On November 2, 1898 at the University of Minnesota, student Johnny Campbell got up from the seats and took the field in order to lead the student body in a chant: Rah, Rah, Rah! Ski-u-mah! Hoo-Rah! Hoo-Rah! Varsity! Varsity! Varsity, Minn-e-So-Tah! He jumped over the fence, and cheerleading as we know it was born. The “birthday of cheerleading” is celebrated annually on November 2nd.