COMPANYHISTORIES

Brazil

Companies based in Brazil, and the events that shaped them.

20companies1808–2000founding years15still active4no longer operating
§ 01

Brazil companies over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedBANCO DO BRASIL S.A.
1808
1839
TechnologyGoodyear discovers how to vulcanize rubber.
1851
TechnologySinger's sewing machine mechanizes garment-making.
1856
TechnologyBessemer's process makes cheap steel possible.
1857
EconomyThe Panic of 1857 spreads through banks and railroads.
1859
TechnologyDrake's well at Titusville launches the oil industry.
1867
TechnologyNobel patents dynamite.
1869
EconomyThe transcontinental railroad links the American coasts.
EconomyThe Suez Canal opens, reshaping global shipping.
1873
EconomyLevi Strauss patents riveted denim work pants.
EconomyThe Panic of 1873 triggers a global depression.
1876
TechnologyAlexander Graham Bell patents the telephone.
1879
TechnologyEdison demonstrates a practical incandescent lamp.
FoundedCia Hering
1880
1882
TechnologyEdison's Pearl Street Station opens the electric-utility era.
1886
EconomyCoca-Cola is first served in Atlanta.
TechnologyThe Hall-Heroult process makes aluminum cheap to produce.
1888
TechnologyKodak's roll-film camera brings photography to everyone.
1893
EconomyThe Panic of 1893 pulls down banks and overbuilt railroads.
FoundedGerdau S.A.
1901
FoundedSouza Cruz S.A.
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
1908
TechnologyFord's Model T puts the automobile within reach of the middle class.
1913
TechnologyFord's moving assembly line transforms factory production.
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
1916
EconomyPiggly Wiggly opens the first self-service grocery store.
1925
EconomyThe Grand Ole Opry begins broadcasting from Nashville.
FoundedVARIG S.A. (Viação Aérea Rio-Grandense)
1927
TechnologyThe Jazz Singer ushers in the era of sound films.
TechnologyLindbergh flies the Atlantic solo, and aviation captures the public.
1928
TechnologyPenicillin is discovered, opening the age of antibiotics.
1929
EconomyThe stock market crashes; the Great Depression spreads worldwide.
1931
EconomyThe Empire State Building rises in just over a year.
FoundedIpiranga S.A.
1933
EconomyThe first drive-in movie theater opens in New Jersey.
FoundedPerdigao SA
1934
1937
EconomyThe Golden Gate Bridge opens as the world's longest suspension span.
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
FoundedCOMPANHIA VALE DO RIO DOCE
1942
FoundedBanco Bradesco S.A.
1943
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
1946
TechnologyENIAC, the first general-purpose electronic computer, is unveiled.
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
FoundedCompanhia Energética de Minas Gerais S.A. CEMIG
1952
FoundedPETRÓLEO BRASILEIRO S.A.
1953
FoundedTransBrasil S/A Linhas Aéreas
1955
EconomyMcDonald's franchising begins, remaking fast food.
EconomyDisneyland opens and invents the modern theme park.
1956
TechnologyThe first transatlantic telephone cable opens.
FoundedLojas Arapua S.A.
1957
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
FoundedTAM Linhas Aéreas S.A.
1961
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
EconomyThe first Walmart opens, built on everyday low prices.
FoundedEmpresa Brasileira de Aeronáutica S.A. (Embraer)
1969
TechnologyARPANET, the internet's precursor, goes live.
FoundedSadia S.A.
1971
EconomyThe dollar leaves the gold standard; currencies float.
FoundedAracruz Celulose S.A.
1972
1973
EconomyThe OPEC oil embargo triggers a global shock.
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
1979
EconomyA second oil crisis drives inflation higher worldwide.
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
TechnologyThe first US in-vitro fertilization baby is born.
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
1987
EconomyBlack Monday: markets fall sharply around the world.
1989
HistoryThe Berlin Wall falls; global markets open up.
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
TechnologyLinux and open source challenge proprietary software.
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
1994
TechnologyE-commerce begins to disrupt retail.
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
1997
EconomyThe Asian financial crisis rattles global markets.
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
FoundedBrasil Telecom Participaçoes S.A.
1998
1999
TechnologyNapster ignites the digital disruption of recorded music.
2000
EconomyThe dot-com bubble bursts.
TechnologyGPS opens to civilian use, turning location into a utility.
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2008
EconomyThe global financial crisis freezes credit worldwide.
2010
TechnologyCloud computing goes mainstream for business.
2015
EnvironmentThe Paris Agreement sets global climate targets.
2020
EconomyThe COVID-19 pandemic upends the global economy.
2022
EconomyInflation spikes; central banks raise rates sharply.
2023
TechnologyGenerative AI reaches mainstream business use.
§ 02

The companies

BANCO DO BRASIL S.A. →
Active · founded 1808 · Brazil
Stock Index: Brazil The history of Banco do Brasil intertwines with that of Brazil itself.
Cia Hering →
Active · founded 1880 · Brazil
Cia Hering is a Brazilian holding company whose units are engaged in the production and sale of textiles and…
Gerdau S.A. →
Active · founded 1901 · Brazil
A fast-rising star on the international steel market, Gerdau S.A.
Souza Cruz S.A. →
Active · founded 1903 · Brazil
Souza Cruz S.A.
VARIG S.A. (Viação Aérea Rio-Grandense) →
Active · founded 1927 · Brazil
An estimated 11 million passengers a year fly VARIG S.A.
Ipiranga S.A. →
Active · founded 1933 · Brazil
One of Brazil's largest privately held companies, Ipiranga S.A.
Perdigao SA →
Renamed · founded 1934 · Brazil
Brazil's Perdigao SA is the second largest producer of pork and poultry products, behind Sadia, with vertical…
COMPANHIA VALE DO RIO DOCE →
Active · founded 1942 · Brazil
Companhia Vale do Rio Doce (CVRD) is one of the world's most important producers of iron ore, iron pellets, and other…
Banco Bradesco S.A. →
Active · founded 1943 · Brazil
Headquartered in a suburb of São Paulo, Brazil, Banco Bradesco S.A.
Banco Itaú S.A. →
Active · founded 1944 · Brazil
Headquartered in Brazil's financial capital of Sao Paulo, Banco Itaú S.A.
Companhia Energética de Minas Gerais S.A. CEMIG →
Active · founded 1952 · Brazil
Companhia Energética de Minas Gerais S.A.
PETRÓLEO BRASILEIRO S.A. →
Active · founded 1953 · Brazil
Petróleo Brasileiro (Petrobr´s) is the Southern Hemisphere's largest company.
TransBrasil S/A Linhas Aéreas →
Defunct · founded 1955 · Brazil
TransBrasil S/A Linhas Aéreas, Brazil's third-largest airline, flies about three million passengers a year.
Lojas Arapua S.A. →
Active · founded 1957 · Brazil
Once the largest retailer of household appliances and electronics in Brazil with 16 percent of the market for durable…
TAM Linhas Aéreas S.A. →
Defunct · founded 1961 · Brazil
TAM Linhas Aéreas S.A.
Empresa Brasileira de Aeronáutica S.A. (Embraer) →
Active · founded 1969 · Brazil
Empresa Brasileira de Aeronáutica S.A.
Sadia S.A. →
Active · founded 1971 · Brazil
Sadia S.A.
Aracruz Celulose S.A. →
Defunct · founded 1972 · Brazil
Brazil-based Aracruz Celulose S.A.
Brasil Telecom Participaçoes S.A. →
Defunct · founded 1998 · Brazil
Brasil Telecom Participaçoes S.A.
Companhia de Bebidas das Américas →
Active · founded 2000 · Brazil
AmBev, more formally known as Companhia de Bebidas das Américas, is the world's fifth largest brewer.
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