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[websage]

In preparation for the Google IPO article, yesterday's Financial Times published a (very selective and Google-centric) timeline of the Search Engines:

December 1995: AltaVista - the first internet search tool - is launched by Digital Equipment

January 1996: Sergey Brin and Larry Page begin development on BackRub, the precursor to the Google search engine

September 1998: Google search engine is launched from a garage in Menlo Park, California

June 1999: Compaq sells the AltaVista stake it acquired in its takeover of Digital Equipment to CMGI, an internet investment company, for $2.3bn in stock

March 2001: Eric Schmidt, chairman and chief executive of Novell, joins Google board as chairman

July 2001: Eric Schmidt appointed chief executive of Google, while Sergey Brin becomes president of technology and Larry Page president of products

May 2002: Google and AOL announce a search service and syndicated advertising agreement for AOL members and visitors

June 2002: Google denies rumour that it is planning to float

December 2002: Yahoo says it will buy one-time rival Inktomi for $241m in cash

February 2003: Overture says it will buy AltaVista from CMGI in a $140m cash-and-stock deal

July 2003: Yahoo says it will buy Overture for $1.63bn in cash and stock

October 2003: Microsoft breaks off partnership with search partner, LookSmart, announcing plans to build its own search engine in-house.