COMPANYHISTORIES

Companies That Changed Their Names

Businesses whose current identity is a rename, merger, or rebrand away from how this history first knew them.

12companies1863–1996founding years0still active0no longer operating
§ 01

These companies over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedBâloise-Holding
1863
FoundedPowell Duffryn plc
1864
1867
TechnologyNobel patents dynamite.
1869
EconomyThe transcontinental railroad links the American coasts.
EconomyThe Suez Canal opens, reshaping global shipping.
1873
EconomyLevi Strauss patents riveted denim work pants.
EconomyThe Panic of 1873 triggers a global depression.
1876
TechnologyAlexander Graham Bell patents the telephone.
1879
TechnologyEdison demonstrates a practical incandescent lamp.
1882
TechnologyEdison's Pearl Street Station opens the electric-utility era.
1886
EconomyCoca-Cola is first served in Atlanta.
TechnologyThe Hall-Heroult process makes aluminum cheap to produce.
1888
TechnologyKodak's roll-film camera brings photography to everyone.
FoundedArmstrong World Industries, Inc.
1891
1893
EconomyThe Panic of 1893 pulls down banks and overbuilt railroads.
FoundedBank Leumi le-Israel B.M.
1902
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
1908
TechnologyFord's Model T puts the automobile within reach of the middle class.
FoundedLafarge Corporation
1909
FoundedThe Sumitomo Bank, Limited
1912
1913
TechnologyFord's moving assembly line transforms factory production.
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
1916
EconomyPiggly Wiggly opens the first self-service grocery store.
FoundedHarcourt General, Inc.
1919
1925
EconomyThe Grand Ole Opry begins broadcasting from Nashville.
1927
TechnologyThe Jazz Singer ushers in the era of sound films.
TechnologyLindbergh flies the Atlantic solo, and aviation captures the public.
1928
TechnologyPenicillin is discovered, opening the age of antibiotics.
1929
EconomyThe stock market crashes; the Great Depression spreads worldwide.
FoundedRMC Group p.l.c.
1930
1931
EconomyThe Empire State Building rises in just over a year.
1933
EconomyThe first drive-in movie theater opens in New Jersey.
1937
EconomyThe Golden Gate Bridge opens as the world's longest suspension span.
FoundedNeuberger Berman Inc.
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
1946
TechnologyENIAC, the first general-purpose electronic computer, is unveiled.
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
1955
EconomyMcDonald's franchising begins, remaking fast food.
EconomyDisneyland opens and invents the modern theme park.
1956
TechnologyThe first transatlantic telephone cable opens.
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
EconomyThe first Walmart opens, built on everyday low prices.
1969
TechnologyARPANET, the internet's precursor, goes live.
FoundedEcology and Environment, Inc.
1970
1971
EconomyThe dollar leaves the gold standard; currencies float.
1973
EconomyThe OPEC oil embargo triggers a global shock.
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
FoundedToys "R" Us, Inc.
1978
1979
EconomyA second oil crisis drives inflation higher worldwide.
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
TechnologyThe first US in-vitro fertilization baby is born.
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
1987
EconomyBlack Monday: markets fall sharply around the world.
1989
HistoryThe Berlin Wall falls; global markets open up.
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
TechnologyLinux and open source challenge proprietary software.
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
1994
TechnologyE-commerce begins to disrupt retail.
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
FoundedRailtrack Group PLC
1996
1997
EconomyThe Asian financial crisis rattles global markets.
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
1999
TechnologyNapster ignites the digital disruption of recorded music.
2000
EconomyThe dot-com bubble bursts.
TechnologyGPS opens to civilian use, turning location into a utility.
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2008
EconomyThe global financial crisis freezes credit worldwide.
2010
TechnologyCloud computing goes mainstream for business.
2015
EnvironmentThe Paris Agreement sets global climate targets.
2020
EconomyThe COVID-19 pandemic upends the global economy.
2022
EconomyInflation spikes; central banks raise rates sharply.
2023
TechnologyGenerative AI reaches mainstream business use.
§ 02

The companies

Bâloise-Holding →
Renamed · founded 1863 · Switzerland
Bâloise-Holding is positioning itself as a leading European integrated financial services provider.
Powell Duffryn plc →
Renamed · founded 1864 · United Kingdom
Once nearly synonymous with the Welsh coal mining industry, Powell Duffryn plc has transformed itself into a…
Armstrong World Industries, Inc. →
Renamed · founded 1891
Armstrong World Industries, Inc.
Bank Leumi le-Israel B.M. →
Renamed · founded 1902 · Israel
Bank Leumi le-Israel B.M., Israel's second-largest bank, has its origins in the modern Zionist movement of the late…
Lafarge Corporation →
Renamed · founded 1909
Lafarge Corporation, a U.S.
The Sumitomo Bank, Limited →
Renamed · founded 1912 · Japan
Once the banking division of one of Japan's largest and oldest zaibatsu conglomerates, The Sumitomo Bank, Limited is…
Harcourt General, Inc. →
Renamed · founded 1919
Through its core publishing arm, Harcourt General, Inc.
RMC Group p.l.c. →
Renamed · founded 1930 · United Kingdom
RMC Group p.l.c.
Neuberger Berman Inc. →
Renamed · founded 1939
Neuberger Berman Inc.
Ecology and Environment, Inc. →
Renamed · founded 1970
One of the earliest companies dedicated to the problem of environmental conservation and enhancement, Ecology and…
Toys "R" Us, Inc. →
Renamed · founded 1978
Toys "R" Us, Inc.
Railtrack Group PLC →
Renamed · founded 1996 · United Kingdom
Railtrack Group PLC (Railtrack) has become synonymous with the troubles that the United Kingdom has faced with the…
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