A C R O S S T H E Y E A R S

General Mills incorporates on June 20, 1928. The stock first trades asGIS on the New York Stock Exchange onNovember 30, 1928.

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1930s 1940s

1929 More mills jointhe newly formedGeneral Mills,including West Coast’sSperry Flour Companyand Detroit-basedLarrowe MillingCompany.

Our Brands

Our Businesses

James Ford BellChairmen1928

1933Wheaties“Breakfast ofChampions”slogan iscreated.

1933JackArmstrong,The All-AmericanBoy debutson the radio, sponsoredby Wheaties.

1931Bisquick, arevolutionary bakingmix, is developed.

1937Kix, the first ready-to-eatpuffed corn cereal, isintroduced.

1936The firstofficialportrait ofBetty Crockeris released.

1931Teaspoon coupon offermarks the first step in thedevelopment of the BettyCrocker catalog.

1937The company divisionalstructure is established,uniting subsidiary companies.

1940The General MillsMechanical divisionis organized.

1943The Mechanical divisionis recognized with fourArmy-Navy “E” awardsfor excellence.

1943General Millsestablishes theChemical division.

1947General Millsintroduces its firstcake mix.

1946General Mills’ testkitchens are renamed“The Betty CrockerKitchens.”

1949The first Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest is held.

1941Cheerioatscereal isintroduced.The name ischanged toCheerios fouryears later.

1941The LoneRanger,sponsored byKix, debutson radio.

1948 Betty Crocker gavehomemakers a recipe fora radically new dessert –Chiffon cake.

1948

1934Research laboratoriesdiscover a cost-effectiveprocess for producingvitamin D.

1950s 1960s 1970s

E. Robert KinneyJames P. McFarlandGerald S. KennedyHarry A. Bullis

1951Pillsbury launches itsentry into the refrigerateddough market with theacquisition of Ballard &Ballard.

1954Operation Skyhookballoon reaches arecord altitude of116,700 feet.

1954The General MillsFoundation isestablished.

1953The Ryan flightrecorder isdeveloped inpartnership withthe University ofMinnesota.

1954General Millsbuilds its firstCanadian plant.

1950Betty Crockerintroduces her firstPicture Cook Book.

1957Pillsbury refrigerated cookiedough is introduced.

1955The first BettyCrockerSearch for theAll-AmericanHomemaker ofTomorrowscholarshipprogram is held.

1959The first Rocky and HisFriends (later called TheBullwinkle Show)cartoon airs, sponsoredby General Mills.

1960The BelleraAir Spunmillingprocess isinvented.

1961James FordBell ResearchCenter isdedicated.

1965The PillsburyDoughboyappears in hisfirst televisioncommercial.

1969Space FoodSticks touchdown in thegrocerystore aisle.

1965General MillsacquiresRainbowCrafts.

1968General Mills passes gowith purchase of gamecompany Parker Brothers.

1961Total cereal,fortified withvitamins, isintroduced.

1966General Millsannounces Bugles,one of thecompany’s firstsnack products.

1964LuckyCharmscereal firstappears in stores.

1967PillsburyacquiresBurger Kingrestaurants.

1971Hamburger Helperdinner mixes create anentirely new grocerycategory.

1972Pillsburyintroduces theBundt cake mix.

1977Kenner, part of GeneralMills’ Toy division, releasesStar Wars figures.

1977General Millsacquires U.S.licensing rightsto Yoplait yogurt.

1973Nature Valley granolacereal debuts.

1959 1977

Charles H. Bell1961

Edwin W. Rawlings1967 1969

1979Pillsbury acquires theGreen Giant Company.

1970General Millspurchases RedLobster restaurants.

1975Totino’s ispurchased byPillsbury.

1990s 2000s

1992General Millsestablishes SnackVentures Europe, ajoint venture withPepsiCo.

1995Pillsburyacquires Pet, Inc.,including Old El Pasoand Progresso brands.

1999 Gardetto’s and Lloyd’sBarbeque join theGeneral Mills family.

Stephen W. SangerH.B. Atwater Jr.

1983Fruit Roll-Ups snacksroll outnationally.

1989Pillsbury is acquiredby U.K.-based GrandMetropolitan plc.

1982The Olive Garden restaurantfirst opens.

1984Pillsbury introducesHäagen-Dazs icecream in Japan.

1988The SpecialtyRetailingdivision isspun off.

1985General Millsspins off its Toyand Fashiondivisions.

1985Pop Secretpopcornexplodesinto themarketplace.

1990General MillsestablishesCerealPartnersWorldwide, ajoint venturewith Nestlé.

1985ToasterStrudel pastries debut.

1993Green Giantintroduces Create aMeal! meal starters.

1992Pillsburyintroduces Shapecookies.

1996BettyCrockercelebratesher 75th

anniversary.

2001Milk ‘n Cereal Barsenter the market.

1997Chex andChex Mix joinGeneral Mills.

1999Go-GURTportable yogurt hitsgrocery stores.

1999Bugles snacks areintroduced in China.

2002Cascadian Farmoffers fourorganic cereals.

2003Berry Burst Cheerioscereals are introduced.

2002Häagen-DazslaunchesCrispySandwich inJapan.

1982 1995

2001Pillsbury introduces anew line of frozenbaked goods.

1983Kenner introducesCare Bears.

2001General Mills acquiresThe Pillsbury Companyto create one of theworld’s largest foodcompanies.

1980s

1866 CadwalladerWashburn builds his firstflour mill on the banks ofthe Mississippi River inMinneapolis.

1869 With his father anduncle, Charles Pillsbury entersthe flour business, buying an interest in a Minneapolisflour mill.

1877 Washburn partners withJohn Crosby to form theWashburn Crosby Company.

1878 Flour dust explosiondestroys the Washburn CrosbyA mill. A revolutionary new millis built.

1903 Minnesota Valley CanningCompany (later renamed GreenGiant Company) is founded.

1904 Washburn Crosbyopens a state-of-the-art mill inBuffalo, New York.

1925 The Green Giant iscreated to launch a new varietyof canned peas.

1926 The Wheaties Quartetdebuts what is believed tobe the world's first singingradio commercial.

Our milling roots

1872 Charles Pillsbury beginsusing four “X”s and thePillsbury’s Best trademark onpackaging, signifying the highquality of his flour.

1880 The Washburn CrosbyCompany wins the gold medal atthe first Millers’ InternationalExhibition, inspiring the popularflour’s name.

1924 The Washburn Crosbycompany introduces its firstready-to-eat cereal, WholeWheat Flakes. The name islater changed to Wheaties.

1921 Betty Crocker iscreated as a pen name foranswering consumer lettersto the Washburn CrosbyCompany.