Local opinion: Here Comes 2026, a year of big anniversaries

Here comes 2026 — and with it, the 250th anniversary of our country. But closer to home, our city and state have some important milestones of their own to celebrate this new year, especially centennial-wise.

Let’s start statewide. For all of Arizona, 2026 marks the 100th anniversary of Route 66, the legendary highway that crossed the northern part of the state, connecting Chicago with Los Angeles. The famous song tells travelers to “get your kicks” on Route 66 and even gives Arizona three shout-outs. As Nat King Cole crooned:

“… Flagstaff, Arizona, don’t forget Winona, Kingman…”

When Route 66 opened in 1926, much of it was mud and gravel. Over time, it evolved into the first fully paved, long-distance, two-lane road connecting two of the nation’s largest cities — a true ribbon of progress stretching across the Southwest. And a real financial boon for us as Midwesterners could find their way down to Southern Arizona’s healthy, warm climate.

Now let’s turn to two great Tucson centennials, and they’re big ones.

The first is the 100th anniversary of radio broadcasting in the Old Pueblo — or perhaps we should say all broadcasting, since television would follow less than 30 years later.

Tucson’s first radio station wasn’t large or powerful, but it brought something entirely new into local homes: live entertainment through the airwaves. That station was KGAR, broadcasting at 1230 on the dial with a modest 100 watts — less than half the power of the weakest AM station today. It was owned by the Tucson Daily Citizen, which used the paper to promote its programming.

In an early article I unearthed from the newspaper’s archives, the Citizen made something clear: “The radio station, it should be understood, is not a money-making enterprise.” Instead, they described its purpose as simple “neighborliness.”

Broadcasting wasn’t full-time back then. Programs were sporadic, and everything was live. Music came from bands and orchestras performing in the studio — no records allowed. Eventually, someone must have said, “Why not just play records? That’s a lot easier than fitting a 16-piece band into the studio every night.” And just like that, the first Tucson disc jockey was born —though unfortunately, that person’s name has been lost to history.

One name that hasn’t been lost, however, is Frank Kalil, the most famous Tucson deejay of the 1950s and ’60s, remembered fondly by everyone who was here back then.

KGAR didn’t last long under the Citizen’s ownership. The newspaper decided it should stick to print — what it knew best — and the station was sold. Over the next century, it would pass through various owners, dial positions, call letters, and power upgrades.

Radio flourished. Tucson had five stations in 1950, ten by 1960, and today there are 69. Congratulations, Tucson radio — 100 years of great entertainment.

So what’s the other 100-year anniversary Tucson marks in 2026?

Sadly, it began as a tragedy.

In the fall of 1926, the captain of the University of Arizona football team, John “Button” Salmon, died following a terrible automobile accident. Before he passed away, he whispered words to his coach that would echo through time: “Tell the team to bear down.”

What began in sorrow became the two-word rallying cry for UA athletics. By January of the following year, “Bear Down” was officially adopted — forming the opening line of the fight song and eventually lending its name to Bear Down Gym.

What two perfect words. Imagine if he had whispered something else: “Beat the heck out of ’em.” “Win big.” “Play hard.” None of them quite measure up. “Bear Down” says it all — and says it better than anything else ever could.

So here’s to those who gave us so much 100 years ago: the road that connected the Midwest to Arizona, the first broadcasts that filled Tucson homes with music and voices, and John “Button" Salmon, who gave us the greatest college slogan anywhere.

Hello 2026 and Bear Down Tucson!