© Getty Images

Princeton Cheer -

The first documented organized cheer dates back to 1877, at Princeton University. The "Princeton Cheer" was yelled from the stands, though there was not a single person or group of people on the sideline directing the crowd.

© Getty Images

The original cheerleader -

In 1898, University of Minnesota student Johnny Campbell (pictured) picked up a megaphone during a football game and started chanting, engaging the crowd.

© Public Domain

The original cheerleader -

Campbell cheered: "Rah, Rah, Rah! Ski-u-mah, Hoo-Rah! Hoo-Rah! Varsity! Varsity! Varsity, Minn-e-So-Tah!"

© Getty Images

Male cheerleaders -

In the beginning, all cheerleaders were male. Here are Maryland cheerleaders performing a routine in 1937.

© Getty Images

Male cheerleaders -

In the early years, male cheerleaders served to encourage the crowd and helped control them.

© Getty Images

Male cheerleaders -

Some famous men were actually cheerleaders, including former US Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and George W. Bush.

© Getty Images

Women started cheering -

In 1923, women were finally allowed to cheer. Here's a picture of Springfield High School cheerleaders in 1941.

© Getty Images

1930s -

Women cheerleaders became the norm in the following decades.

© Getty Images

1940s -

By 1940, there were around 30,000 cheerleading teams in American high schools and colleges.

© Getty Images

Organization -

In 1948, Lawrence Herkimer founded the National Cheerleaders Association in the US.

© Getty Images

Association -

The first cheerleading team in the NFL was established in 1954 to cheer the Baltimore Colts.

© Getty Images

They started younger -

By 1967, children as young as four years old were starting to train to become cheerleaders.

© Getty Images

Human rights movement -

In 1967, only one African-American cheerleader was picked for a high school's varsity team. This resulted in over 1,000 Black students protesting in Illinois.

© Getty Images

Human rights movement -

One year later, two Yale cheerleaders, Greg Parker and Bill Brown, gave the Black Power salute during the National Anthem.

© Getty Images

The impact of feminism -

Many, if not most, cheerleaders did not follow feminist ideology in the 1970s, and did not agree with the sexual exploitation stigma associated with cheerleading.

© Getty Images

It kept growing -

Cheerleading didn't stop growing. By the 1970s, there were 11 NFL teams with cheerleaders.

© Getty Images

1975 -

It's estimated that in 1975 about 500,000 people were cheerleading in the US.

© Getty Images

Dallas Cowboys -

In the '70s, the Dallas Cowboys revolutionized the direction of cheerleading. Slightly older women were brought in and they started showing more skin.

© Getty Images

They were a hit -

The (sexier) Cowboys Cheerleaders became a hit. They were even asked by the US government to do a global tour and cheer for soldiers.

© Getty Images

Competition -

In 1978, other teams tried to compete with the Dallas cheerleaders in dressing more provocatively. American sports magazine Sports Illustrated called it the "Great Cheerleading War of 1978."

© Getty Images

UCA -

In 1974, Jeff Webb founded the Universal Cheerleaders Association. Cheerleading became more athletic at the time.

© Getty Images

Varsity Spirit Corporation -

The UCA later became the Varsity Spirit Corporation. The organization now owns the majority of the market for cheer uniforms.

© Getty Images

Laker Girls -

The Laker Girls were the first squad in the NBA, this in 1979. They went down as an important milestone in cheerleading history. Fun fact: singer Paula Abdul was famously a Laker Girl.

© Getty Images

1990s -

Cheerleading grew a lot in the '90s. Squads went from the sidelines to becoming the main attraction for many.

© Getty Images

Athletes -

The stunts and athleticism required for the choreography elevated cheerleaders' status to that of athletes.

© Getty Images

First world championship -

The first world cheerleading championships finally happened in 2004.

© Getty Images

Hollywood -

While cheerleaders have been depicted in many movies, 'Bring It On' (2000) was a game changer. Cheerleading became really mainstream after the film.

© BrunoPress

Safety concerns -

Cheerleading has become a very demanding athletic endeavor with all sorts of stunts. As a result, the injury rate has increased dramatically throughout the years.

© Getty Images

Olympic sport -

Cheerleading was provisionally recognized as a sport by the International Olympic Committee in December 2016.

© Getty Images

Pop culture -

Shows such as the 2020 Netflix docuseries 'Cheer' contribute to the popularization of cheerleading around the world.

© BrunoPress

Cheerleaders -

Nowadays, cheerleading squads go from amateurs to professionals, and the love for it has spread all over the world.

Sources: (Business Insider) (It's Rosy)

See also: Celebs who used to be cheerleaders

© Getty Images