TIMELINE

1905	June 12: A group of Fort Wayne, IN, bankers, attorneys, wholesalers, hoteliers, manufacturers, physicians and brokers found the Lincoln National Life Insurance Company on the second floor of a local bank. (see image 1)
1912	Lincoln Life enters into its first reinsurance contract. Total of fourteen life insurance companies using Lincoln Life's reinsurance services by year end.
1913	Lincoln Life acquires Michigan State Life.
1916	Lincoln Life issues its first group life insurance policy to Fort Wayne Knitting Mills.
1917	Lincoln Life acquires Pioneer Life, adding a new distribution channel through numerous small town banks scattered across the upper Midwest
1923	Lincoln Life opens its new home office on South Harrison Street, Fort Wayne, IN. (see image 2)
1928	The Lincoln Historical Research Foundation opens, known today as The Lincoln Museum. (see image 3)
1932	The statue, "Abraham Lincoln — The Hoosier Youth," is unveiled atop the plaza entrance steps of the original Lincoln National Life Insurance office in Ft. Wayne, IN. (see image 4)
1951	Lincoln Life purchases the Reliance Life Insurance Company of Pittsburgh. (see image 5)
1957	Lincoln Life enters the international arena by buying controlling interests in the Dominion Life Assurance Company of Waterloo, Ontario. (see image 6)
1962	Lincoln Life acquires American States Insurance Companies of Indianapolis.
1968	January 17: Lincoln National Corporation (LNC) is formed, introducing one of the first holding companies in the insurance industry.
1969	Lincoln National Corporation begins trading on the New York Stock Exchange (see image 7) and the Midwest Stock Exchange.
1973	Lincoln National Investment Management Co. (LNIMC) is formed, initiating the company's administration of mutual funds and investment advisory services for the Lincoln affiliates.
1979	Lincoln National acquires Security Connecticut Life Insurance Company of Avon, CT.
1980	Lincoln National Pension Insurance Company is founded.
1981	Lincoln National purchases First Penn-Pacific Life Insurance Company of Oakbrook Terrace, IL.
1984	Lincoln National acquires Cannon Assurance Limited of Wimbley, Middlesex, England, establishing its presence in the United Kingdom and marking its first appearance on the London Stock Exchange (see image 8). Lincoln National acquires K & K Insurance of Fort Wayne and The Richard Leahy Corporation of Silver Spring, MD.
1985	Lincoln's Dominion Life Assurance Company affiliate is sold to Manufacturers Life Insurance Company of Toronto, Ontario. Lincoln is listed on the Pacific Stock Exchange for the first time.
1986	Lincoln National Corporation acquires Fireman's Fund Employers Health Insurance Company of Green Bay, WI.
1987	Lincoln National Corporation creates the Administrators Network, the nation's largest third-party administrators (TPA) organization. Lincoln stock is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. (see image 9)
1989	Lincoln National Direct Placement Fund is renamed as Lincoln National Income Fund, Inc.
1990	Lincoln Life and Dai-ichi Mutual Life Insurance Co., Tokyo, enter into a strategic business alliance. (see image 10)
1991	Lincoln National Risk Management receives one of its first patents in the insurance industry for its Life Underwriting System.
1992	Lincoln National Corporation exits the managed health care business and sells K & K Insurance Specialties to AON Corporation. Cannon Lincoln merges with Citibank Life, becoming what is now known as Lincoln UK.
1994	Lincoln National Corporation opens a representative office in Beijing, China. (see image 11)
1995	Lincoln National Corporation opens a representative office in Shanghai (see image 12). Lincoln National acquires Delaware Management Holdings, Inc. and organizes Lincoln National Investment Cos. Inc., a holding company for investment management affiliates, Delaware Group, Vantage Global Advisors and Lynch & Mayer. Lincoln UK acquires Laurentian Financial Group from Imperial Life Assurance Co. of Canada and Liberty Life Assurance Co. Limited.
1996	Lincoln National announces an initial public offering of 10 million shares of its subsidiary, American States Financial Corp. Lincoln National Reassurance Co. receives in-principle approval from the Monetary Authority of Singapore to write life and health reinsurance from a new office to be established in Singapore (see image 13). Lincoln National opens a third representative office in Guangzhou, China. Lincoln Life acquires the group tax-deferred annuity business from UNUM Corp. and establishes a new company, Lincoln Life and Annuity Company of New York (Lincoln Life New York) to handle this 403(b) business and other financial services products.
1997	Lincoln National acquires Voyageur Fund Managers, Inc. of Minneapolis, MN, and incorporates it into the Delaware Group of mutual funds. Lincoln Re opens a Buenos Aires office in Argentina. Lincoln National completes the sale of American States Insurance, receiving $2.65 billion in cash from SAFECO. Lincoln National purchases the individual life insurance and annuity businesses of CIGNA Corp. for approximately $1.4 billion.
1998	Lincoln National Corporation introduces its new marketing name "Lincoln Financial Group" to increase its recognition as a financial services company. Lincoln National signs an agreement with Aetna to buy its domestic individual life insurance operations for $1 billion, broadening Lincoln's reach into the affluent market. Lincoln National Corporation and the Ping An Insurance Company of China sign a letter of intent as a precursor to a joint venture agreement for the sale of life insurance in China. The Board of Directors of Lincoln National Corporation vote to move the corporation's headquarters to Philadelphia.
1999	Lincoln National Corp. reorganizes The Lincoln National Life Insurance Co. to separate its life insurance and annuity businesses into two distinct operations.
2000	Lincoln Re forms a trans-Pacific alliance with The Kyoei Life Insurance Co. in Tokyo to market reinsurance services in Japan as Kyoei Lincoln Reinsurance Services Co., Ltd. Lincoln National Corp. agrees to transfer its Lincoln UK sales forces to Inter-Alliance Group PLC, one of the U.K.'s largest national independent financial advisory groups, and to cease writing new business under Lincoln UK.
2001	Lincoln Financial Distributors is formed as the wholesaling distribution organization of Lincoln Financial Group. Lincoln National sells its reinsurance operation, Lincoln Re, to Swiss Re for $2 billion.
2002	Lincoln Financial Group acquires the naming rights to the Philadelphia Eagles' new stadium, Lincoln Financial Field (see image 14). Lincoln Financial Group acquired The Administrative Management Group, Inc., an employee benefits recordkeeping firm. 2004: Barrons lists Delaware Investments as fourth out of 75 mutual fund families for 2003 in the annual mutual fund survey.
2005	Lincoln Financial Group celebrates its first 100 years in the financial services business. Working Mother magazine recognizes Lincoln Financial Group for creating — and championing — policies that make it possible for working moms to achieve success at work and at home. Lincoln Financial Group was named on their list of 100 Best companies to work for 19 out of 20 years.
2006	Lincoln National Corporation completes its merger with Jefferson Pilot Financial, branding the new company Lincoln Financial Group. Jefferson Pilot Communications and Jefferson Pilot Sports were also acquired and renamed. Lincoln Financial Advisors introduces its new marketing name "Lincoln Financial Network" to include both Lincoln Financial and Jefferson Pilot retail distribution outlets.
2010	Lincoln Financial Group completes sale of its investment management arm, Delaware Investments, in order to focus on core insurance and retirement businesses.