| Year |
Event |
| 1849 |
John Boot opened a herbalist shop in Goose Gate, Nottingham. |
| 1850 |
Jesse Boot was born in Nottingham. |
| 1871 |
John's widow, Mary Boot, and son, Jesse began trading as M & J Boot, Herbalists. |
| 1877 |
Jesse Boot took over control of the shop. |
| 1879 |
Edgar Moss was born in Staffordshire. |
| 1883 |
Boot & Company Ltd formed. |
| 1884 |
Boots first pharmacist appointed |
| 1885 |
Development of Boots manufacturing facilities around Island Street, Nottingham. |
| 1888 |
Company renamed Boots Pure Drug Company Ltd. |
| 1892 |
Flagship Boots store opened at Pelham Street, Nottingham. |
| 1898 |
Boots Booklovers' Library established. |
| 1902 |
Edgar Moss qualified as a pharmacist. |
| 1915 |
Edgar Moss bought his first pharmacy business in Feltham. |
| 1920 |
Boots Pure Drug Company Ltd sold to the United Drug Company of America |
| 1921 |
Edgar Moss opened his second Moss pharmacy in Hayes. |
| 1923 |
Edgar Moss opened his first warehouse in Feltham, in a corrugated iron army hut. |
| 1926 |
John Boot became Chairman of Boots Pure Drug Company Ltd. |
| 1928 |
Harold, son of Edgar Moss joined the Moss company as qualified pharmacist and manager of Southall store. |
| 1929 |
Boots D1 Soap factory, the first building on the new Boots Beeston site, Nottingham, completed. |
| 1931 |
Jesse Boot died at the age of 81 |
| 1933 |
Ownership of Boots returned to the UK. |
| 1934 |
E. Moss Ltd formed. Harold Moss became Managing Director. |
| 1935 |
No7 cosmetics launched by Boots. |
| 1936 |
First Boots branch in New Zealand opened.
E. Moss Ltd moved premises to Fern Grove, Feltham. |
| 1939 |
Soltan sun care range introduced by Boots. |
| 1947 |
Boots established companies to carry out wholesale businesses in Australia, Canada, Pakistan and the Far East. |
| 1948 |
Inauguration of the National Health Service. |
| 1949 |
New Boots factory opened at Airdrie in Scotland to manufacture cosmetics.
New Boots factory near Bombay in India went into production.
Edgar Moss retired from E. Moss, but continued as a Governing Director. |
| 1951 |
First self-service Boots stores trialed in London. |
| 1953 |
John Boot retired as chairman of Boots. |
| 1954 |
E. Moss Ltd opened its first photographic store in Staines |
| 1958 |
Edgar Moss died at the age of 79 |
| 1968 |
New Boots The Chemists Headquarters office, D90 opened at Beeston.
Launch of 17 cosmetics by Boots.
Fern Grove Head Office and warehouse extensions completed by E. Moss. |
| 1969 |
Boots launched Ibuprofen (Brufen) in the UK.
E. Moss Ltd. established an Industrial Sales Division |
| 1971 |
Company renamed The Boots Company Ltd.
Acquisition of Crookes Laboratories Ltd by Boots. |
| 1974 |
Harold Moss retired from the E.Moss business. |
| 1982 |
Company renamed The Boots Company plc.
New Boots factory opened at Cramlington, Northumberland. |
| 1983 |
Nurofen launched, following the approval of Ibuprofen as an over the counter analgesic.
Boots opened their first in-store optical practice. |
| 1984 |
Boots (Retail Buying) Hong Kong Ltd established.
Moss became the sole supplier of medical supplies to British Airways |
| 1985 |
Boots received the Queen's Award for Technological Achievement for the discovery and development of ibuprofen. |
| 1987 |
Boots Opticians Ltd formed, with the acquisition of Clement Clarke Ltd and Curry and Paxton Ltd.
Boots Opticians became the UK's second largest retail optics chain. |
| 1989 |
Natural Collection launched by Boots. |
| 1990 |
Boots Contract Manufacturing and Boots Healthcare International established. |
| 1991 |
UniChem Plc acquires Moss Chemists. The company begins a period of rapid expansion, acquiring an average of 65 branches per year. |
| 1992 |
Electronic Point of Sale (EPOS) computer installation completed in all Boots stores. |
| 1994 |
Moss acquires the Selles Pharmacy chain based in the Hull area. |
| 1995 |
Boots Pharmaceuticals sold to BASF.
Botanics skincare range launched by Boots. |
| 1996 |
First Boots store in the Irish Republic opened, in Dublin. |
| 1997 |
UniChem Plc merges with Alliance Santé to become Alliance UniChem making it one of the - largest pharmaceutical distributors in Europe.
Boots Advantage Card launched. |
| 1998 |
Acquisition of Hayes, Conyngham and Robinson, and Connors, making Boots the largest retail pharmacy chain in Ireland. |
| 1999 |
Moss Chemists re-launches itself as Moss Pharmacy. |
| 2000 |
Bootsphoto.com launched - a new, complete e-photo service. |
| 2001 |
Boots Opticians offer the world's first disposable hearing aid, Songbird.
Moss relocates its head office to Fern House, Feltham. |
| 2002 |
Boots renamed Boots Group plc. |
| 2003 |
Online shopping channel renamed boots.com. |
| 2004 |
Moss begins development of its new Advanced Pharmacy Management System. The new system - is compliant with the new NHS contract and covers the requirements of not only England and Wales but also Scotland. |
| 2005 |
Moss Pharmacy announced that its network of 878 community pharmacies were to be re-branded as Alliance Pharmacy.
Alliance Pharmacy announces the acquisition of Bairds Chemists in Northern Ireland. Bairds is the largest multiple - pharmacy chain in Northern Ireland |
| 2006 |
Boots Healthcare International is sold to Reckitt Benckiser.
Boots Group merged with Alliance UniChem to form Alliance Boots plc, an international pharmacy-health and beauty group. |
| 2007 |
Alliance Boots was acquired by AB Acquisitions Ltd. |