Economics in History
Explore 52 historical moments related to economics — from pivotal breakthroughs to world-changing events.
📅 13th Century(1)
📅 19th Century(1)
📅 20th Century(20)
Wall Street Crash
The Wall Street Crash of 1929, also known as Black Thursday, occurs. This stock market crash marked the beginning of a prolonged economic downturn worldwide.
Wall Street Crash of 1929
The Wall Street Crash of 1929, also known as Black Tuesday, marked the beginning of a major stock market decline.
Black Tuesday: Wall Street Crash begins
The Wall Street Crash of 1929, also known as Black Tuesday, marked the beginning of a major economic downturn that led to the Great Depression.
Iranian oil industry nationalized
The Iranian oil industry was nationalized in a movement led by Mohammad Mosaddegh.
AMC Gremlin introduced
The American Motors Corporation introduced the Gremlin, marketed as America's first subcompact car.
World Trade Center Dedicated
The World Trade Center in New York City was officially dedicated. This occurred a year after the completion of its twin towers.
Microsoft is founded
Bill Gates and Paul Allen establish Microsoft, a company that becomes central to the personal computer revolution.
Microsoft Founded
Bill Gates and Paul Allen founded Microsoft in Albuquerque, New Mexico. They aimed to develop and sell BASIC interpreters for the Altair 8800.
Lockheed admits to bribery
Lockheed Corporation president Carl Kotchian admitted the company paid approximately US$3 million in bribes to the office of Japanese prime minister Kakuei Tanaka. This admission revealed significant corporate corruption.
Apple Computer is incorporated
Apple Computer is formally incorporated by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Mike Markkula, helping launch the personal computer era.
Callaghan Government Falls
British Prime Minister James Callaghan's government was defeated by one vote in a no-confidence motion. This followed widespread strikes during the Winter of Discontent.
Reagan lifts oil price controls
U.S. president Ronald Reagan lifted price controls from petroleum products, contributing to the 1980s oil glut.
ZX81 Home Computer Launched
The ZX81, a pioneering British home computer, was launched by Sinclair Research. It went on to sell more than 1.5 million units worldwide.
Sinclair C5 launched
Sir Clive Sinclair launched the Sinclair C5 personal electric vehicle, which became a cult collectible despite its commercial failure.
"We Are the World" Released
The charity single "We Are the World" by the supergroup USA for Africa was released, and went on to sell more than 20 million copies.
Escondida Copper Mine Inaugurated
Escondida, which would become one of the world's most productive copper mines, was officially inaugurated.
Barings Bank collapse
Barings Bank, London's oldest merchant bank, became insolvent after Nick Leeson lost £827 million in unauthorized trades. Leeson was the head derivatives trader in Singapore.
Euro currency introduced
The euro is introduced as an accounting currency in eleven European Union member states, marking a milestone in European integration.
Steve Ballmer becomes Microsoft CEO
Steve Ballmer replaced Bill Gates as the chief executive officer of Microsoft.
US v. Microsoft Antitrust Ruling
In United States v. Microsoft Corp., Microsoft was found to have violated antitrust law by bundling Internet Explorer with its Windows operating system.
📅 21th Century(30)
Azerbaijan Redenomination Decree
President Ilham Aliyev issued a decree on the redenomination of Azerbaijan's currency. One new manat was made equal to 5000 old manats.
Texas City refinery explosion
A fire and explosion at an oil refinery in Texas City killed 15 workers.
Bitcoin Genesis Block Mined
The cryptocurrency network of bitcoin was created when Satoshi Nakamoto mined the first block of the chain.
Tesla Model S Unveiled
A prototype of the Tesla Model S, a groundbreaking electric car, was unveiled. This vehicle would become highly influential in the automotive industry.
Protests at Icelandic parliament
During a national financial crisis, thousands of people protested at the Icelandic parliament in Reykjavík.
L'Homme qui marche I sold for record price
An edition of Alberto Giacometti's sculpture L'Homme qui marche I was sold for £65 million. This set the record for the most expensive sculpture sold at auction.
Brussels Airport Diamond Heist
Eight gunmen stole US$50,000,000 worth of diamonds from a Swiss-bound aircraft at Brussels Airport.
Lloyd Shapley
Lloyd Shapley was an American mathematician and economist, and a Nobel Prize laureate.
Roger Agnelli
Roger Agnelli, a Brazilian banker and businessman, died on March 19, 2016. He was born in 1959.
Panama Papers Revealed
The first news stories on the Panama Papers were published, exposing the illegal use of shell corporations by the law firm Mossack Fonseca.
UK Invokes Article 50 for Brexit
British prime minister Theresa May invoked Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union, formally beginning the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union.
Manchester bus drivers strike
Bus drivers in Greater Manchester began an eleven-week strike, one of the longest in British transportation history.
Suez Canal obstruction
A container ship ran aground and obstructed the Suez Canal for six days.
Gordon Moore
Gordon Moore was an American businessman, engineer, and co-founder of Intel Corporation.
North Korean Migrant Workers Unrest
Several thousand North Korean migrant workers in Helong engaged in civil unrest, including a factory occupation and hostage-taking, due to unpaid wages.
Iris Apfel
Iris Apfel, an American businesswoman, interior designer, and philanthropist, has died.
Daniel Kahneman
Daniel Kahneman was an Israeli-American author, psychologist, and economist, and a Nobel Prize laureate.
Costas Simitis
Costas Simitis was a Greek economist, lawyer, and politician who served as Prime Minister of Greece.
Junior Bridgeman
Junior Bridgeman, American basketball player and businessman, died.
Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa
Portuguese businessman Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa died.
Horst Köhler
Horst Köhler, Polish-German economist and politician, 9th President of Germany, died.
Fay Vincent
Fay Vincent, American lawyer and businessman, 8th Commissioner of Baseball, died.
Harry Jayawardena
Harry Jayawardena, Sri Lankan industrialist, died. He was born in 1942.
Kandiah Balendra
Kandiah Balendra, Sri Lankan corporate leader and executive, died. He was born in 1940.
Irv Gotti
Death of Irv Gotti, American record producer and co-founder of Murder Inc Records.
Jane Reed
Jane Reed was a UK Magazine editor and media executive.
Carl Lundström
Carl Lundström, Swedish businessman and activist, died on this date.
Lee Shau-kee
Lee Shau-kee, Hong Kong real estate billionaire, died.
Death of George Foreman
George Foreman, an American boxer, actor, and businessman, died.
David Webb
British activist shareholder (born 1965).
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Frequently Asked Questions
- What are the most important economics events in history?
- Notable economics events include: Marco Polo begins journey home (1292), Coca-Cola first sold (1886), Wall Street Crash (1929).
- How many economics events are in the timeline?
- Our collection includes 52 historical entries related to economics, spanning centuries of human history.
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