On July 8, 1933, Art Rooney decided to create a football team. 79 years later, along with a few name changes, the Pittsburgh Steelers have more Super Bowl championships (six) than any other franchise, and are one of the most recognizable and well-followed brands in the world.

Rooney chose the "Pirates" as the team's original name, only to change it to the Steelers before the 1940 season.

Finding little success in the first four decades (including mergers due to the war with the Philadelphia Eagles and the Chicago Cardinals), the Steelers broke ground on one of the most successful dynasties in the history of pro sports, winning four Super Bowls in the 1970s behind the legendary Steel Curtain Defense.

The Steelers re-created that level of dominance during the 1990s, but fell short of numerous Super Bowl appearances and championships, most notably losing Super Bowl XXX to rival Dallas.

The 2000s era under coach Bill Cowher saw a smashmouth running game coupled with one of the leagues best defensive units, culminating in a 21-10 win in Super Bowl XL, the famed "One For The Thumb" championship.

Second year coach, Mike Tomlin, became the youngest head coach in NFL history to win a Super Bowl, taking Super Bowl XLIII by virtue of a 27-23 win over the Arizona Cardinals in one of the best championship games ever played.

They returned to the Super Bowl after the 2010 season, their eighth trip to the title game, only to fall 31-26 to the Green Bay Packers.

Maybe their 79th year will bring with it their seventh Super Bowl. A crop of emerging younger players replace what's perceived as the core players from the end of the Cowher Era, and the team sets out to avenge a winless playoff season in 2011.

Happy birthday, Pittsburgh Steelers, here's to many more from your legion of fans across the world, and here on Behind The Steel Curtain.