Timeline

1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012

Humble Beginnings

With a $5 correspondence course from Penn State in making ice cream, two regular guys named Ben and Jerry open their first ice cream scoop shop in Burlington,Vermont.
Next step...

The first-ever Free Cone Day is held as a thank you celebration for our one-year anniversary. This annual tradition of free cones for all continues today in scoop shops around the world.
Supply & Demand

Ben and Jerry rent space in an old spool and bobbin mill on South Champlain Street in Burlington and begin packing their ice cream in pints. The reason? To distribute to grocery and Mom & Pop stores along the restaurant delivery routes Ben services out of the back of his old VW Squareback wagon.
We want more...

As the news of Ben & Jerry's spreads, more & more people want a lick. So the first franchised scoop shop opens in Shelburne, Vermont.
Pack it up!

The old gas station is demolished to create a parking lot. Just before the wrecking ball is swung, the new Ben & Jerry's on Cherry Street in Burlington is up & scooping.
Humongous

Ben & Jerry's ice cream is used to build "the world's largest ice cream sundae" in St. Albans, Vermont; the sundae weighs 27,102 pounds.
Get a Scoop of the Action

Ben & Jerry's goes public & Vermonters have the first chance to be in on the ground floor with a direct public offering of stock.
The heart of the matter

The Ben & Jerry's Foundation is established with a gift from Ben and Jerry & 7.5% of the company's annual pre-tax profits to fund community-oriented projects.
"Like a giant baked Alaska"

The "Cowmobile" burns to the ground outside of Cleveland, Ohio, after four months of a cross-country free scooping extravaganza.
Very Grateful

Two "Deadheads" from Portland, Maine, suggest we name a flavor after Grateful Dead guitarist, Jerry Garcia. Cherry Garcia® ice cream debuts as the first flavor ever named after a rock legend.
Hail from the Chief

President Reagan names Ben and Jerry "Small Business Persons of the Year" in a White House Rose Garden ceremony. Jerry's one suit comes in handy & luckily, Ben finds an Italian waiter's jacket to wear.
From the home office in Sioux City, IO

David Letterman rolls up the "Top Ten Least Popular Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream Flavors" list which includes "Zsa Zsa Gaboreo" & "Norieggnog."
Contented cows make the best ice cream

Eight million Ben & Jerry's pints carry a "Support Farm Aid" message as part of a grassroots effort to support family farmers.
Send in the clowns

The Ben & Jerry's Circus Bus hits the road for a national tour. Solar panels atop the bus power onboard electronics. Community celebrations are highlighted with world-class street performers & a message in support of solar energy.
Take a stand for children

The Ben & Jerry's Circus Bus hits the road for a national tour. Solar panels atop the bus power onboard electronics. Community celebrations are highlighted with world-class street performers & a message in support of solar energy.
"The 90's are the 60's standing on your head"

Wavy Gravy leads the pack of new flavors. It's named after the famous 1960's Woodstock Festival personality who is today a one-man non-profit helping kids.
Greetings, your Majesty

Pints of Ben & Jerry's ice cream begin to appear in the United Kingdom.
www.benjerry.com

Hundreds of thousands of cyber-surfers visit the Ben & Jerry's World Wide Web site for virtual licks & voluminous laughs.
No Fat, No Lactose, No Cholesterol

Ben & Jerry's introduces Sorbets made with pure spring water & the best fruits & flavorings. Doonesberry® Sorbet is named after the popular "Doonesbury®" comic strip character.
Phish Food for people

The great music & renowned concert tours of the Vermont-based musical group, Phish®, inspire Phish Food® ice cream.
Happy birthday with a whole new look

Some folks thought our packages were hard to read (& the flavors hard to resist), so after 20 years we dressed up our pints with a fresh new look!
S'mores call to action

In honor of Ben & Jerry's new S'Mores™ ice cream bar, Ben & Jerry's asks customers to sign petitions to get Merriam-Webster to consider including the word S'Mores™ in new editions of the dictionary.
Stop & taste the ice cream

This summer tour brings hot tunes, glorious hot air balloons & plenty of good ice cream to 13 cities across the country. Our "Joy Gang" gave out 380,000 scoops of free ice cream & through "Charity Scooper Bowls'' gave away over $100,000 to local non-profit groups.
We're making a movie

This summer tour brings hot tunes, glorious hot air balloons & plenty of good ice cream to 13 cities across the country. Our "Joy Gang" gave out 380,000 scoops of free ice cream & through "Charity Scooper Bowls'' gave away over $100,000 to local non-profit groups.
One sweet whirled

It's an ice cream flavor...it's an environmental action website...it's One Sweet Whirled™ & it's all interconnected, as Ben & Jerry's Dave Matthews Band® & SaveOurEnvironment.org in a campaign to help fight global warming.
Celebrating 25 years

Ben & Jerry's kicks off the year with a birthday bash in Waterbury VT at the first-ever Winter Fest. Still crazy after 25 years.
Rock the vote!

In an effort to drive voter turnout amoung young people, Ben & Jerry's partners with Rock the Vote. RTV street teams leveraged the long lines of customers on Free Cone Day to register voters. Over 11,000 voters were registered on Free Cone Day -- The biggest one day grassroots registration in Rock the Vote's history!
Drilling is not the ANsWer

To protest the proposed oil drilling the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, we contructed a 900 pound Baked Alaska from Fossil Fuel ice cream, shoulder it onto the US Capital lawn and serve it up with the help of Greenpeace and the Alaska Wilderness League.
Fair Trade Upgrade

Ben & Jerry's continues to support Fair Trade adding Vanilla and Chocolate to the line up of Coffee, Coffee Coffee BuzzBuzzBuzz. Fair Trade certification guarantee's that the farmers who grow the vanilla, cocoa and coffee beans get a fair price for their harvest, enabling them to reinvest in their land and communities.
Truth or Clone-sequences

When the U.S. Food & Drug Administration declared that it believed meat and milk from cloned animals was safe to eat, we were beside ourselves, twice over! To show our disappointment with the FDA's decision – and to urge Americans to speak out against cloning – we send a determined herd of cow-costumed folks to Washington, D.C. for a "Truth or Clone-sequences" demonstration.
The Batch is back

We introduce Goodbye Yellow Brickle Road in recognition of Elton John's first concert in Vermont.
Do the world a flavor

Top contestants from our global Do the World a Flavor contest gather in the Dominican Republic, tour the local cocoa co-op, and build a playground for children in the village of Yabon.
Fair Trade Certified

Ben & Jerry's has made a significant commitment to source Fair Trade ingredients and to support the global Fair Trade movement. We are in the process of converting our ingredients to Fair Trade certified globally where we feel we can have the greatest impact on improving the lives of farmers, strengthening their communities and protecting the environment.
Looking for a Late Night Snack?

Jimmy Fallon launches his Late Night Snack ice cream on his show. The Fair Trade focused concoction is a sweet and salty treat combining vanilla bean ice cream with a salted caramel swirl and fudge covered potato chips.
It's All Greek to Me!

Ben & Jerry's introduces its version of Greek Frozen Yogurt. The indulgent and luxurious dessert uses real Greek Yogurt in combination with fruit like blueberry, raspberry, banana and strawberry that will make you join our chant: "It's Greekin' Good!"