COMPANY·HISTORIES
SIC 6411

Insurance

How the companies in this industry began, and the forces that shaped them.

20companies1828–1996founding years20still active0no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedWillis Corroon Group plc
1828
FoundedBoatmen's Bancshares Inc.
1847
FoundedThe St. Paul Companies, Inc.
1853
FoundedHSBC Holdings plc
1865
FoundedLloyd's of London
1871
FoundedCatholic Order of Foresters
1883
FoundedJohnson & Higgins
1899
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
FoundedLincoln National Corporation
1905
FoundedHeilig-Meyers Co.
1913
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
FoundedAlexander & Alexander Services Inc.
1922
1929
EconomyThe stock market crashes; the Great Depression spreads worldwide.
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
FoundedBanco Bradesco S.A.
1943
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
FoundedSignet Banking Corporation
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
FoundedW.R. Berkley Corp.
1967
1971
EconomyThe dollar leaves the gold standard; currencies float.
1973
EconomyThe OPEC oil embargo triggers a global shock.
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
FoundedCompDent Corporation
1978
1979
EconomyA second oil crisis drives inflation higher worldwide.
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
FoundedPacifiCare Health Systems, Inc.FoundedShearson Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc.
1983
FoundedJardine Matheson Holdings Limited
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.
FoundedGryphon Holdings, Inc.
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
1997
EconomyThe Asian financial crisis rattles global markets.
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
2000
EconomyThe dot-com bubble bursts.
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

Willis Corroon Group plc →
Active · founded 1828 · England
Willis Corroon Group plc.
Boatmen's Bancshares Inc. →
Active · founded 1847
Boatmen's Bancshares Inc.
The St. Paul Companies, Inc. →
Active · founded 1853
The St.
HSBC Holdings plc →
Active · founded 1865 · United Kingdom
A significant force in international banking, HSBC Holdings plc (also referred to as the HSBC Group) operates in some…
Lloyd's of London →
Active · founded 1871 · United Kingdom
Perhaps the world's most famous insurance group, Lloyd's of London is a uniquely organized insurance market.
Catholic Order of Foresters →
Active · founded 1883
Catholic Order of Foresters (COF), headquartered in Naperville, Illinois, was founded in 1883 as a fraternal benefit…
Johnson & Higgins →
Active · founded 1899
What do the Titanic, Boeing jets, the racehorse Secretariat's bloodline, and industrialist Andrew Mellon's business…
Lincoln National Corporation →
Active · founded 1905
With origins in life insurance, Lincoln National Corporation has evolved into a financial services company whose…
Heilig-Meyers Co. →
Active · founded 1913
The Heilig-Meyers Co.
General Re Corporation →
Active · founded 1921
General Re Corporation is a holding company for General Reinsurance Corporation and National Reinsurance Corporation,…
Alexander & Alexander Services Inc. →
Active · founded 1922
Alexander & Alexander Services Inc.
Banco Bradesco S.A. →
Active · founded 1943 · Brazil
Headquartered in a suburb of São Paulo, Brazil, Banco Bradesco S.A.
Signet Banking Corporation →
Active · founded 1962
Signet Banking Corporation is a registered multi-bank, multi-state holding company with 24-hour telebanking, 240…
W.R. Berkley Corp. →
Active · founded 1967
W.R.
CompDent Corporation →
Active · founded 1978
CompDent Corporation is a fully integrated dental management company that provides full-service dental benefits.
PacifiCare Health Systems, Inc. →
Active · founded 1983 · Cypress, California 90630-5028
PacifiCare Health Services ranks among the biggest and best of America's health maintenance organizations.
Shearson Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. →
Active · founded 1983
Shearson Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc.
Jardine Matheson Holdings Limited →
Active · founded 1984 · Bermuda
Jardine Matheson is one of the oldest names in East Asia, and Jardine Matheson Holdings Limited is an international…
Gryphon Holdings, Inc. →
Active · founded 1993
Gryphon Holdings, Inc.
Highmark Inc. →
Active · founded 1996
Highmark Inc.
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