1869 -- H.J. Heinz and Clarence Noble launch Heinz Noble & Co.

1875 -- Heinz Noble & Co. declares bankruptcy.

1876 -- Heinz introduces another company, F & J Heinz, with his brother John Heinz and a cousin Frederick Heinz. The company's signature product: tomato ketchup.

1888 -- Heinz buys out his other two partners and establishes the H.J. Heinz Company.

1896 -- Slogan "57 Varieties" is introduced.

1905 -- H.J. Heinz Company is incorporated, Henry Heinz at the helm as president.

1906 -- The company pioneers processes for sanitary food preparation, leading a successful lobbying effort in favor of the Pure Food and Drug Act.

1926 -- The company celebrates its 57 anniversary.

1931 -- Howard Heinz, Henry's son, fights the Great Depression by adding two new lines: ready-to-serve 'quality' soups and baby foods.

1946 -- H.J. "Jack" Heinz II, grandson of the founder, takes the company public and launches post-war opperations in Holland, Venezuela, Japan and Italy.

1966 -- Robert Burt Gookin, architect of modern Heinz, serves as the first CEO outside the Heinz family.

1972 -- Heinz reaches the billion dollar mark in sales.

1979 -- Anthony "Tony" O'Reilly, 43, is named CEO. He kickstarts an era of global expansion.

1999 -- The new Heinz 57 exhibit opens at Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh, PA to celebrate the companys 130th year.

2000 -- William R. Johnson, 49, is named president and CEO, the sixth in the company's history.

2012 -- Fiscal Sales reach $11.6 billion.

2013 -- Consortium including Warren Buffett on Feb. 14 says it will buy Heinz for $28 billion.

First Published: February 14, 2013, 7:00 p.m.