The San Francisco 49ers began play in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) and joined the NFL in 1950 after the AAFC merged into the older league. The 49ers teams of the 1980s and early 1990s were a great dynasty given their five Super Bowl triumphs in that span, including four in the 1980s. The team is also the first NFL franchise to win 5 super bowls and the only team to win 5 in the span of 13 years, The team is currently second only to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl wins (tied with the Dallas Cowboys for five each).