FROM FLASHBULBS TO FAILURE
1880s
The Eastman Kodak Company is founded by George Eastman in Rochester, NY
1900
Kodak launches its $1 camera, the Brownie, with the slogan “You push the button, we do the rest”
1935
Kodak introduces Kodachrome, its first 35mm colour film
1963
The company launches the Instamatic camera, using its new cartridge film. More than 50m were produced by 1970.
1975
Engineer Steve Sasson invents the first digital camera
1994
Eastman Chemical, a subsidiary founded to provide Kodak’s chemical supplies, is spun off into a separate company
2004
Kodak stops selling traditional film camera in Europe and North America, and cuts its total workforce at the time by around a fifth
Jan 2006
The company launches the world’s first dual-lens digital camera at the Consumer Electronics Show, the Kodak EasyShare V570 Dual Lens Digital Camera
August 2006
Kodak sells its digital camera manufacturing operations to Flextronics, but retains all patents and intellectual property rights
2008
Kodak released the Kodak Theatre HD Player, which means photos and videos stored on a computer can be displayed on a high-definition TV
2009
Kodak reports a fourth-quarter loss of a $137m and says it will cut up to 4,500 jobs. It also stops manufacturing Kodachrome film after 74 years
December 2010
Standard & Poor’s removes Kodak from its S&P 500 index
2011
After Kodak shares fall more than 80 per cent over the year, the company hires law firm Jones Day to advise on a restructuring
19 January 2012 Eastman Kodak, under chief executive Antonio Perez, files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection