'Bold text';THIS WIKI just to tell you all this is not true i just edit it to make it look like its been upgraded--124.179.171.82 11:02, 23 February 2009 (UTC)

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Contents 1 BC/BCE 1.1 Early Recordkeeping 1.2 37th Century B.C./BCE 1.3 36th Century B.C./BCE 1.4 27th Century B.C./BCE 1.5 26th Century B.C./BCE 1.6 25th Century B.C./BCE 1.7 22st Century B.C./BCE 1.8 20th Century B.C./BCE 1.9 17th Century B.C./BCE 1.10 16th Century B.C./BCE 1.11 15th Century B.C./BCE 1.12 14th Century B.C./BCE 1.13 12th Century B.C./BCE 1.14 11th Century B.C./BCE 1.15 10th Century B.C./BCE 1.16 8th Century B.C./BCE 1.17 7th Century B.C./BCE 1.18 6th Century B.C./BCE 1.19 5th Century B.C./BCE 1.20 4th Century B.C./BCE 1.21 2nd Century B.C./BCE 1.22 1st Century B.C./BCE 2 AD/CE 2.1 FIRST MILLENIUM 2.1.1 1st Century 2.1.2 2nd Century 2.1.3 3rd Century 2.1.4 4th Century 2.1.5 5th Century 2.1.6 6th century 2.1.7 8th Century 2.1.8 9th century 2.1.9 10th Century 2.2 SECOND MILLENIUM 2.2.1 11th Century 2.2.2 13th Century 2.2.3 14th century 2.2.4 15th Century 2.2.5 16th Century 2.2.6 17th Century 2.2.7 18th Century 2.2.8 19th Century 2.2.8.1 1800s 2.2.8.2 1810s 2.2.8.3 1820s 2.2.8.4 1830s 2.2.8.5 1840s 2.2.8.6 1850s 2.2.8.7 1860s 2.2.8.8 1870s 2.2.8.9 1880s 2.2.8.10 1890s 2.2.9 20th Century 2.2.9.1 1900s 2.2.9.2 1910s 2.2.9.3 1920s 2.2.9.4 1930s 2.2.9.5 1940s 2.2.9.6 1950s 2.2.9.7 1960s 2.2.9.8 1970s 2.2.9.9 1980s 2.2.9.10 1990s 2.3 THIRD MILLENNIUM 2.3.1 2000s

BC/BCE

The shortened version of the url for this wiki is http://tinyurl.com/sqgtl.

INTRODUCTION TO THIS WIKI

Welcome to the History of Archives, Recordkeeping, and Records Wiki, a product originally of the "History of Archives and Recordkeeping" course taught by Dr. Joe Turrini of Auburn University for the Southeastern Archives Education Collaborative (SAEC) with students from Auburn, Louisiana State University, and Middle Tennessee State University. The project was taken over by student Russell James of LSU and is now moderated by him.

As you can see by going to the bottom of this wiki, many people have since contributed historical facts to the wiki. We hope you enjoy your stay and if you have anything to add, please do so, but don't forget to put your initials, name, and affiliation at the bottom under the appropriate month and year.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR WIKI EDITING

If you are new to wiki editing, don't worry! Just click on the "edit" tab above and scroll down to the years you want to edit, place the new material in the format the other entries are in, please. If you don't get it right, that's okay. It can always be edited for format by someone else.

PURPOSE OF THIS WIKI

We want to record in this wiki all the relevant (and some non-relevant!) dates for the important events in the history of archives and records management.

Please place your initials after your entry. Then at the bottom of the page, under the appropriate month, place your initials with your name and institution so we will know who you are and your name can be saved for posterity.

Early Recordkeeping

15,000 B.C.

Lascaux cave drawings (BS)

8000 B.C.

Use of clay tokens for accounting. (BS)

7000 B.C.

Saharan Rock Art. (TJ)

37th Century B.C./BCE

3650

hieroglyphic writing system created by the Egyptians. (TJ)

36th Century B.C./BCE

3500

Cuneiform writing system created by the Sumerians. (BS)

27th Century B.C./BCE

2600

circa - Pyramid texts written on late fifth dynasty pyramid. These texts are the oldest religious writings in the world. (TJ)

26th Century B.C./BCE

2500

to circa 2200 - Earliest surviving papyrus roll from Egypt. (BS)

25th Century B.C./BCE

2400

Archives of Ebla (present-day Tell Mardikh) ultimately containing more than 15,000 clay tablets. (CO)

22st Century B.C./BCE

20th Century B.C./BCE

2100

circa. The archives of Ur in Mesopotamia, birthplace of Abraham, are established. (RJ)

1900

circa. Earliest Semetic alphabetic script found in Egypt. (BS)

17th Century B.C./BCE

1650

Ancient Egyptian scribe Ahmose copies from older ancient Egyptian work (unknown work) a mathematical problem that shows evidence of early use of Pi. (TJ)

16th Century B.C./BCE

1500

to roughly 1100 B.C. - Linear B script used by Mycenaeans for palace records. (BS)

15th Century B.C./BCE

1400

Oldest surviving record of Chinese writing (on bone). (BS)

14th Century B.C./BCE

1300

Ramses II, pharaoh of Egypt, has an archives of 20,000 papyrus rolls. (RJ)

1300

King Nestor at Pylos (Greece) has a palace archives containing Linear B rolls. (RJ)

12th Century B.C./BCE

1100

Phoenicians develop the alphabet. (BS)

11th Century B.C./BCE

1077

Assyrian archive at Ashur contains legal collection called Middle Assyrian Laws. (RJ)

10th Century B.C./BCE

950

Leather used for scrolls. (BS)

8th Century B.C./BCE

750

circa-Phoenician alphabet adopted by the Greeks. (BS)

700

to 300 B.C./BCE.- Nubians from the Merotic civilization develop a written script. (TJ)

700

to 500 B.C. - Writing used mostly for private inscriptions, laws, and religion in Greece. (BS)

7th Century B.C./BCE

621

Drakon publishes first Athenian laws in writing. (BS)

6th Century B.C./BCE

550

First record keepers (secretaries) attested in Athens. (BS)

520

Oldest known Greek correspondence. (BS)

516

Hebrews return to Jerusalem and prophet Nehemiah re-establishes the archives in the Temple. (RJ)

515

Book of Ezra written after the Jews Babylonia captivity. Chapter 6 of this biblical text records the finding of the Decree of Cyrus in the archives at Achmetha (Hamadan). (RJ)

5th Century B.C./BCE

4th Century B.C./BCE

460

circa - Flood of Athenian stone documents coincides with time of radical democracy. (BS)

409-405

Metroon in Athens established as state archives building. (BS)

308

To circa 240 - Ptolemy II Philadelphus completes construction of the Library at Alexandria. (RJ)

2nd Century B.C./BCE

1st Century B.C./BCE

197

King Eumenes II of Pergamum in Asia Minor establishes the Persian Archives, later stolen by Marc Antony and transferred to the Library at Alexandria. (RJ)

196

Rosetta Stone created with Greek & Egyptian demotic and hieroglyphic. (BS)

170-168

Pergamum relied on parchment (supply of papyrus from Egypt cut off). (BS)

150

circa - Rome used parchment as a writing material. (BS)

78

Quintas Lutatius Catulus builds the Tabularum in the vicinity of the Temple of Saturn on the Capitoline Hill, centralizing the state archives of Rome. (RJ)

AD/CE

FIRST MILLENIUM

1st Century

46

Emperor Claudius renovates the Tabularum in Rome. (RJ)

66

Jewish Temple archives set on fire to destroy evidence of the debt owed by Jerusalem's poor. (Josephus, Wars, 2:247). (RJ)

70

Romans succeed in burning the Jewish Temple archives. (RJ)

2nd Century

100

circa - Christians adopt the codex form. (BS)

105

circa - T’sai Lun develops a papermaking process in China. (BS)

100

circa - Axumites of Ethiopia develop a written language known as Ge'ez. (TJ)

3rd Century

250

Paper use spreads to central Asia. (BS)

258

August 6 St. Lawrence the Deacon, one of the patron saints of archivists, is murdered, purportedly by being burned to death on a giant gridiron. His feast day is honored by archivists the world over by the eating of cold cuts (meats), in honor of the method he died. He protected the sacred books of the Church of Rome (probably including baptismal & marriage registers) from being sezied by the pagan Roman authorities. (RJ)

4th Century

300

circa - Codex achieves parity with the roll. (BS)

350

circa - Ge'ez language used to form a body of literature in Axumite civilization. (TJ)

366-384

December 11 According to J.N.D. Kelly, St. Damasus, Pope, organized and rehoused the papal archives. Further, Joseph Tylenda indicates that, during his pontificate, Latin became the principle liturgical language in Rome. St. Damasus also provided housing for the papal archives and commissioned St. Jerome, his secretary, to revise the then-existing Latin translation of the New Testament. (RA)

5th Century

450

Inked seals stamped on paper (a form of printing) in China. (BS

450

Ge'ez language is given vowels. (TJ)

450

Ge'ez script is taken into the caucasas and forms the basis of several European scripts-Armenian, Georgian, & Argvan. (TJ)

490

circa - Under Ezana II of Axum (region in modern Ethiopia) literature florishes. (TJ)

6th century

525

circa - The Bible is translated into Ge'ez in Axum (region in modern Ethiopia) during the reign of Kaleb. (TJ)

8th Century

794/95

First paper mill established in Baghdad. (BS)

9th century

868

First book printed in China using wood blocks. (BS)

10th Century

999

circa - Old Nubian (Medieval Nubian) written in Coptic alphabet. Surving records from Nubia include Canonical Christian texts (pieces of gospel codex-sayings and lives of saints, homily of pseudo-Christian Prayer books), legal documents. (TJ)

950

circa - Papermaking arrived in Cairo. (BS)

950

Apographal books which include the book of Enoch and the Ascension of Isiah are kept alive among the Ethopian Christian church. (TJ)

940

Greek Linqua Franca is the standard in the Nubian (modern Sudan) Christian Church. (TJ)

900

Writing is developed into a art form of calligraphy in Ethitiopia. (TJ)

SECOND MILLENIUM

11th Century

1066

King William I the Conqueror commissions the compilation of the Domesday Book. (RJ)

13th Century

1227

King Gojong of Koryo Dynasty completed the History Annals of King Myongjong and built two History Archives in Gaesung, its capital city, and Haeinsa Temple located at the southeast part of the country to preserve two copies of 187 volumes of the History Annals of Koryo Dynsaty.(SMLee)

14th century

1300

circa - Ethiopian church manuscripts and church murals created. (TJ)

1500

circa - Office of 'Clerk of the rolls, register and council' first appears in Scotland with responsibity for keeping the national archives. This official later became known as the Lord Clerk Register. (JMcL)

15th Century

1429

King Sejong of Chosun Dynasty built another History Archives in Chungju, adding one more archives repository to the History Archives in Hanyang(Seoul). (SMLee)

1434-1468

Zaro yaqob(seed of Jacob), ruler of ethiopia, writes several books on Christian discipline. (job)

1439

King Sejong built two more History Archives in Jeonju and Sungju. Each History Archives had same copies of the Annals of kings. During the Japanese invasion during 1592-1598, all the royal archives in History Archives except Jeonju were burnt down. In 1606, four more History Archives were built and four more copies of the Annals were made. They were preserved in five re-built History Archives throught the country(Five History Archives System). While only one History Archives building in Seoul survived, three copies of the Annals of Chosun Dynsty(2,077 volumes in South Korea, designated as the Memory of the World by UNESCO) survived and they are still available for research both in North and South Korea.(SMLee)

1439

Lorenzo Valla writes De falso credita et ementita Constantini donatione declamatio, exposing the forgery of the Donation of Constantine. (RJ)

1448

Pope Nicholas V transferred around 350 Greek, Latin and Hebrew codices acquired by his predecessors to the Vatican. In earlier times, collections had been kept at the Lateran Palace in Rome (until the end of the 13th century) and at Avignon (during the years Popes resided in that French city). (RDJ)

1462

The Town Clerk of the City of London is made responsible for the safe-keeping of the city corporation's records. LIber Dunthorne, a custumal compiled by William Dunthorne (Town Clerk 1461-90) is evidence of this. Even before this, John Carpenter (Town Clerk 1417-38) had compiled custumals as precedents for his successors(PC)

1468-1478

Monastaries in Ethiopia house scholars who gave courses in reading, writing, sacred music, poetry, grammar, church history, & exegis of the holy scriptures. (TJ)

1475

June 14 Pope Sixtus IV issued the Bull "Ad decorem militantis Ecclesiae," assigning a budget to the Vatican Apostolic Library appointed as librarian Bartolomeo Platina. (RDJ)

1481

Vatican Apostolic Library librarian Bartolomeo Platina draws up the first catalogue of manuscripts and codices in the library. (RDJ)

16th Century

1540

The Emperor Charles V transfers his most important records to a tower in the Castle of Simancas (Valladolid, Spain). Refurbisment work took place to accomodate the archives in one of the towers. In the same year, Jacob von Rammingen (born in 1510, dead after 1582) wrote the manuscript of the earliest known archival manual. He was an expert on "registries", the 16th-century German word for what later became known as archives, who elaborated a registry for the Augsburg city council - but could not be personally present there, and thus had to describe the structure and management of the archives in writing. Rammingen can be considered the "father of archival science" since this was the earliest published work dealing with that subject. However, Rammingen himself explains in the book, which was printed in 1571, that a literature about records keeping had already existed for a long time before he wrote his text. The earlier manuals were, however, usually not published - since that would be a way of "revealing the secrets of the trade". Rammingen explained in his book that much more could be learned orally from him directly, by those those who were willing to pay a tuition fee. (JBLD)

1571

The earliest archival manual of Jacob von Rammingen is printed in Heidelberg, Germany, together with a more detailed book from 1570 about the same subject. This literature is of a theoretical nature: http://dfg-viewer.de/show/?set%5Bmets%5D=http%3A%2F%2Fmdz10.bib-bvb.de%2F%7Edb%2Fmets%2Fbsb00010487_mets.xml, http://www.lundaboken.se/index.php?page=shop.product_details&product_id=45&flypage=flypage.tpl&pop=0&keyword=Rammingen&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1.

http://jbldstromberg.wordpress.com/about/#comment-8

1574

Philip II of Spain commissioned the architect Juan de Herrera the design of a new expanded Archivo de Simancaswhich is probably the first purpose-built national archive in the world that remains in the same building. The first rules and archival procedures were issued on 24 August 1588.

1586

Arthur Agarde, Sir Robert Coton, and William Camden found the Society of Antiquaries in London. (RJ)

17th Century

18th Century

1632

Bishop Baldassare Bonifacio writes his famous essay "De Archivis." (RJ)

1633

Ethiopian King Fasilidas who suceeded his father King Susenyos of Abyssinia, establishes his capital at Gondar [the Camelot of Ancient Ethiopia]. He builds an impressive archives repository in the royal complex.

1681

Benedictine monk Jean Mabillon publishes De re diplomatica (Study of Documents), a six volume treatise which coins the name of the new science of Diplomatics, which seeks to secure the provenance of a written text through systematic analysis of the material the text is written on, the scripts and penmanship used in writing the text, and the language usage within the text. (RJ)

1753

British Museum founded. (RJ)

1772

General Register House in Edinburgh designed by Robert Adam as a repository for the public records of Scotland. (JMcL)

1789-1795

The French Revolution had a large impact on archival theory, ringing in the modern era of archives. (JT)

1790

the US Congress enacted the United States copyright law.

1792

Massachusetts Historical Society founded. (AL)

1794

June 25 - the French law of 7 Messidor Year II proclaimed for the first time the right of citizens to have access to public archives.

19th Century

1800s

1802

Hendrik van Wyn appointed first National Archivist of The Netherlands. (EK)

1804

New York Historical Society founded. (RJ)

1810s

1814

John Finlaison United Kingdom Keeper of Admiralty Records and Librarian Compiles first Naval List (WF)

1820s

1821

Portuguese Parliament Archive founded (LCB)

1821

National Archives of Argentina founded (AS)

1822

Rhode Island Historical Society founded in Providence (PS)

1824

Historical Society of Pennsylvania founded in Philadelphia. (LJS)

1830s

1830

Indiana Historical Society founded. (RJ)

1838

Public Record Office (England & Wales) founded.

1839-1841

Respect des fonds principle developed in French National Archives. (AL)

1840s

1844

Maryland Historical Society founded.

1846

Joseph B. Felt completes arrangement of records of Massachusetts (state and colonial). (AL)

1849

Minnesota Historical Society founded. (JLM)

1850s

1852-55

Central State Archives of the Granducy of Tuscany established in Florence (Italy) and its fonds arranged by Francesco Bonaini according to the principle of provenance. (SV)

1857

State Historical Society of Iowa is formally established on February 7, when a permanent annual appropriation "for the benefit of a State Historical Society" was voted on and adopted by the Sixth General Assembly. (SJ)

1860s

1866

Archivo Historico Nacional Directora in Madrid, Spain founded. (RJ)

1866

French army invaded the Gyujanggak Annex, one of the History Archives located in Ganghwa Island, Korea, where 6,130 volumes(1,042 kinds) of the royal treasure-class archives of Chosun Dynasty were preserved. The French army plundered 345 volumes of the archives, which are now held at the National Library of France in Paris. The French army burnt the rest of the archives as well as the archives building when they retreated.(SMLee)

1867

Public Record Office of Ireland founded. (RJ)

1870s

1872

National Archives of Canada, formerly the Public Archives of Canada established. (BC)

1878

Nebraska State Historical Society founded. (TMM)

1879

Colorado Historical Society founded. (RJ)

1880s

1881

Boston Historical Society founded. (RJ)

1882

Nov 2 - Sir Hilary Jenkinson born. (RJ)

1890s

1891

Margaret Cross Norton born. (RJ)

1891

Vereniging van Archivarissen in Nederland (Society of Dutch Archivists) founded. (EK/CH)

1891

National Archives of India founded. (RJ)

1893

Columbian Exposition, Chicago, IL, USA, witnessed the exhibition of a new invention--the filing cabinet (SM)

1897

The Library of Congress establishes its Manuscript Division, with a staff of four and a collection of 25,000 items.

1898

Muller, Feith, and Fruin publish Dutch Handleiding voor het ordenen en beschrijven van archieven, translated into 8 languages. English version: Manual for the Arrangement and Description of Archives (1940, reissue 2003). (RJ/EK)

1898

National Archives of the Phillipines transferred from Spanish control under the Treaty of Paris of 1898. (RJ)

1899

Public Archives Commission of the American Historical Association established. (GM).

20th Century

1900s

1901

Alabama State Archives founded. (RJ)

1902

The Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH) is created by State Sentate Bill No. 26, Chapter 52, Laws of 1902; Dunbar Rowland serves as the first director. (DD)

1903

The Division of Public Records in the State Library of Pennsylvania (now the Pennsylvania State Archives) is created by Act 135, approved on April 14, 1903; Luther R. Kelker, Custodian of Public Records is first state archivist of Pennsylvania. (LJS)

1903

The State Library of Western Australia is authorised to accept official records. (AW)

1903

Harry Schellenberg born on February 24th in Harvey County, Kansas.

1903

Archives of Ontario founded (TM)

1904

Pennsylvania State College Librarian Erwin Runkle creates "Statiana Alcove" as home in the library for archival and manuscript materials, college publications, historical photographs and memorabilia. Forerunner of Penn State University Archives. (LJS)

1905

Delaware Public Archives founded (LRJM)

1909

Dec. 15 - Rep. Samuel McCall introduces H.R. 15428, a bill to create a Commission on National Historic Publications. (GM)

1910s

1910

The Mitchell Library, based on the collection of the bibliophile Sir David Mitchell, established in New South Wales (NSW) as the state's first archival institution. (AW)

1910

23 March The Hocken Library (now known as the Hocken Collections) opened in Dunedin, New Zealand. The collections of archives, manuscripts, books, publications, photographs and art relating to the history of NZ and the Pacific were gifted by Dr Thomas Morland Hocken in 1907. (ARB)

1911

The British Royal Archives was established in Windsor castle, England. (RJ)

1911

Sen. Elihu Root introduces S. 1773 calling for a national historic publications commission of five appointed by the President for four-year terms; otherwise bill same as McCall's. (GM)

1920s

1920

In South Australia, an Archives Department is established, subject to the State Library Board but separate from the State Library. (AW)

1921

The American Telephone and Telegraph Company establishes its historical library (later renamed the AT&T Corporate Archives) in New York City. (SHH)

1922

Sir Hilary Jenkinson's book A Manual of Archive Administration published. (RJ)

1922

Destruction of the Public Record Office Ireland during the Civil War (KM)

1923

Commonwealth (Australia) National Library created within the Commonwealth Parliamentary Library. (AW)

1925

South Australia passes an act to regulate the disposal of government records. (AW)

1927

Concordia Historical Institute, the Department of Archives and History of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, incorporated in Saint Louis, Missouri. (MH)

1927

First Archives Bill proposed by the Parliamentary Library Committee (Australia). The Bill reaches Cabinet but is never sent to Parliament. (AW)

1930s

1934

June 19 - National Archives of the United States established. (GM)

1935

Emmett Leahy joins the National Archives - USA (AAA)

1935

April 15 - Roerich Pact was signed. It was one of the earliest international agreements addressing cultural heritage. It affirmed that monuments, museums, and scientific, artistic, educational, and cultural institutions and their personnel were to be considered neutral in times of war and accorded respect and protection in peacetime.

1935-1942

National Archives of the United States undertakes the Historical Records Survey (HRS) as part of the Works Progress Administration's (WPA) "Federal Writer's Project," to document U. S. history resources. (GM)

1936

Society of American Archivists founded. A. R. Newsome serves as first president.(RJ)

1939

SAA appoints Theodore C. Pease as the first editor of its association journal, The American Archivist. (RJ)

1939

The South Australian Archives Department becomes subordinate to the new Library Board under the terms of the Libraries and Institutes Act. (AW)

1940s

1940

Arthur H. Leavitt translates the Dutch manual into English. (AL)

1941-5

Emmett Leahy, Robert Shiff, and Richard Paget, working in the Office of the Secretary of the Navy, create records management processes for operations in the Atlantic and Pacific theaters. (AAA)

1942

Australian War Archives Committee (later the Commonwealth Archives Committee) founded under the chairmanship of CEW Bean. (AW)

1943

In Australia, the Queensland Libraries Act, which included provisions for dealing with State Government records, was passed. However, the relevant sections were not proclaimed until 1958. (AW)

1944

Ian Maclean, Australia's first government archivist, appointed to the Archives Division of the Commonwealth National Library. (AW)

1945

An Archives Department was established within the the Western Australia State Library. (AW)

1945

May 4 - as the American army advanced on Prague, the retreating German commander ordered his forces to destroy the Czechoslovakian National Archives.

1946

Sep 25 - President Harry Truman orders all federal agencies to begin records management practices by signing Executive Order 9784. (RJ)

1947

Oregon State Archives is established. (BKJ)

1947-8

Emmett Leahy manages the Hoover Paperwork Commission - USA. (AAA)

1948

National Records Management Council - USA - founded by Emmett Leahy. (AAA)

1948

National Archives of Japan founded. (RJ)

1948

International Council on Archives (ICA) founded. (RJ)

1948-9

First archivist for the State of Victoria (Australia) appointed within the State Library. (AW)

1948-9

Commonwealth Archives Division establishes regional repositories in Melbourne and Sydney. (AW)

1949

Congress establishes General Services Administration and transfers both the National Archives and the National Historical Publications Commission under it. (GM)

1949

First Archives Officer appointed to the State Library of Tasmania (Australia). (AW)

1950s

1950

Sep 5 - President Harry Truman signs the Federal Records Act. (RJ)

1950

US National Records Management Council publishes the first Guide to Federal Records Retention - USA (AAA)

1951

Archivum, the journal of the International Council on Archives begins publication. (AW)

1951

Nebraska State Historical Society begins microfilming newspapers and manuscripts. (TMM)

1953

The Borthwick Institute of Historical Research founded in York, UK.

1953

Archives Department established within the NSW State Library's Mitchell Library (Australia). (AW)

1954

National Library and Archives of Egypt founded. (RJ)

1954

Commonwealth Archives Division (Australia) establishes Adelaide regional office. (AW)

1954

TR Schellenberg, Director of Archival Management at the US National Archives, spends 6 months in Australia on a Fulbright Scholarship. (AW)

1955

ARMA International established

1955?

Brisbane regional office of the Commonwealth Archives Division (Australia) established. (AW)

1955

The Austin - Travis County Collection (Austin, Texas) is established by the Austin Public Library and eventually grows to become the Austin History Center, Austin, Texas (SS)

1955

Archives and Manuscripts, the Australian archival journal, begins publication. (AW)

1956

Naremco Services Inc. - USA - founded by Robert Shiff - successor to National Records Management Council (AAA)

1956

Theodore R. Schellenberg publishes Modern Archives: Principles and Techniques (JT)

1956

August 7 - "Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict" went into force.

1956

Louisiana State Archives founded by State Archives and Records Act. (RJ)

1956

Separate Archives Department created within the State Library of Victoria (Australia). (AW)

1957

Archives Act passed into law in New Zealand, establishing in law the National Archives of New Zealand as part of the Department of Internal Affairs. (JR)

1957

Perth regional office of the Commonwealth Archives Division established in Western Australia. (AW)

1958

Michigan Archival Association founded. (RJ)

1959

Archivist appointed to the Queensland State Library. (AW)

1959

Archival School at the National University of Cordoba, Argentina was founded. (AS)

1960s

1961

Australian National Library Act separates out the Archives Division as the Commonwealth Archives Office within the Prime Minister's Department. (AW)

1961

Chapter 266 of the Laws of New Hampshire of 1961 created the Records Management Division within the Department of Administrative Control [later known as Administrative Services]. Funding was also provided for the building of a new building to house both the Archives and the Records Center (about 19,00 cubic feet of records). (BNB)

1961

The Mitchell Library's Archives Division given independent existence as the Archives Authority of New South Wales. (AW)

1962

The Inter-Departmental Committee on Commonwealth Archives established to review the basis for existing archives policy in Australia and to make recommendations to the Prime Minister. (AW)

1963

The New Hampshire State Archives Building opens housing both the State Archives and the Records Center. The first Director of the Division of Records Management and Archives, Edwin H. Hunt, is hired. (BNB)

1963

Peter Scott joins the Commonwealth Archives Office (Australia). (AW)

1964

System of archival control based on the series rather than the record group introduced into the Commonwealth Archives Office (Australia). (AW)

1964

July 28 - Public Law 88-383 launches the NHPC grant program; $350,000 appropriated to fulfill goals. (GM)

1964

The Inter-Departmental Committee on Commonwealth Archives makes its final report to the Prime Minister, Robert Menzies. (AW)

1965

Society of Archivists (UK) begins publication of the Journal of the Society of Archivists. (RJ)

1966

Peter Scott publishes, "The Record Group Concept: A Case for Abandonment", the first of his seminal articles on the Australian 'series system', in the October volume of American Archivist. (AW)

1966

NHPC gives project support to The Expeditions of John Charles Fremont, a study of the explorer and the Republican Party's first presidential candidate, in 1856. (GM)

1967

Society of Austrian Archivists founded. (HB)

1968

Society of Ohio Archivists founded

1969

Society of Georgia Archivists founded. (RJ)

1969

The National Archives and Records Service (NARS) (now NARA) begins publication of Prologue: The Journal of the National Archives. (RJ)

1969

The Records Management Association of Australasia (RMAA) founded. (KW)

1970s

1970

Irish Society for Archives founded. (KM)

1970

NHPC publishes a three-volume edition of The Papers of George Mason, Revolutionary War Patriot. (GM)

1970

Aurelian Sacerdoteanu published Archivistica, the first Romania manual for archival science. (BFP)

1971

January Jean Favier Les archives(translation by Nobuyuki Nagao) was published in Japan (DJI)

1971

Society of California Archivists founded. (RJ)

1971

The Society of American Archivists starts sections for narrowed interest in archives. The first section on record is the Business Archives Section, founded this year. (RJ)

1971

December - Romania adopted the Decree 472 on the National Archival Fond. (BFP)

1972

Midwest Archives Conference (MAC) founded

1972

Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference (MARAC) founded. (RJ)

1972

Society of Southwest Archivists (SSA) founded.

1972

Publication of Georgia Archive (now Provenance) begins as the first publication of a peer-reviewed archives journal by a state or regional association. (RJ)

1972

February - Oliver Wendell Holmes retires after 36 years in public service, including more than 10 as Executive Director of the NHPRC. (GM)

1972

Ernst Posner's book Archives in the Ancient World is published. (DD)

1973

W Kaye Lamb, former Dominion Archivist of Canada, begins review of the Commonwealth Archives Office (Australia). (AW)

1973

Commonwealth Archives Office (Australia) opens a regional office at Darwin, in the Northern Territory. (AW)

1973

Victorian Public Records Act establishes the Public Records Office as an independent body within the Chief Secretary's Department (Australia). (AW)

1974

December 22 - Congress redesignates the National Historical Publications Commission as the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC). (GM)

1974

The Lamb Report on the Commonwealth Archives Office, Development of the National Archives, published.

1974

As a consequence of the Lamb Report, the Commonwealth Archives Office is renamed Australian Archives. (AW)

1974

Australian Archives establishes Tasmanian regional office in Hobart. (AW)

1974

March - First meeting of the Japan Society of Archives Institutions in Saitama Prefectural Archives, Japan.(DJI)

1975

Institute of Certified Records Managers founded.(AAA)

1975

Bureau of Canadian Archivists holds its first meeting. (RJ)

1975

Hofstra University Board of Trustees decides in its Feb. 19th meeting that what is needed is an Archivist to keep the official record of the University. In 1977 the announcement of the opening of the University Archives is made by the Provost.(GS)

1975

Australian Society of Archivists (ASA) established at a meeting held in Canberra, at the Australian National University. (AW)

1975

Professor Robert Neale becomes first Director of the Australian Archives (in office until 1984). (AW)

1976

The Center for Dubuque History was established at Loras College as the largest regional repository in the Tri-State area.(MG)

1976

Louisiana Archives & Manuscript Association founded. (RJ)

1977

David Gracy II writes Archives and Manuscripts: Arrangement & Description. (AL)

1977

Archives of the Catholic Diocese of Nashville founded. (DD2)

1977

SAA grows to the point that it needs an executive director to run the routine business of the association. The Council appoints Ann Morgan Campbell as the first executive director. (RJ)

1977

Northwest Archivists, Inc. founded. (BKJ)

1978

Bhaktivedanta Archives founded in Los Angeles, CA, USA

1978

Portland, Oregon is awarded a grant for the first year of a three-year project to develop model urban archives programs; central records of Portland's government appear to have been retained since the first council meeting in 1851. (GM)

1978

Archives Bill introduced into the Australian Senate in June. (AW)

1978

Kansas City Area Archivists (KCAA) formed. (EHD)

1978

The University of South Alabama Archives formed. (CE)

1979

Society of Colorado Archivists formed (in 1992 merged with Wyoming archivists to form the Society of Rocky Mountain Archivists). (RJ)

1979

NHPRC begins to respond to scholars' interests in women's history, African American history, Native American history, and new kinds of social, scientific, and cultural history (GM)

1979

Chapter 256 of the New Hampshire Laws of 1979 moved the Division of Records Management & Archives from the Department of Administrative Services to the Department of State. Additionally, the statute also provided for the Division to be administered by the newly created position of State Archivist. Frank C. Mevers was hired as the first State Archivist. (BNB)

1980s

1981

Ronald Reagan proposes ending federal arts and humanities programs in a bid to control government spending; budget submitted to Congress provides no funding for NHPRC beyond September 30 (GM)

1981

the US Presidential Records Act took effect.

1981

After a three-year NHPRC grant to develop a model urban archives and records program, The City of Portland, Oregon Archives and Records Center is established consolidating most of the city's archival collection in one facility. The opening ceremonies included special guest U.S. Archivist Robert Warner. (BKJ)

1983

Three women's history projects--the papers of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony (U.Mass), the papers of Jane Addams (Duke University), and the papers of Emma Goldman (U.Cal-Berkeley)--join to pull together far-flung documents. (GM)

1983

Society of Tennessee Archivists founded. (DD2)

1983

Society of Florida Archivists founded. (JB)

1983

Archives Act 1983 (Australia) is passed by the Australian Parliament, although not proclaimed until 6 June 1984, and formally establishes the Australian Archives. (AW)

1984

The Society of North Carolina Archivists established at its first meeting in Chapel Hill.

1983

Northern Territory Archives Service established. (AW)

1984

The Society of American Archivists establishes roundtables of at least 30 members. The first two roundtables were the Archival History Roundtable and the Congressional Records Roundtable. (RJ)

1985

City of Seattle receives a two-year NHPRC grant to establish a municipal archives program, effective February 14, 1985. Following the grant period, the Seattle Municipal Archives becomes a City General Fund program. (SC)

1985

Independence for the US National Archives is secured on October 19, 1984 when President Reagan signs P.L. 98-497, establishing the National Archives and Records Administration as an independent federal agency, effective April 1, 1985. (GM)

1985

Southern Archives Conference founded with membership of the state societies of Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Louisiana. (RJ)

1986

The Rare Books and Manuscritpts Section (RBMS) of the Association of College & Research Libraies (ACRL) begins publication of Rare Books and Manuscripts Librarianship. (RJ)

1986

Helen W. Samuels' article "Who Controls the Past?" outlining archival documentation strategy is published in The American Archivist. (BS)

1987

February - Major conference held with editors, historians, librarians and publishers to examine myriad issues about documentary publishing; group alarmed at decreasing sales of volumes and price increases. (GM)

1987

Australian Society of Archivists publishes first edition of Keeping Archives. (AW)

1987

the National Archives of Canada Act was proclaimed.

1988

Southern Archives Conference holds its first meeting at the University of Mississippi.

1988

State Archives of Western Australia becomes part of the new Library and Information Service of Western Australia. (AW)

1989

NHPRC calls upon states to establish State Historical Records Advisory Boards (SHRABs) to provide review for proposals submitted to the Commission. (GM)

1989

Academy of Certified Archivists founded. (RJ)

1989

the International Records Management Trust (IMRT) was founded.

1989

Archives Office of Tasmania separated from the Tasmanian State Library. (AW)

1990s

1990

NHPRC appropriations rise to $5 million after many years of hope. (GM)

1990

Frederic M. Miller writes Arranging and Describing Archives and Manuscripts. (AL)

1990

South African Society of Archivists begins publication of South African Archives Journal. (RJ)

1990

Česká archivní společnost (Czech Archive Society) is founded. (RJ)

1991

The Documentary History of the First Federal Congress project publishes a look at the sometimes raucous history behind Creating the Bill of Rights, now a standard part of the library for constitutional lawyers. (GM)

1992

February 20 - Mrs. Coretta Scott King is among the guests at a reception at the U. S. Capitol to celebrate Called to Serve, the first volume of The Papers of Martin Luther King, Jr., a selective edition of the 20th century's greatest civil rights leader's speeches, sermons, correspondence, and other papers. (GM)

1992

Society of Rocky Mountain Archivists formed when Wyoming archivists requested membership in the Society of Colorado Archivists (founded in 1979). (RJ)

1992

Prior to the 1992 election, Congress passes and President Bush signs an appropriations bill that cuts funding by 7 percent for FY 1993, funds no proposals for new editing projects, and postpones subventions. In response, the NHPRC divides the cut evenly between publications and records. (GM)

1992

National Archives of Hungary founded. (RJ)

1992

Helen Samuels writes Varsity Letters: Documenting Modern Colleges and Universities, which describes functional analysis as a method of activist documentation. (BS)

1993

Bhaktivedanta Archives moves to North Carolina.

1993

Society of American Archivists begins chartering student chapters. The first chapters were established at the University of Texas-Austin, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, University of Pittsburg, and University of Michigan. (RJ)

1994

National Archives II- the largest archive in the world, is formally dedicated in College Park, MD by President Bill Clinton

1995

Nebraska State Historical Society opens the Gerald R. Ford Conservation Center in Omaha, NE. (TMM)

1995

Mal d'Archive: Une Impression Freudienne by Jaques Derrida is published.

1995

Sami Archives (in Sami, Sámi Arkiiva; in Norwegian, Samisk arkiv) founded in Guovdageaidnu-Kautokeino, Norway. (EO

1995

In Los Angeles, California the Getty Research Institute agreed to fund a study survey L.A. as Subject: The Transformative Culture of Los Angeles Communities. LA as Subject would initiate collaborative partnerships with local universities, cultural institutions, and communities to identify and help coordinate the less visible archives and collections of the Los Angeles region. The initiative would develop new resource tools to make the material culture of little known archives and collections more accessible to scholars, researchers, and community historians producing academic, artistic and community work in public and invitational forums through panels, lectures, and symposia to examine historical and contemporary topics on Los Angeles. (NB)

1996

By the end of FY 1996, NHPRC funds totaling $2.75 million have gone to 17 states, which in turn supported 483 projects in state and local government archives, libraries, and historical societies, universities and colleges, and other organizations. (GM)

1996

Romania adopted a new Archival Act (Law no. 16). (BFP)

1996

Archive Fever by Jaques Derrida is published in English. The book becomes probably the seminal text in the postmodern deconstruction of the archive.

1996

The National Archives and the NHPRC join the information revolution by launching the NARA web site, and on June 28, 1996, the Commision goes online. (GM)

1996

The Records Management Roundtable (RMRT) of the Society of American Archivists has its first meeting at the SAA annual meeting in San Diego. (RJ)

1997

The US Department of Defense publishes the first edition of its Design Criteria Standard For Electronic Records Management Software Applications, often referred to as US DOD 5015.2. This is the first significant standard for the functionality of electronic records management systems, and although developed for Defense it soon becomes a de facto standard for much of the US government. (MMF)

1997

'''' The Getty Research Institute convenes the LA As Subject Advisory Forum to support the study survey research project, [As Subject (1995-1999)].' (NB)

1998

Creation of Encoded Archival Description. (JT)

1999

The L.A. As Subject Advisory Forum produces the landmark print publication Cultural Inheritance/L.A.: A Directory of Less-Visible Archives and Collections in the Los Angeles Region and simultaneously released a companion online database. The directory provides detailed descriptions of the archives and collections of over 175 regional institutions. (NB)

1999

Consortium of Iowa Archivists (CIA) founded. (RJ

1999

Minnesota Government Records and Information Network (MN GRIN) founded. (JLM)

1999

Yale University launches its first records management program in anticipation of its 300th year in 2001. (SEC)

THIRD MILLENNIUM

2000s

2000

One major project that draws to a close in 2000 is The Papers of Andrew Johnson, which published its 16th and final volume some 44 years after it began; Johnson was vice president to President Lincoln and when Abe was assassinated became the 17th president--he was impeached but not convicted and sought vindication through his return to the United States Senate (GM)

2000

The L.A. As Subject Forum's member database was transferred to the University of Southern California’s Archival Research Center and is now updated and published online, providing detailed descriptions of the archives and collections of over 175 regional institutions. (NB)

2000

Archives New Zealand (the national archives of NZ) established as a separate public service department. previously it had been part of the Department of Internal Affairs. (JR)

2000

The ICA Journal Archivum ceases publication and is replaced by Comma: International Journal on Archives (AW)

2001

Congress passes and President Clinton signs P.L. 106-411, which authorizes the NHPRC to receive federal appropriations up to $10 million per year through FY 2005; appropriations for FY 2001 are $6.45 million, later reduced by .22 percent across-the-board rescission to all federal agencies. (GM)

2001

Two publishing milestones occur when a new edition of the Thomas A. Edison Papers go online and selections from the papers of Frederick Douglass, Dwight Eisenhower, Marcus Garvey, Joseph Henry, and George C. Marshall enter cyberspace through the Model Editions Partnership (MEP) website. (GM)

2001

President George W. Bush signs the USA PATRIOT ACT. (RJ)

2001

The journal Archival Science founded with Elizabeth Yakel of Michigan as one of its first editors (from vol. 3). (RJ)

2001

November 1: President George W. Bush signed Executive Order 13233--Further Implementation of the Presidential Records Act, overriding the Act's requirement that unclassified records be made accessible to the public no later than 12 years following completion of the administration. It permitted previous presidents, the incumbent, their families (and added the vice president) to withhold such records and empowered the incumbent to withhold access to a previous president's records even if the latter agrees to their release. (RB)

2001

The European Commission publishes MoReq, the Model Requirements for the Management of Electronic Records. This is rapidly adopted as a de facto standard defining the functionality of electronic records management systems across much of the European Union. It also influences the development of the comparable US standard first pubslished in 1997, US DOD 5015.2 (see above). (MMF)

2002

Scottish Council on Archives founded.

2002

Dr. Elizabeth Dow of Louisiana State University leads the formation of a ground breaking archival education collaborative, the Southeast Archives Educational Collaborative. The SAEC utilizes cutting edge videoconference technology that virtually links multiple campuses and transforms archival education. (JT)

2002

The Mills Archive is set up in Reading, UK to protect and make available to the public records of tradtional windmills and watermills and related technology including muscle power. By 2007 it has attracted 1.5 million documents and images. (RFC)

2003

April 29 - Eric Ketelaar, Professor of Archivistics at the University of Amsterdam, was recognized by Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands as an Officer of the Order of Oranje-Nassau. Ketellar was recognized for "his accomplishments as an inspiring educator and as an eminent scholar and legal expert in the field of archives, both in The Netherlands and abroad."

2003

April 14 - military forces of the United States of America refused to intervene when mobs looted and burned the Iraqi National Library and Archives in broad daylight.

2003

The New York State Archives are awarded NHPRC funds for a re-grant program focusing on the impact of the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center and for underdocumented groups, topics,and activities throughout that state. (GM)

2003

In celebration of the 200th anniversary of the beginning of the grand passage west, The Journals of Lewis & Clark are completed in 11 volumes and published by the University of Nebraska Press. the Lewis and Clark expedition began in late August 1803 and continued to September 2006. (GM)

2003

Journal of Archival Organization founded with Thomas J. Frusciano of Rutgers as first editor. (RJ)

2003

Chapter 97 of the New Hampshire Laws of 2003 changed the name of the "Division of Records Management & Archives" to the "Division of Archives & Records Management." (BNB)

2004

For the first time in its history, the NHPRC receives appropriations totaling $10 million, but that figure drops a little bit through rescission (GM)

2004

Describing Archives: A Content Standard is published. (AL)

2004

The first Masters degrees in Archives and Records Management in the UK to be fully delivered by online distance learning are launched by the University of Dundee. (AB)

2005

Kathleen D. Roe writes Arranging & Describing Archives & Manuscripts. (AL)

2005

Aug 24 - the Cambodian Parliament passed the country's first Archives Law.

2005

New Zealand Public Records Act 2005 passed into law. (JR)

2006

2006 May 16: Agreement was reached by the 11-nation International Commission governing the International Tracing Service archives, Bad Arolsen, Germany, including 50 million Holocaust-era files in 16 miles of shelves, to open access to the archives to Holocaust victims, their families and historians. The U.S lobbied for years to open the archive. Germany and Italy resisted, citing privacy reasons. Opening of the archives is subject to ratification by the commission countries. (RB)

2006

Chapter 275 of the New Hampshire Laws of 2006 inserted the word "integrity" in the mandate for the Division of Archives and Records Management, now requiring for the first time that "a program for the efficient and economical management of state and local records will promote economy, efficiency, AND INTEGRITY in the day-to-day records-keeping operations." (emphasis added, BNB)

2006

LA As Subject Archives Forum presented the 1st Los Angeles Archives Bazaar at the Huntington Library & Gardens. (NB)

2007

Prompted by the DLM Forum (the Document Lifecycle Forum, a community of Public Archives and interested parties in archive, records and document and information lifecycle management throughout the European Union), the European Commission initiates the development of MoReq2 (see MoReq, 2001, above). (MMF)

2007

LA as Subject Archives Forum presented Archives Fever: The 2nd-Annual Los Angeles Archives Bazaar at the Huntington Library & Gardens. (NB)

2008

Latin American and Caribbean Cultural Heritage Archives Roundtable chartered at the February meeting of the Society of American Archivists Council. (RDJ)

2008

3 April - the San Antonio Regional Archivists was reorganized, Bylaws adopted, and officers elected at the first annual meeting, held at the San Antonio Express-News.

2008

April - The University of South Alabama Archives, located in Mobile, Alabama, celebrated its 30th anniversary with a gala event that included the president of the university, former student assistants, major donors, and friends of the Archives. (CE)

2008 June Julie McLeod made the UK's first professor in records management at the University of Northumbria

2008

July - Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Government records became open to the public for access on 1 July 2008 for the first time and Archives ACT was launched on the same date. (WF)

2008

August - San Jose State University's School of Library and Information Science begins the USA's first fully online Master of Archives and Records Administration (MARA) degree, a master's degree focused specifically on archives and recordkeeping.(LL)

2008

LA as Subject Archives Forum presented Archives Live: The 3rd Los Angeles Archives Bazaar at the University of Southern California Davidson Center. (NB)

2009

LA as Subject Archives Forum presented the 4th Annual Los Angeles Archives Bazaar at the University of Southern California Davidson Center. (NB) .

2010; The 75th Anniversary Task Force of SAA is founded with David Gracy II as its chair. The task force is charged with the planning for the 2011 Annual Meeting.

____________________________________________________________________

This wiki was begun by the History of Archives and Recordkeeping course offered by Dr. Joe Turrini of Auburn University by the Southeastern Archives Education Collaborative (SAEC) in Fall 2006. Thanks to all those who participated in the project.

KEY TO CONTRIBUTORS

(September to December 2006)

(JT) - Joe Turrini (Auburn University);

(RJ) - Russell D. James (Louisiana State University);

(AL) - Ashley Large (Indiana University);

(GM) - Greg Markley (Auburn University);

(DD) - Drew Davis (Auburn University);

(BS) - Betsy Snowden (Middle Tennessee State University);

(DD2) - Dorothy Davis (Middle Tennessee State University);

(February 2007)

(RB) - Rick Barry (Content Manager, wwww.mybestdocs.com);

(EK) - Eric Ketelaar (University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands);

(CH) - Chido Houbraken (Archival Inspection of de Province of Flevoland, The Netherlands);

(AAA) - Alan A Andolsen (Naremco Services Inc);

(SV) - Stefano Vitali, (State Archives of Florence, Italy);

(GS) - Geri Solomon (Hofstra University Archives);

(JR) - John Roberts (Archives New Zealand);

(AW) - Andrew Wilson (National Archives of Australia);

(SS) - Sue Soy (Austin History Center);

(BNB) - Brian Nelson Burford (New Hampshire State Archives)

(BKJ) - Brian K. Johnson (City of Portland, OR Archives)

(LCB) - Leonor Calvão Borges (Portuguese Parliament Archive)

(MH) - Marvin Huggins (Concordia Historical Institute, St. Louis, MO)

(April 2007)

(KM) - Kate Manning (UCD Archives, University College Dublin, Ireland)

(LRJM) - L. Rebecca Johnson Melvin (University of Delaware)

(MMF) - Marc Fresko (Cornwell Management Consultants plc, United Kingdom)

(ARB) - Anna Blackman (Hocken Collections, New Zealand)

(JMcL) - john McLintock (National Archives of Scotland, United Kingdom)

(BC) - Bonnie Caven (Farm Credit Canada)

(RFC) - Ron Cookson (Mills Archive Trust)

(May 2007)

(WF) Wayne Finlaison (Records and Information Analyst, Contractor, Australia)

(June 2007)

(TMM) - Tom Mooney (Nebraska State Historical Society)

(RA) - Robert Antonelli, CSC (University of Portland OR Archives)

(EHD) - Emily Hughes Dominick (Augustana College Special Collections)

(August 2007)

(EO) - Erica Olsen (Western Washington University)

(October 2007)

(MG) - M Gibson

(BFP) - Bogdan-Florin Popovici (National Archives, Romania)

(February 2008)

(BS) - Bob Sink (CJH & NYU)

(TJ) - ???? (who are you?)

(April 2008)

(SC) - Scott Cline (Seattle Municipal Archives)

(CE) - Carol Ellis (University of South Alabama Archives)

(July 2008)

(SM) - Stephanie Morris, CA (Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament Archives)

(WF) Wayne Finlaison (Records and Information Analyst, Territory Records Office, ACT, Australia)

(August 2008)

(LL) - Lori Lindberg, CA (San Jose State University)

(October 2008)

(AB) - Alan Bell (Centre for Archive and Information Studies, University of Dundee, Scotland)

(January 2009)

(SEC) - Stephen E. Cohen (MetLife, New York)

(August 2010)

(JBLD) - JBLD Strömberg (Stockholm, Sweden)

(September 2010)

(NB) - Neil Bethke, (Loyola Marymount University Archives & Special Collections)

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