1902

Company founded with Successful Farming magazine.

1922

Meredith began publishing Fruit, Garden and Home magazine, a home and family service publication.

1924

Changed name of Fruit, Garden and Home to Better Homes and Gardens magazine. (A three-person staff produced the first Better Homes and Gardens magazine. The first issue cost a dime on the newsstand, and a one-year subscription cost 35 cents.)

1930

Published first edition of the Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book. (Better Homes and Gardens magazine subscribers received complimentary copies.)

1937

Began publishing Better Homes and Gardens Special Interest Publications (SIP) with the introduction of Building Ideas.

1946

Meredith first offered stock to the public.

1948

Began our television broadcasting business with the purchase of WHEN-TV in Syracuse, N.Y.

1952

Purchased KPHO-TV, Phoenix.

1953

Bought KCTV, Kansas City.

1957

Started a commercial printing business.

1965

First listed on the New York Stock Exchange as MDP.

1969

Formed Meredith/Burda printing partnership with the Burda family from West Germany. Eventually, Meredith/Burda operated printing plants in Iowa, Virginia, North Carolina and Arizona.

Purchased WNEM-TV, Saginaw, Mich.

1978

Launched the Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Service, with first member firms in Iowa and Tennessee.

Through a joint venture, began publication of the Australian edition of Better Homes and Gardens magazine.

1983

Purchased WOFL-TV, Orlando, and KSEE-TV, Fresno.

1984

Country Home magazine became a subscription magazine (formerly an SIP).

Launched WOOD magazine.

1985

Acquired KVVU-TV, Las Vegas, Nev.

1986

Purchased Ladies' Home Journal magazine.

1987

Introduced Midwest Living magazine.

1988

WOOD magazine spun off Weekend Woodworking Projects magazine.

Acquired Craftways Corporation, publisher of Cross Stitch & Country Crafts magazine.

1989

Launched Country America magazine.

Traditional Home magazine evolved from an SIP to a bimonthly magazine.

Acquired Golf for Women magazine.

1990

Sold our 50 percent interest in the printing business to R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company of Chicago.

1991

Acquired American Park Network.

WOOD magazine spun off Decorative Woodcrafts magazine.

Sold our fulfillment business to Neodata Services, of Boulder, Colo.

Formed Meredith Cable, Inc.

1992

Launched Country Home Country Gardens magazine.

1993

Introduced Better Homes and Gardens American Patchwork & Quilting magazine.

Sold two TV stations, KSEE-TV and WTVH-TV (formerly WHEN), to Granite Broadcasting Corp.

Floodwaters closed downtown Des Moines offices for two weeks in July.

1994

Launched Crayola Kids and Floral & Nature Crafts magazines.

Opened Better Homes and Gardens Garden Centers in Wal-Mart stores.

KPHO-TV and WNEM-TV became CBS affiliates.

1995

Acquired WSMV-TV, an NBC affiliate in Nashville.

Listed cable as a discontinued operation.

Agreed to sell book clubs to Book-of-the-Month Club, a division of Time Inc.

1996

Purchased WOGX-TV, a Fox affiliate in Ocala, Florida.

Ground broken on headquarters expansion (1615 Locust).

Minneapolis/St. Paul Cable area system is sold, completing exit from the cable business.

Ladies' Home Journal Most Fascinating Women airs on CBS.

1997

Aquired KPDX-TV, Portland, Ore; KFXO-TV, Bend, Ore; WHNS-TV, Greenville, S.C.; and WCPX-TV, Orlando.

WCPX-TV swapped for WFSB-TV in Hartford/New Haven, Connecticut.

Better Homes and Gardens Television debuts to more than 90 percent of U.S. television households.

Launched Family Money magazine.

1998

William T. Kerr assumes position of company chairman, while retaining his duties as Chief Executive Officer.

Completed 1615 Locust Building, a multi-million-dollar addition to the Des Moines headquarters building that includes Better Homes and Gardens Test Gardens.

Launched MORE magazine.

Sold Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Service to GMAC Home Services, Inc.

1999

Acquired WGNX-TV (CBS Atlanta) from the Tribune Company.

Entered into multi-level content alliance with America Online.

Better Homes and Gardens magazine spun off Hometown Cooking magazine.

Country Home magazine spun off Antiques Extra magazine.

2000

Created Interactive and Integrated Marketing group and accelerated Internet-related efforts.

2002

Portland duopoly completed after transfer of ownership of the Fox-owned-and-operated UPN affiliate in Portland, KPTV-12, to Meredith. Meredith also owns Portland's KPDX-TV, Fox-49. In return, Meredith transferred ownership of its Orlando Fox affiliate, WOFL-TV, Fox-35, and its Ocala-Gainesville affiliate, WOGX-51, to Fox Television Stations.

Meredith acquired American Baby group from Primedia, Inc.

Meredith turned 100 with centennial celebrations for employees and the purchase of the Plantoir, a public work of art.

2003

E.T. Meredith III, grandson of Meredith's founder, passed away.

Partnered with Home Interiors and Gifts to create line of Better Homes and Gardens home decorating products.

Bill Kerr, President and CEO, awarded the Henry Johnson Fisher Award for lifetime achievement in publishing.

WSHM (CBS) started up in Springfield, MA.

2004

Purchased WKNX-AM radio station in Saginaw, MI. The call letters were changed to WNEM to match those of Meredith's CBS affiliate serving Mid Michigan - WNEM-TV. The all-news radio station uses WNEM-TV's news resources.

Stephen M. Lacy elected President and COO and as a member of the Board of Directors.

Acquired WFLI-TV (WB, Chattanooga, TN) from Chattanooga Broadcasting L.P.

Meredith announced plans for the Meredith Trail to connect Gray's Lake to the downtown area in Des Moines.

2005

Meredith acquired Family Circle, Parents, Child, and Fitness magazines from Gruner + Jahr.

Meredith announced plans to launch a hispanic lifestyle magazine titled Siempre Mujer.

Meredith announced the creation of a Chinese edition of Better Homes and Gardens magazine.

Content agreement with The New York Times Syndicate announced.

Source: www.meredith.com