Readers Digest: Landmarks
Landmarks
This chronology is indicative only.
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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.