overview

landmarks

     landmarks

This chronology is indicative only.

Context is provided by the broader communications and media timeline.

1920 William Roy DeWitt Wallace borrows $600, creates a sample magazine but elicits no interest from US publishers

1921 loses job establishes The Reader's Digest Association

1922 launches Reader's Digest

1929 Reader's Digest available on on newsstands

1930 introduction of original articles in Reader's Digest

1934 first book condensation (Arnold Bennett's How To Live On Twenty-Four Hours A Day)

1935 circulation of Reader's Digest reaches 1,457,500

1938 UK edition of Reader's Digest

1940 Spanish language edition of Reader's Digest for distribution in Latin America

1943 launch of Swedish edition of Reader's Digest

1945 launch of Finnish edition of Reader's Digest
Post World War II

1950 Reader's Digest Condensed Books launched in United States and Canada

1950 New Zealand and Argentine editions of Reader's Digest

1952 Spanish edition of Reader's Digest published in Madrid.

1954 first Indian edition of of Reader's Digest

1954 Reader's Digest Condensed Books published in Australia and United Kingdom

1955 Reader's Digest Condensed Books published in France, Germany and Italy

1957 Dutch edition of Reader's Digest

1958 Condensed Books published in Denmark and the Netherlands.

1959 launch of 'recorded music collections' in US

1961 Condensed Books published in Norway.

1962 launch of 'direct mail sweepstakes' in US

1963 first original Reader's Digest book

1963 'Quality School Program' launched in US

1963 first 'Asian edition' of Reader's Digest magazine published in Hong Kong

1965 first Chinese edition

1965 first Condensed Book in Sweden

1965 buys Funk & Wagnalls

1968 first Flemish edition of Reader's Digest

1971 launch of Selecciones (Spanish-language edition of Reader's Digest for US Market)

1971 Reader's Digest launched in Portugal

1971 sells Funk & Wagnalls to Dun & Bradstreet

1972 DeWitt and Lila Wallace receive US Medal of Freedom

1975 first Condensed Book in Finland.

1978 S Korean edition of Reader's Digest

1986 Reader's Digest Association starts selling videos

1987 acquires The Family Handyman

1990 Reader's Digest Association IPO on New York Stock Exchange

1991 Russian and Hungarian editions of Reader's Digest

1993 Czech edition of Reader's Digest

1993 first Mexican Condensed Book

1994 Reader's Digest Association establishes Young Families (marketing children's books and home entertainment products)

1995 Polish edition of Reader's Digest

1996 Thai edition of Reader's Digest

1996 'Reader's Digest World' web site launched.

1997 financial crisis

1998 Reader's Digest Association acquires Rodale Press's Woodworking Group, inc American Woodworker magazine.

1999 acquires Books Are Fun, Ltd., leading US display marketer of books and gifts, for US$380m

1999 Czech, Polish and Slovak editions of Condensed Books

1999 "global effort to partner with financial services companies"

2000 acquires Receptar DIY and gardening magazine in Czech Republic

2000 acquires World's Finest Chocolate

2000 agreement with 35 US states to change sweepstakes marketing procedures

2002 pays US$760m for Reiman Publications (cooking, gardening, country lifestyle and nostalgia publisher in US and Canada)

2002 recapitalization of Reader's Digest Association (Wallace Funds/Foundation divest remaining shares)

2004 launches new operations in Romania, Slovenia, Croatia and Ukraine.

2004 launch of new magazines in Canada, US and Brazil

2006 Reader's Digest agrees to be acquired for US$2.4bn (inc debt) by Ripplewood Holdings consortium.

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