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March 17,
1972 |
 Mariel Margaret Hamm, nicknamed Mia, is born in Selma, Alabama. Her father, Bill, is an Air Force fighter pilot, and her mother, Stephanie, is a former ballerina. As a result of her father's job, the Hamms move around frequently. In November 1972, the family moves to Monterey, California.
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1973 |
In May, the Hamms move to Florence, Italy, where young Mia discovers soccer.
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1975 |
The Hamms leave Italy and return to the United States. They live in northern Virginia for a year, then move to Texas, where they reside in Wichita Falls and San Antonio. Hamm joins her first soccer team at age 5.
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1985 |
At 13, Hamm becomes a Texas All-State selection in women's soccer.
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1987 |
Hamm, 15, becomes the youngest player to join the U.S. women's national team.
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1988 |
Hamm's family moves from Wichita Falls to northern Virginia. She graduates early from Lake Braddock Secondary School in Burke, Virginia.
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1989 |
 A freshman at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Hamm helps win the first in a series of four NCAA championships.
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1991 |
Hamm plays in her first Women's World Cup, scoring two goals.
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1994 |
Hamm graduates from the University of North Carolina with a bachelor's degree in political science. She marries her college sweetheart Christiaan Corry.
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1996 |
 The U.S. women's national soccer team wins the gold medal at the Atlanta Olympics.
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1997 |
Hamm's brother Garrett, who had battled a rare blood disorder called aplastic anemia, dies from infection after a bone marrow transplant.
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1999 |
The U.S. women's team wins the World Cup title in a final game against Denmark; Hamm scores the opening goal. She sets an international scoring record, with more career goals than any other player in the sport.
Following the death of her brother Garrett, she starts a charity to benefit bone marrow research.
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2000 |
The U.S. women's team wins the silver medal at the Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. Norway wins the gold in overtime.
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2001 |
 The Women's United Soccer Association, the first professional soccer league for women in the United States, begins its first season with eight teams. Hamm plays forward for the Washington Freedom.
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Melissa Etheridge
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