1978: Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank are fired from Handy Dan. New York investor Ken Langone tells them, “You’ve just been kicked in the (butt) with a golden horseshoe!”
1979: The founders acquire four locations from JCPenney in Atlanta. First two Home Depot stores open June 22 on Buford Highway and Memorial Drive.
1981: Stock debuts on Nasdaq, raising $4 million in the IPO.
1984: Stock moves to the New York Stock Exchange.
1985: Home Depot opens 50th store.
1986: First "super-sized," 140,000 square foot, store opens in El Cajon, Calif.
1990: Home Depot overtakes Lowe's as top seller in the home improvement category.
1991: First Expo store opens as a high-end décor concept.
1992: Home Depot becomes an Olympic sponsor.
1997: Arthur Blank becomes CEO.
1998: First store opens in Chile.
1999: Stock added to Dow Jones index.
2000: Company hires first outside CEO, Bob Nardelli, who had been at GE.
2001: Stores in Chile and Argentina close.
2002: Home Depot opens 1,500th store and expands to Mexico by buying Del Norte chain.
2003: 100th store opens in Canada.
2004: First "urban store" opens in Manhattan.
2005: Home Depot opens 2,000th store worldwide, 50th in Mexico.
2006: HD Supply acquires 12 companies, including Hughes Supply. Home Depot buys 12 The Homeway stores in China and the 4,000-unit Chem Dry carpet cleaning chain, which it still owns.
2007: Nardelli abruptly resigns amid criticism of a $210 million severance package. Frank Blake takes the helm. Blake sells HD Supply and closes the landscape supply and flooring stores.
2008: Home Depot closes 15 stores and removes 50 new ones from the development pipeline.
2009: Company posts first quarterly loss since 1982 citing charges for closing Expo and YardBirds stores, and lays off 7,000 employees.
Compiled by Rachel Tobin Ramos
