THE ROZELLE YEARS

* MARCH 1, 1926: Alvin Rozelle is born in South Gate. He will later always be known as Pete.

* 1946: Leaves the Navy after serving as a yeoman 2nd class during World War II.

* 1947: Works for the Rams editing their game programs while attending Compton Junior College.

* 1952: Begins NFL career, joining the Rams as their public relations director. Stays three years.

* 1957: Returns to the Rams as general manager for $25,000 a year.

* JAN. 26, 1960: At 33, is elected the league’s sixth commissioner as a compromise candidate on the 23rd ballot. Moves league headquarters from Philadelphia to New York.

* 1961: Successfully lobbies for a sports bill granting limited antitrust exemption to the NFL.

* 1962: Negotiates a two-year, $9.3-million television contract with CBS, a deal that earned him re-election as commissioner and a $10,000 bonus that increased his salary to $60,000.

* 1963: Indefinitely suspends Green Bay’s Paul Hornung and Detroit’s Alex Karras for betting on their own teams and other NFL games. The two are reinstated in 1964.

* NOV. 24, 1963: Allows games to be played two days after assassination of President Kennedy. Later admits it was his biggest mistake as commissioner.

* JUNE 8, 1966: Announces a merger of NFL and AFL, creating the way for a championship game later to be called the Super Bowl.

* 1969: Conceives the idea for televising games on Monday nights, which is rejected by CBS and NBC but eagerly adopted by ABC, whose “Monday Night Football” starts in the 1970 season.

* JULY 18, 1969: Persuades New York Jet quarterback Joe Namath to obey an order to sell his interest in a New York night club.

* 1974: Given 10-year contract by team owners; steers league through player strike.

* 1980: Engages in a bitter, two-year antitrust lawsuit with Al Davis after Davis proposes moving the Raiders from Oakland to Los Angeles.

* 1982: Negotiates a five-year, $2.1-billion contract with the three major networks to televise all regular-season and postseason games; steers league through player strike that causes nine-game season.

* AUG. 3, 1985: Elected to Pro Football Hall of Fame.

* 1986: Expands the NFL’s television exposure to cable, selling a Sunday night series to ESPN.

* 1987: Announces a three-year, $1.428-billion television pact with ABC, NBC and CBS for 1987-89; steers league through a player strike, using replacement players in three games.

* MARCH 22, 1989: Retires unexpectedly as NFL commissioner.

* DECEMBER 1993: Undergoes surgery for brain cancer.

* DEC. 6, 1996: Dies at his home in Rancho Santa Fe of brain cancer at 70.