lst Century B.C. -- Romans coined the phrase Vox populi; vox Dei, "the voice of the people is the voice of God." Underscored the emerging importance of public opinion.
15th century A.D. -- A variety of handbills and broadsides were used to promote various causes in the decades following the invention of printing with movable type by Johann Gutenberg in 1446.
1623 -- Pope Gregory XV created the College for Propagating the Faith, the first large-scale use of public relations, created by the Roman Catholic Church to retain followers and solicit converts in the aftermath of the Reformation. Origin of the modern term propaganda.
1641 -- Harvard College launched first systematic fundraising effort in the United States.
1748 -- King's College (now Columbia University) used first news release to solicit press coverage
1773 -- Colonists staged Boston Tea Party, a pseudo-event that helped crystalize public opinion against British rule.
1787-88 -- The Federalist Papers, a series of 85 pamphlets that were also reprinted as articles in newspapers, were produced to generate support for the formal creation of the United States and passage of its Constitution.
1820s -- Amos Kendall, a member of Andrew Jackson's kitchen cabinet, served as the first U.S. presidential press secretary.
1840s -- P.T. Barnum pioneered press agentry by promoting local appearances by his touring circus.
1850s -- American railroads used publicity, advertising and printed materrials to attract tourists and settlers to the American West.
1889 -- First corporate public relations department established by Westinghouse, a year after Mutual Life Insurance Company created a "species of literary bureau" to coordinate advertising and publicity. Westinghouse ultimately prevailed in the ensuing "battle of the current" to promote the benefits of alternating current (AC), versus the direct current (DC) invented earlier by Thomas Edison and the General Electric Company.
1896 -- The use of modern publicity in political campaigns began with the presidential election between William McKinley and William Jennings Bryan.
1900 -- The Publicity Bureau was organized in Boston as the nation's first publicity firm -- and forerunner of today's public relations agency.
1900s -- Corporations started to use a variety of techniques to promote positive relationships with customers. For example, Ford pioneered press product previews (1895) as well as auto racing (1903) as a means to promote its products. Chicago Edison was the first to use an external magazine (1903), films (1909), and stuffers inserted in customer bills (1912).
1906 -- Ivy Lee was hired to represent the industry in the anthracite coal strike. Lee issued his "Declaration of Principles," considered to be the birth of modern public relations counseling. (Lee later represented J.D. Rockeller's interests in the Colorado Fuel and Iron strike in 1914, also known as the bloody "Ludlow Massacre."
1916-18 -- The Committee on Public Information, headed by George Creel, promoted public support of American involvement in World War I.
1923 -- Edward L. Bernays published Crystalizing Public Opinion and popularized the term "public relations counsel." He also taught the first public relations course (at New York University).
1927 -- Arthur W. Page was named vice president-public relations at AT&T, accepting the job only if he were allowed to be involved in policy-making. Page would distinguish himself as the leading corporate practitioner of the century by emphasizing the importance of cooperation with the public and of disclosure about corporate activities.
1929 -- "The Golden Jubilee of Light" celebrated the 50th anniversary of the invention of the electric light bulb -- probably the greatest worldwide public relations event of the century, orchestrated by Edward L. Bernays.
1933 -- First political-campaign firm was established, by husband and wife Clem Whitaker and Leone Baxter, who pioneered modern electioneering with several famous campaigns in California.
1934 -- Franklin Delano Roosevelt used his famous "fireside chats" to instill confidence in the American people.
1936 -- First widespread use of public opinion polling.
1942 -- Office of War Information, headed by Elmer Davis, promoted public support and involvement in World War II.
1945 -- The Advertising Council (formerly the War Advertising Council) was reorganized to create information campaigns on behalf of various social causes.
1946 -- First widespread use of television publicity.
1953 -- The United States Information Agency (USIA) was created to disseminate news and cultural information abroad.