The Super Bowl, an annual American football championship, has grown to be a global entertainment extravaganza.

Just as much anticipation exists for the halftime performance and ads as for the actual action. However,

a rare display of patriotism that had not been seen since the end of World War II transformed America’s national attitude and permanently altered the pre-game presentation more than 30 years ago.

Ezoic Ten days after the Persian Gulf War broke out, on January 27, 1991, the Super Bowl took place.

With hundreds of millions of people worldwide watching the aerial attack on Baghdad live on television, the United States’ entry into that battle was an extraordinary event in and of itself.

Whitney Houston took the stage just prior to the Tampa Bay, Florida, game to perform the “Star Spangled Banner,” the country’s national anthem, in front of 73,000 spectators and 750 million viewers worldwide.

And after that, nothing would be the same on a pre-game show. When Whitney reached her pinnacle in 1991,

she was unquestionably one of the most well-known and well-liked singers worldwide. And more than any other performance, this one firmly established her as a superstar.

Thousands of people at the stadium were crying with the intense emotion of the occasion, and there were undoubtedly millions more crying at home, even though Whitney herself was able to grin and wave during the performance.

When I think back on that occasion, there are two things that make it unique. First of all, in 2012, the wonderful voice of Whitney Houston was tragically lost to us.

Second, the level of unity and patriotism exhibited by Americans at that time has never been matched. Check out the incredible performance here, and then tell us what you think by posting a Facebook comment!