* 1886: Richard W. Sears, a railroad station agent who sells coal as a side job, buys unwanted watches from jeweler and founds R.W. Sears Watch Co. in Minneapolis.
* 1887: Moves company to Chicago and places newspaper ad for watchmaker, hires Alvah C. Roebuck.
* 1893: Firm incorporates as Sears, Roebuck and Co., offering products by mail order to rural residents and farmers at lower-than-general store prices.
* 1896: Issues first general catalog.
* 1906: Opens three-million-square-foot mail order plant in Chicago, largest in world. Opens second plant in Dallas.
* 1908: Richard Sears retires as company president.
* 1909: Company begins selling Sears Motor Buggy. (line discontinued in 1912)
* 1916: Establishes savings and profit sharing program for employees.
* 1925: First Sears retail store opens in catalog center on Chicago's West Side.
* 1927: Launches Craftsman and Kenmore brands.
* 1931: Establishes Allstate Insurance Co.
* 1945: Sears sales pass $1 billion.
* 1953: Establishes Simpsons-Sears Ltd. in Canada.
* 1962: Introduces Vincent Price Fine Arts Collection.
* 1973: Sears moves headquarters to Sears Tower, then world's tallest building.
* 1981: Sears acquires Dean Witter Reynolds and Coldwell, Banker & Co.
* 1985: Debuts Discover Card.
* 1993: Catalog discontinued. Sells 20 percent of Allstate. Sells off Coldwell Banker Residential Services and Sears Mortgage Banking Group.
* 1995: Headquarters move to Hoffman Estates, Ill.
* 1997: Opens Great Indoors stores.
* 2002: Acquires Lands End specialty catalog.
* 2004: Announces merger with Kmart to form Sears Holding Corp.
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