Timeline
- 1850:
- Henry Wells and William Fargo form the American Express Company.
- 1852:
- Wells and Fargo create Wells, Fargo & Company.
- 1868:
- American Express and Merchants Union Express merge.
- 1891:
- First Travelers Cheques are offered.
- 1933:
- While hundreds of banks fail during the Depression, American Express stays open.
- 1958:
- American Express personal charge card is launched.
- 1966:
- America Express Gold Card is introduced.
- 1970:
- American Express card for companies is launched.
- 1987:
- Optima card is introduced to challenge MasterCard and Visa.
- 1998:
- Company purchases France's largest travel service, Havas Voyages.
- 1999:
- Blue card with the Smart Chip for security is introduced.
- 2000:
- New offices open in Beijing, China.
- 2001:
- Company suffers losses during the World Trade Center attacks; temporarily moves headquarters to New Jersey.
- 2002:
- Increases focus on financial services.
American Express - Conquering the Shipping Industry, Looking West, New Partnerships http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/businesses/A-F/American-Express.html#ixzz27w3PIUAN
