The field of GIS is older than you may think. From the early days in Canada to the high tech world of internet mapping, check out links to web sites that will lead you through the most important events.

Article on the GIS History Project
Article on the events behind the establishment of the GIS History Project.

Do Maps Have Morals?
Piece by MIT Technology Review detailing the dispute on the origins of GIS between its more benign academic beginnings and the more sinister military origins.

ESRI Company History
History of ESRI from its beginnings in 1969 to the development of the annual International User Conference which pulls in 12,000 attendees each year.

GIS History Project
Launched in 1996 the GIS History Project seeks to foster research and documentation of the evolution of GIS.

History and Milestones of GIS
From the GIS Development site, this clickable timeline contains information about the history of mapping, cartography and GIS related technologies. The timeline starts pre-200 AD and has summary pages until 2000 AD.

History of GIS in Qatar
Brief history of the establishment of GIS in Qatar.

Milestones in the history of thematic cartography, statistical graphics, and data visualization
Michael Friendly and Daniel J. Denis, who are both Psychology Professors (Friendly at York University in Ontario, Canada and Denis at The University of Montana), have put together a comprehensive timeline showing “Milestones in the history of thematic cartography, statistical graphics, and data visualization.” The dynamic timeline categorizes significant events and achievements as cartography, technology or statistics and graphics. Each milestone is clickable with a summary and a link to further information. The timeline can be dragged left and right to either go back in time or forward.

National Academy Press
Timeline of significant past events and forces in GIS. From The Future of Spatial Data and Society (1997).

Map History
All kinds of great information about the history of maps and map-making. Find out about globes, paper maps and atlases.