COMPANYHISTORIES

Hong Kong

Companies based in Hong Kong, and the events that shaped them.

23companies1863–1999founding years18still active4no longer operating
§ 01

Hong Kong companies over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedThe Singer Company N.V.
1863
FoundedSwire Pacific Limited
1866
1867
TechnologyNobel patents dynamite.
1869
EconomyThe transcontinental railroad links the American coasts.
EconomyThe Suez Canal opens, reshaping global shipping.
FoundedChina Merchants International Holdings Co., Ltd.
1872
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.
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.
FoundedHongkong Electric Holdings Ltd.
1889
1893
EconomyThe Panic of 1893 pulls down banks and overbuilt railroads.
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.
FoundedBank of East Asia Ltd.
1918
1925
EconomyThe Grand Ole Opry begins broadcasting from Nashville.
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.
FoundedHang Seng Bank Ltd.
1933
EconomyThe first drive-in movie theater opens in New Jersey.
1937
EconomyThe Golden Gate Bridge opens as the world's longest suspension span.
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
FoundedCathay Pacific Airways Limited
1946
TechnologyENIAC, the first general-purpose electronic computer, is unveiled.
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
FoundedCheung Kong (Holdings) Limited
1950
1955
EconomyMcDonald's franchising begins, remaking fast food.
EconomyDisneyland opens and invents the modern theme park.
1956
TechnologyThe first transatlantic telephone cable opens.
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
EconomyThe first Walmart opens, built on everyday low prices.
1969
TechnologyARPANET, the internet's precursor, goes live.
FoundedNew World Development Company Limited
1970
FoundedShangri-La Asia Ltd.
1971
EconomyThe dollar leaves the gold standard; currencies float.
1973
EconomyThe OPEC oil embargo triggers a global shock.
FoundedNam Tai Electronics, Inc.
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
FoundedHutchison Whampoa Limited
1977
1979
EconomyA second oil crisis drives inflation higher worldwide.
FoundedFirst Pacific Company Limited
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.
FoundedHong Kong Dragon Airlines Ltd.
1985
1987
EconomyBlack Monday: markets fall sharply around the world.
FoundedCable & Wireless HKT
1988
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.
FoundedTommy Hilfiger Corporation
1992
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
FoundedCDC Corporation
1994
TechnologyE-commerce begins to disrupt retail.
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
FoundedKerry Properties Limited
1996
1997
EconomyThe Asian financial crisis rattles global markets.
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
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

The Singer Company N.V. →
Defunct · founded 1863 · Hong Kong
The Singer Company N.V.
Swire Pacific Limited →
Active · founded 1866 · Hong Kong
Swire Pacific Limited, which came to prominence as one of the 19th-century British-owned trading houses based in Hong…
China Merchants International Holdings Co., Ltd. →
Active · founded 1872 · Hong Kong
China Merchants International Holdings Co., Ltd.
Hongkong Electric Holdings Ltd. →
Renamed · founded 1889 · Hong Kong
Hongkong Electric Holdings Ltd.
Hongkong Land Holdings Limited →
Active · founded 1889 · Hong Kong
Hongkong Land Holdings Limited is one of Hong Kong's foremost property investment, development, and management…
Bank of East Asia Ltd. →
Active · founded 1918 · Hong Kong
One of Hong Kong's oldest Chinese-owned banks, Bank of East Asia Ltd.
Hang Seng Bank Ltd. →
Active · founded 1933 · Hong Kong
As Hang Seng entered the new century, its role within HSBC's regional ambitions became more clear, as HSBC targeted the…
Cathay Pacific Airways Limited →
Active · founded 1946 · Hong Kong
After World War II, Cathay Pacific Airways Limited grew from a small regional airline to a prosperous international…
Cheung Kong (Holdings) Limited →
Active · founded 1950 · Hong Kong
Cheung Kong (Holdings) Limited is among Hong Kong's leading property and investment development companies.
Playmates Toys →
Active · founded 1966 · Hong Kong
Playmates Toys is a Hong Kong-based toy manufacturer whose American subsidiary, Playmates Toys Inc., is one of the…
New World Development Company Limited →
Active · founded 1970 · Hong Kong
Since its founding in 1970, New World Development Company Limited has been a leader in Hong Kong's bustling commercial…
Shangri-La Asia Ltd. →
Active · founded 1971 · Hong Kong
Shangri-La Asia Ltd.
Nam Tai Electronics, Inc. →
Active · founded 1975 · Hong Kong
From its early days as a simple calculator manufacturer, Nam Tai Electronics, Inc.
Henderson Land Development Company Ltd. →
Active · founded 1976 · Hong Kong
Henderson Land Development Company Ltd.
Hutchison Whampoa Limited →
Active · founded 1977 · Hong Kong
Mid-1970s:Hongkong & Shanghai Bank steps in to rescue the faltering Hutchison, taking a stake in excess of 20 percent.
First Pacific Company Limited →
Active · founded 1981 · Hong Kong
In the somewhat murky world of Asian conglomerates, First Pacific Company Limited is one of the fastest-growing and…
Hong Kong Dragon Airlines Ltd. →
Defunct · founded 1985 · Hong Kong
Hong Kong Dragon Airlines Ltd., better known as Dragonair, is Hong Kong's second largest airline.
Cable & Wireless HKT →
Active · founded 1988 · Hong Kong
Cable & Wireless HKT (HKT), formerly Hong Kong Telecommunications Ltd., provides a wide range of communications…
CITIC Pacific Ltd. →
Active · founded 1990 · Hong Kong
In less than a decade, CITIC Pacific Ltd.
Tommy Hilfiger Corporation →
Defunct · founded 1992 · Hong Kong
Tommy Hilfiger Corporation markets menswear, womenswear, and childrenswear designed by Tommy Hilfiger.
CDC Corporation →
Active · founded 1994 · Hong Kong
Once one of China's hottest internet-focused stocks, formerly known as chinadotcom, CDC Corporation has repositioned…
Kerry Properties Limited →
Active · founded 1996 · Hong Kong
Kerry Properties Limited is one of the most prominent companies in the enormous network of companies owned or…
Next Media Ltd. →
Defunct · founded 1999 · Hong Kong
One of Hong Kong's leading newspaper and magazine publishers, Next Media Ltd.
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