1861

Abraham Lincoln begins term as 16th president of the U.S.

April 12 — U.S. Civil War begins

April 17 — Virginia secedes from Union

Richmond (VA) named Capital of the Confederacy

Isaac Davenport, Jr. and Charles E. Wortham form Davenport & Company, an insurance agency, and moved to Richmond's East Main Street

1863

Mid-point of U.S. Civil War

Davenport & Company extends its business lines and specializes in "southern" investments: railroads, banks, and insurance companies

1865

Richmond set ablaze ahead of Grant's advancing armies and evacuated

End of U.S. Civil War

900 buildings in Richmond's business district are lost, including the headquarters of Davenport & Company

1867

Nebraska becomes the 37th U.S. State

Maggie Waker of Richmond, Virginia was born. She became the first woman to charter a bank in the United States

The firm moves to 1113 East Main Street, one of the first to be built during Richmond's reconstruction efforts

1896

The first modern Olympic Games opens in Athens, Greece

Deaths of Isaac Davenport and Charles Wortham

Virginius Newton, son-in-law of Davenport, becomes head of the firm

Coleman Wortham, Sr., great-nephew of the original Charles Wortham, joins the firm as partner

1920

Prohibition of alcohol begins in U.S.

Alexander P. Armour joins the firm at the age of 14 as a "Board boy"

1921

Discovery of Vitamin D and its prevention of Rickets

Coleman Wortham, Sr., becomes president, buys seat on the New York Stock Exchange

1924

Teapot Dome Scandal

Walt Disney creates "Alice in Wonderland," his first cartoon

Firm sells insurance business to Marsh & McLennan

1929

U.S. Stock Market crashes

Martin Luther King was born

1950

Korean War begins

Charles Schultz introduces Peanuts comic strip

Henry Valentine II joins the firm and rises to become its chairman

1955

Rosa Parks refusal to relinquish her seat on a Greyhound bus ignited the Civil Rights movement

1963

Martin Luther King makes "I have a dream" speech

1967

Congress creates PBS

Firm relocates to Ross Building at 8th and Main, most modern and desirable location in Richmond

1968

Martin Luther King was assassinated

1969

Neil Armstrong takes first steps on the Moon

Coleman Wortham III joins the firm, rising to become part of the firm's senior leadership, representing the fourth generation of his family

1972

The first ever mobile phone call is placed by Martin Cooper, in New York City

The firm incorporates and names Alexander P. Armour its first president

1975

Saturday Night Live premieres on NBC, with George Carlin as first host

Branch and Co. joins with Davenport & Company

1980s

Saturday Night Live premieres on NBC, with George Carlin as first host

Period of expansion for Davenport; first office outside of Richmond opens in Virginia Beach, VA

1987

Worldwide stock market crisis

1992

World Wide Web introduced

Davenport & Company moves to One James Center

2001

Terrorists attack World Trade Center

Davenport joins world-wide community in sympathy, making donation to the United Way of New York in honor of those who lost their love ones in this tragic event

2006

Virgin Galactic announces new spacecraft, designed specifically for space tourism.

The firm reaches record levels of gross revenue and assets under management