest moment in the dome's history came in 1996 when it hosted the Olympics. The Magnificent Seven won the first ever gold medal for the United States during the women's gymnastics team competition. It was Kerri Strug's historic vault landing on a badly injured left ankle that clinched the championship and proved an Olympic moment that will be remembered for years to come.
The Georgia Dome, which cost $214 million to build, is the only venue to host the Olympics, a Super Bowl, and the NCAA Men's Final Four.
The dome also crowned many state champions, hosting nearly 300 high school football games, 152 college football games, including 25 Peach Bowls, and 23 SEC Championships. It also hosted international soccer matches, countless Monster Jams, Supercross events, and concerts. The first-ever concert held at the dome was the Olympic Flag Jam featuring Whitney Houston, James Brown, Travis Tritt, and many other artists.
Over the years, the Georgia Dome brought in 37 million guests and generated more than $7 billion.
The dome was also struck by a tornado in 2008 during the SEC basketball tournament.
Nearly 5,000 pounds of explosives were used to blast the dome to smithereens Monday morning.