Oracle RDBMS history over the years

1970 -- Dr. Edgar Codd publishes his theory of relational data modeling.
1977 -- Software Development Laboratories (SDL) formed by Larry Ellison, Bob Miner, Ed Oates and Bruce Scott with $2,000 of startup cash. Larry and Bob come from Ampex where they were working on a CIA project code-named "Oracle." Bob and Bruce begin work on the database.
1978 -- The CIA is the first customer, yet the product is not released commercially as of yet. SDL changes its name to Relational Software Inc. (RSI).
1979 -- RSI ships the first commercial version, Version 2 (there is no V1 shipped on fears that people won't buy a first version of software) of the database written in Assembler Language. The first commercial version of the software is sold to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. It is the first commercial RDBMS on the market.
1981 -- The first tool, Interactive Application Facility (IAF), which is a predecessor to Oracle's future SQL*Forms tool, is created.
1982 -- RSI changes its name to Oracle Systems Corporation (OSC) and then simplifies the name to Oracle Corporation.
1983 -- Version 3, written in C (which makes it portable) is shipped. Bob Miner writes half, while also supporting the Assembler-based V2, and Bruce Scott writes the other half. It is the first 32-bit RDBMS.
1984 -- Version 4 released. First tools released, (IAG-genform, IAG-runform, RPT). First database with read consistency. Oracle ported to the PC.
1985 -- Version 5 and 5.1 are released. First Parallel Server database on VMS/VAX.
1986 -- Oracle goes public March 12 (the day before Microsoft and eight days after Sun). The stock opens at $15 and closes at $20.75. Oracle Client/Server is introduced; first client/server database. Oracle5.1 is released.
1987 -- Oracle is the largest DBMS company. Oracle Applications group started. First SMP (symmetrical multi-processing) database introduced.
1987 -- Oracle's Rich Niemiec along with Brad Brown and Joe Trezzo working at Oracle (now at TUSC) implement the first production client/server application running Oracle on a souped-up 286 running 16 concurrent client/server users for NEC Corporation.
1988 -- Oracle V6 released. First row-level locking. First hot database backup. Oracle moves from Belmont to Redwood Shores. PL/SQL introduced.
1992 -- Oracle V7 is released.
1993 -- Oracle GUI client/server development tools introduced. Oracle Applications moved from character mode to client/server.
1994 -- Bob Miner, the genius behind the Oracle database technology, dies of cancer.
1995 -- First 64-bit database.
1996 -- Oracle7.3 released.
1997 -- Oracle8 is introduced. Oracle Application Server is introduced. Applications for the Web introduced. Oracle is the first Web database. Oracle BI tools like Discoverer are introduced for data warehousing. Tools have native Java support.
1998 -- First major RDBMS (Oracle8) ported to Linux. Applications 11 shipped. Oracle is the first database with XML support.
1999 -- Oracle8i released. Integrates Java/XML into development tools. Oracle is the first database with native Java support.
2000 -- Oracle9i Application Server released; it becomes the first database with middle-tier cache. Launches E-Business Suite, wireless database with OracleMobile, Oracle9i Application Server Wireless and Internet File System (iFS).
2001 -- Oracle9i (9.1) released. Oracle is the first database with Real Application Clusters (RAC).
2002 -- Oracle9i Release 2 (9.2) released.
2003 -- Oracle at France Telecom is No. 1 on Winter Group's Top 10 in DB size at 29TB.
2003 -- Oracle10g comes out -- Grid-focused, Encrypted Backups, Auto-Tuning and ASM.
2005 -- Oracle RAC at Amazon hits the Winter Group's Top 10 in DB size at 25TB.
2005 -- Oracle buys PeopleSoft (includes JD Edwards), Oblix (Identity Management), Retek (Retail) $630M, TimesTen (in-memory DB) and Innobase (InnoDB Open Source).
2006 -- Oracle buys Siebel for $5.8B, Sleepycat Software (Open Source) and Stellant (Content Management). Oracle with an Open Source push offers "unbreakable" support for Red Hat Linux.
2006 -- Oracle10g Release2 comes out in fall.
2007 -- Oracle buys Hyperion for $3.3B.
2007 -- Oracle 11g comes out (predicted based on prior releases).