THROUGH THE YEARS 2002

1952

ight Eisenhower is elected president of the United States.

Kellogg's introduces Tony the Tiger and Sugar Frosted Flakes.

1953

Retailers in Denver give out quadruple trading stamps as stamp war breaks out.

Swift introduces Butterball self-basting turkeys.

1954

Safeway conducts test of palletized shipments from a supplier directly to its Landover, Md., warehouse.

C.A. Swanson & Sons introduces frozen TV dinners.

1955

First home microwave ovens are introduced.

Winn & Lovett acquires Dixie Home Stores to form Winn-Dixie Stores.

1956

Lucky Stores becomes the second-largest chain in California (after Safeway) after acquiring Cardinal Grocery Stores.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture articulates the four basic food groups.

1957

J.S. Dillon & Sons Stores Co., Hutchinson, Kan., merges with King Soopers, Denver, for combined volume of $54 million.

Passings: George Hartford, A&P chairman.

1958

Kroger introduces a service deli, bakery and barbecue shop at a store in Detroit under the name, The Continental Counter.

Aluminum cans make their debut, containing parmesan cheese.

1959

Alaska and Hawaii become the 49th and 50th states, respectively.

Thirteen supermarket operators in San Diego, Calif., are charged by a federal grand jury with conspiracy to fix prices.

1960

John F. Kennedy is elected president of the United States.

Safeway converts from rack jobbers to direct buying of nonfood items.

1961

U.S. operatives attack Bay of Pigs in Cuba.

First National Stores, Boston, agrees to purchase Safeway's 164-store New York division.

P&G introduces Pampers disposable diapers.

1962

First Wal-Mart discount store opens in Rogers, Ark.

Coca-Cola introduces Tab; Pepsi introduces Diet Pepsi; Royal Crown Cola introduces Diet Rite.

1963

John F. Kennedy is assassinated in Dallas; Lyndon Johnson becomes president of the United States.

Chiffon, the first spreadable margarine, is introduced; Weight Watchers holds its first meeting.

1964

Congress creates the National Commission on Food Marketing to determine how the food industry has changed over the years and how those changes impact food distribution.

Esther Peterson is appointed special assistant to President Johnson for consumer affairs.

Congress approves a permanent food stamp program.

1965

Grand Union Co., Elmwood Park, N.J., agrees to comply with an order from the Federal Trade Commission to sell 10 stores -- the first time a supermarket chain agrees to divest stores under FTC order.

Researchers at the University of Florida develop Gatorade.

1966

Supermarkets Operating Co. and General Supermarkets, the two largest members of the Shop-Rite cooperative, agree to merge, creating Pathmark Stores.

Housewife boycotts protesting high prices spread across the United States.

1967

Acquisitions: Ralphs Grocery Co., Los Angeles, by Federated Department Stores, Cincinnati.

Cool Whip, the first whipped topping, is introduced.

1968

Richard M. Nixon is elected president of the United States.

Albertson's and Skaggs Drug Centers establish a joint venture to operate combination stores in Texas.

1969

Neil Armstrong walks on the moon.

U.S. bans sale of soft drinks using artificial sweetener cyclamate.

The Nixon administration asks Congress to grant consumers "class action" power to sue retailers and manufacturers for fraudulent practices.

1970

Jewel Food Stores converts all locations to dual pricing, listing both price per package and per unit; it also becomes the first major U.S. chain to inaugurate storewide code dating.

The Nixon administration imposes wage and price freezes on industry.

1971

Giant Food becomes the first U.S. retailer to test nutritional labeling on 10 private-brand items.

Suffolk County, N.Y., bans the sale of all detergents containing phosphates.

Ziploc plastic bags are introduced.

1972

"Burglars" break into the Democratic Committee offices at the Watergate Hotel in Washington.

Safeway surpasses A&P to become the nation's largest supermarket chain.

1973

Nixon resigns; Gerald R. Ford becomes president of the United States.

The industry selects an omni-directional, linear bar code as its Universal Product Code.

1974

A Marsh Supermarket in Troy, Ohio, installs the industry's first checkstand scanner.

Belgium-based Delhaize becomes the largest shareholder in Food Town Stores, Salisbury, N.C.

1975

Lucky Stores unveils a scanner-equipped checkout in a store with prices only on shelf labels, not on individual items.

Super Market Institute and the National Association of Food Chains agree to merge into Food Marketing Institute.

1976

Jimmy Carter is elected president of the United States.

Robert O. Aders, former Kroger chairman and CEO, is elected president of Food Marketing Institute.

1977

Netherlands-based Ahold acquires Bi-Lo Stores, Mauldin, S.C.

1978

A proposed merger of Skaggs Cos. and Jewel Food Stores fails to win a majority vote by Skaggs' directors.

Jewel Food Stores introduces generics.

1979

The Tengelmann Group, West Germany, buys 42% of A&P stock for $78.6 million.

American Stores Co. and Skaggs Cos. agree to merge into a holding company under the American Stores banner.

Industry leaders meet with President Carter to dispel notion that they are profiteers.

1980

President Carter signs truck deregulation bill, legalizing cost-justified backhauls.

Ronald Reagan is elected president of the United States.

Supervalu buys Cub Foods for $10 million.

1981

Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. acquires Fred Meyer Inc.

Medfly threatens California crops.

1982

Tylenol capsules laced with cyanide kill seven in Chicago.

Cooperative Food Distributors of America merges with the National Association of Retail Grocers of the U.S. to form the National Grocers Association.

1983

Food Town Stores changes its name to Food Lion.

Wal-Mart opens first Sam's Club in Moore, Okla.

1984

American Stores Co. acquires Jewel Cos. for more than $700 million.

Food and Drug Administration OKs use of irradiation process on foods.

Kroger introduces slotting fees, called "placement allowances."

1985

Jewel Cos. hit with salmonella outbreak.

1986

Safeway undergoes leveraged buyout to avoid takeover by Dart Group.

Coca-Cola introduces New Coke and Coke Classic.

1987

Vons acquires Southern California division of Safeway; Safeway retains 30% equity position in Vons.

Supermarkets General Corp. undergoes a management-led LBO to avoid Dart Group takeover.

Wal-Mart and Cullum Cos. open first joint-venture hypermarket in Garland, Texas.

1988

George Bush is elected president of the United States.

American Stores Co. acquires Lucky Stores to become industry's largest retailer; Fleming acquires Malone & Hyde, Memphis, Tenn., to become industry's largest wholesaler.

Wal-Mart opens first supercenter in Washington, Mo.

1989

A&P acquires Borman's, Detroit.

1990

McLane Co. acquired by Wal-Mart.

Peapod launches home-delivery service.

1991

Kmart opens its first Super Kmart Center in Medina, Ohio.

American Stores Co. sells its Jewel-Osco combination stores in the Southwest and South to Albertson's, Boise, Idaho.

Six executives of Bruno's Supermarkets, including founders Angelo and Lee Bruno, are killed when their corporate jet crashes into a fog-shrouded mountain.

Dollar sales of salsa exceed those of ketchup.

1992

Bill Clinton is elected president of the United States.

President George Bush attends National Grocers Association convention and is accused of being out of touch with the public when he expresses amazement at scanning technology.

ABC-TV's "PrimeTime Live" alleges Food Lion follows unsanitary handling practices in some meat and deli departments.

1993

Efficient Consumer Response is delineated at FMI Midwinter Conference as a series of initiatives to improve methods of distribution and communication among industry segments.

Price Co. and Costco Wholesale Corp. merge.

1994

Nutritional labels become mandatory on food packages.

1995

Target Stores opens first Super Target in Omaha, Neb.

Frito-Lay introduces WOW! fat-free potato chips.

1996

Ahold acquires Stop & Shop Cos. A Texas jury hands down $211.2 million judgment against Fleming Cos. in a case filed by David's Supermarkets, Grandview, Texas, involving breach of contract, fraud and deceptive trade practices.

1997

Fleming and David's reach out-of-court settlement for $19.9 million after judge in jury trial is found to have financial ties to the plaintiff.

Safeway acquires Vons Cos.

Stew Leonard Sr. is released from federal prison after serving 44 months of a 52-month sentence for tax fraud.

1998

Wal-Mart opens first Neighborhood Market in Bentonville, Ark., that combines a conventional supermarket with a drive-through pharmacy.

Grand Union files voluntary, prepackaged Chapter 11 petition.

1999

Albertson's opens first click-and-mortar store in Bellevue, Wash.

Kroger Co. acquires Fred Meyer. Albertson's acquires American Stores.

2000

George W. Bush is elected president of the United States.

Major chains form Internet-based, business-to-business alliances with retailers in other industries.

Dorothy Lane Market, Dayton, Ohio, launches pilot test of new-generation UPC capable of accommodating variable-weight products.

2001

World Trade Center is destroyed by terrorists.

Albertson's announces plans to close 165 underperforming stores.

Sales at Wal-Mart Supercenters exceed sales at Wal-Mart discount stores for the first time.

2002

Kmart Corp. files for Chapter 11.

Safeway shifts to centralized procurement.

Wal-Mart announces plans to open up to 40 supercenters in California in next four to six years.