Short answers, pulled from the story.
The National Football Conference was created in 1970 as part of the NFL's merger with the American Football League. The NFC's divisional alignment was determined on the 16th of January, 1970, when NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle's secretary, Thelma Elkjer, drew the winning plan from a glass bowl.
The NFC has 16 teams organized into four divisions of four teams each: East, North, South, and West. This four-division structure has been in place since the 2002 realignment.
The Dallas Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers are tied for the most NFC conference championships with eight each. Both teams are also tied for the most Super Bowl wins by any NFC member with five apiece.
The Detroit Lions are the only NFC team that has never appeared in a Super Bowl.
Seven NFC teams qualify for the playoffs each season: the four division winners and three wild card teams. The bracket culminates in the NFC Championship Game, with the winner receiving the George S. Halas Trophy and advancing to the Super Bowl.
NFC team owners could not agree on how to group the 13 legacy NFL clubs into divisions. After narrowing the options to five plans, each sealed in an envelope, the final decision was made by drawing one envelope from a glass bowl. Plan 3 was selected, establishing the Eastern, Central, and Western divisions.