A Brief History of General Motors Corp.

Some key events in General Motors' history:

Sept. 16, 1908 - General Motors Company founded by William C. Durant, incorporating Buick Motor Co. Oldsmobile joins GM in November.

1909 - GM sells 25,000 cars and trucks. Acquires Cadillac for $5.5 million. Also purchases GMC, AC spark plug.

1910 - Durant brings the Champion ignition and other companies into GM. Sales rise 60 percent, but earnings lag. Durant is ousted by bankers as company sinks into debt.

1911 - Electric self-starter first appears on a Cadillac on 1912 model.

1915-16 - GM incorporated as General Motors Corp. Durant, after founding company that builds Chevrolets, regains control.

1917-19 - GM shifts most truck production to war effort. GM Acceptance Corp. (GMAC) is established in 1919 to finance car and truck sales.

1920 - Durant resigns, later files personal bankruptcy and dies running bowling alleys.

1920s - GM creates product policy aiming Buick, Pontiac, Chevrolet, Oldsmobile and Cadillac at five different groups of buyers.

1921 - GM accounts for 12 percent of U.S. car market.

1923 - Alfred P. Sloan named president and chief executive.

1925 - GM acquires Vauxhall Motors Ltd. of Great Britain. Also establishes operations in Germany, France, Argentina and Brazil.

1929 - GM acquires Adam Opel AG of Germany.

1937 - Violent sit-down strikes by GM hourly workers in Flint, Mich., shake company, lead to United Auto Workers representation.

1941 - GM market share grows to 41 percent. Air conditioning first offered in Cadillacs.

1942 - Civilian auto production halted and plants turned to war effort.

1945-46 - Workers strike for 113 days.

1948 - First automobile fins unveiled, on a Cadillac. First V8 engines introduced on Oldsmobiles and Cadillacs.

1949 - After purchase of National City Lines of Los Angeles, GM accused of buying streetcar companies since 1920s and replacing them with bus systems. GM is convicted just once, of conspiracy in the Los Angeles case.

1954 - GM's U.S. market share reaches 54 percent. Company makes 50 millionth car.

1956 - Sloan retires as chairman.

1959-60 - Reacting to invasion of small European cars, GM introduces Chevrolet Corvair. Car later attacked by Ralph Nader, who wrote book "Unsafe at Any Speed" that led to congressional auto safety hearings.