Ok, I actually read the wiki links and can see the issues.
ACCORDING to Wiki, the original Captain Mar-Vell was created in 1967. He died in 1982 (and, AMAZINGLY, has remained dead) and was replaced by a female Captain Marvel, Monica Rambeau.
(We're going to leave that thread there).
Carl Danvers, the character that is now Captain Marvel, was created in 1968 and gained her powers to become Ms. Marvel in 1977.
1968:
1977:
After years as Ms. Marvel (and having provided Rogue with her proper powers), she took on the mantle of Captain Marvel in 2012. (Something having happened to several other Captain Marvels that I'm not going to care to track down.) Ms. Marvel was a common character in the Avengers comics, it seems.
There. Now I have lots of useless information in my head that I didn't really care about in the first place.
So, those who are remembering a Captain Marvel prior to 1968 are remembering what is today more commonly known as "Shazam".