1969: Arpanet, US-backed forerunner of the internet, goes live.

1973: Two US researchers devise protocol, to allow development of single-network Arpanet into multi-network internet.

1980: Tim Berners-Lee, at particle research station Cern, devises rules to start world wide web, and allow easy travel around the internet.

1982, 12 August: US bear market ends, with Dow Jones industrial average (DJIA) at 776.92 points, and Nasdaq at 159.84.

1990: In an article in the Washington Post, Al Gore introduces phrase "superinformation highway" to politics.

1992: America Online, which had been launched as a distributor of online games, floated, raising $23m.

1993, Jan: First issue of Wired published.

Launch of web browser Mosaic, forerunner to Netscape Navigator.

1995, July: Amazon launched.

Yahoo incorporated

1996, 12 April: Yahoo shares nearly triple in price on first day of trading.

1998: Oct, inaugural First Tuesday meeting.

1999, February: Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, with a fortune estimated at $10.1bn, reaches number 19 on Forbes' global rich list.

Sept: UK Prime Minister Tony Blair warns companies: "If you're not exploiting the opportunities of e-commerce, you could go bankrupt."

Nov: Fashion e-tailer Boo.com launches.

31 Dec: FTSE 100 peaks at 6.930.20.

2000, Jan 10: AOL and Time Warner announce merger

Jan 14: DJIA hits all-time closing high of 11,722.98.

January 30: More than 20 dot.coms. including Pets.com and Epidemic.com, pay up to $3m each for 30-second TV advertising spots at American football Super Bowl match.

March 2: Tony Dye quits Phillips & Drew, after forecasts of share crash fail to materialise.

March 6: FTSE Techmark index reaches record closing high of 5,743.40.

March 8: Tech firms including Freeserve, Psion, Thus and Baltimore Technologies promoted to FTSE 100 elite of top London listed firms.

March 10: Nasdaq reaches all-time closing high of 5.048.62.

March 14: Lastminute.com shares soar 28% on first day of trading.

May: Boo.com collapses, after spending $135m.

June: Psion, Baltimore Technologies, Kingston Communications and Thus ejected from FTSE 100.

August: Altavista UK chief Andy Mitchell resigns over unmetred net access package which was never launched.

November: Pets.com become first listed US dot.com to collapse. Other notable failures that month included Garden.com and Furniture.com.

December: UK internet service provider Freeserve bought by French rival Wanadoo.

2001, March: EToys fails.

April: Monthly statistics for US dot.com lay-offs peak at 17,554.

May: Monthly statistics for US dot.com closures peak at 64.

August: Case bought by Amazon investor against leading dot.com analyst Mary Meeker fails.

21 September: Nasdaq hits 1,423.19. FTSE Techmark hits record low of 1,064.98.

23 September: DJIA hits 8,235.81.

2002, January: Amazon announces first quarter in profit.

February: Entertainment site E-District settles case with former boss Steve Laitman sacked over claims of inflated traffic figures.

Amazon's Jeff Bezos, with fortune down to $1.5bn, ranked 293 on Forbes global rich list.

March: Plans revealed to relaunch Sportal sports site.