RAMS GO FOR GOLD : Los Angeles Rams: 1946-1994 : Stopped After a Gain of 49?

If the NFL approves their plans, the Rams’ Southern California run will be over after nearly half a century, and while there were a number of somewhat successful seasons, the team has only one NFL championship to show for it.

1946: Dan Reeves (below) moves team from Cleveland to Los Angeles. Record crowd of 95,000 packs Coliseum to see Rams win exhibition rematch of ’45 NFL title game. Coach Adam Walsh resigns after season.

1947: Bob Snyder named coach. Tom Harmon (right), 1940 Heisman winner, retires after two-year pro career.

1948: Clark Shaughnessy replaces Snyder. Halfback Fred Gehrke paints yellow horns on blue helmet. Other teams are soon dressing up their headgear.

1949: Rams draft Oregon quarterback Norm Van Brocklin.

1950: Assistant Joe Stydahar replaces Shaughnessy. Rams become one of first NFL teams to have games regularly televised. They lose NFL title game to Cleveland.

1951: Van Brocklin’s 73-yard touchdown pass to Tom Fears in fourth quarter of title game beats Browns, 24-17; L.A. has a champion.

1952: Stydahar resigns, replaced by Hamp Pool. Legendary quarterback Bob Waterfield retires.

1953: Rams trade 11 players to Dallas Texans for linebacker Les Richter, who enters Army and is unable to play this season.

1954: Elroy Hirsch and Don Paul receive Oldsmobiles as retirement gifts, but Paul plays one more season, Hirsch three. Coaching staff resigns.

1955: New coach is Sid Gillman. Team loses NFL title to Browns.

1957: Publicity director Pete Rozelle named general manager.

1959: Gillman is gone. Rozelle goes to the NFL commissioner’s office.

1960: Bob Waterfield is coach. Rams, out to spoil Cardinals’ first game as a St. Louis team, lose, 43-21. Maybe Arizona Cardinals can return the favor for the St. Louis Rams’ some day.

1961: Rams draft Marlin McKeever (first round), Joe Scibelli (10th round), Deacon Jones (14th round) and Charlie Cowan (21st round).

1962: Roman Gabriel and Merlin Olsen drafted in first round, but Rams finish with their worst record. Waterfield resigns in midseason, replaced by Harland Svare. Bob Hope sells interest in team.

1963: Reeves sells 49% of ownership to group that includes Gene Autry.

1964: Defensive line serves notice of a Fearsome Foursome future, sacking Green Bay’s All-Pro quarterback Bart Starr six times.

1966: George Allen (left) succeeds Svare after Chicago Bears owner George Halas loses court battle to keep him under contract.

1967: Rams beat Johnny Unitas and Baltimore Colts for the Coastal Division title, 34-10, then lose to eventual Super Bowl II champion, Green Bay.

1969: Rams lose to Vikings in playoffs, but Gabriel is unanimous NFL MVP pick.

1970: Allen’s contract not renewed despite five consecutive winning seasons, 49-17-4 record.

1971: Reeves dies of cancer; Tommy Prothro coaching era begins with a youth movement.

1972: Carroll Rosenbloom swaps his Colts franchise for Rams, fires Prothro and picks young Detroit assistant Chuck Knox to coach.

1973: Knox trades for quarterback John Hadl (left), who is named player of the year. Knox named coach of the year.

1974: Rams are preseason choice for Super Bowl, but bid ends in Minnesota in conference title game loss.

1975: Defense dominates in late season, but Dallas scores 37 to win NFC title game.

1976: NFC championship. Minnesota. Fourth and goal from the one-foot line. Tom Dempsey’s field-goal attempt is blocked and returned for a Viking touchdown. Rams lose.

1977: Rams lose to Vikings in playoffs for third time in four years. Knox resigns to coach Buffalo Bills.

1978: Rosenbloom hires Allen, releases him after two exhibition games and hires Ray Malavasi. Team announces plan to move to Anaheim Stadium in 1980.

1979: Rosenbloom dies; his widow, Georgia (right), becomes majority owner. Rams lose Super Bowl to Pittsburgh in fourth quarter.

1980: Rams lose season debut in Anaheim to Detroit.

1982: Quarterback Vince Ferragamo passes for 509 yards in a game, second highest in league history. Malavasi dismissed after strike season.

1983: John Robinson hired as head coach

1984: Eric Dickerson (left) breaks O.J. Simpson’s single-season rushing record of 2,003 yards on Dec. 4. He finishes with 2,105.

1985: Dieter Brock is colder than Chicago’s weather in NFC Championship game, completing 10 of 31 passes in a 24-0 loss.

1986: Rams trade for rights to Jim Everett, who becomes most prolific passer in franchise history.

1988: Everett sets four team single-season passing records and ties a fifth.

1989: Flipper Anderson sets NFL single-game receiving record with 336 yards on 15 catches. Rams lose NFC title game to San Francisco.

1990: Rams end 49ers’ bid to set NFL record for consecutive victories with 28-17 upset at Candlestick Park.

1991: Rams lose club-record 10 in a row to finish season and Robinson’s tenure.

1992: Knox begins second reign. Rams set team record by overcoming a 24-point deficit to beat Tampa Bay.

1993: Jerome Bettis rushes for 1,429 yards, named rookie of the year.

1994: Rams exercise escape clause in lease with Anaheim.

1995: Rams announce intention to move to St. Louis. Pending NFL approval.

Source: Times reports; Researched by JOHN WEYLER/Los Angeles Times