1994

RELATED: • EarthLink returns to dial-up for its future

• EarthLink is founded by Sky Dayton.

1995

• EarthLink pairs up with UUNet Technologies, allowing the company to offer dial-up Internet in 98 cities.

1997

• EarthLink goes public. Its shares are traded on NASDAQ.

1999

• EarthLink starts selling high-speed Internet in 12 cities including Atlanta.

1994

• February — Charles Brewer incorporates MindSpring Enterprises . Service starts in June and captures 60 customers in two months.

1995

• July — Michael McQuary joins company from Mobil Chemical. Within two months he becomes chief operating officer. Later he is named president of MindSpring.

1996

• March — MindSpring goes public, selling 1.95 million shares at $8 per share. The company had 13,000 customers and 90 employees, up from 1,000 customers and eight workers the year before.

1999

• September — MindSpring announces $3 billion merger with California-based EarthLink , creating the second-largest Internet service provider after AOL. Brewer becomes chairman, surrendering day-to-day responsibility for the company.

2000

• February — MindSpring and EarthLink shareholders approve merger. New company name officially becomes EarthLink Inc.
• August— Brewer leaves EarthLink and sells his stake in the company.

2002

• March — EarthLink partners with AT&T to offer broadband service.
• April — EarthLink?s shares fall 17 percent in one day after the company reports worse-than-expected earnings and says the loss for 2002 would be worse than originally thought.
• May — Mike McQuary resigns as president; Garry Betty assumes responsibilities.

2003

• January — EarthLink says it will cut 1,300 of its 5,100 workers and close four customer service and tech support centers. Company reports 15th straight quarterly loss.
• September — Earthlink turns a third-quarter profit and adds broadband customers. Shares rise 13 percent in one day. Company continues to cut costs through attrition and is down to 3,500 workers.

2004

• January — EarthLink says it will cut 1,300 of its 3,300 employees.

2005

• January — EarthLink enters into a $440 million partnership — later named Helio — with SK Telecom to sell wireless data services along with the eventual ability to deliver music, games and video to high-end mobile phones.
• July — EarthLink says it wants to get into the telephone business.
• October — EarthLink inks deal with Philadelphia to build large municipal wireless network. Other deals follow.

2006

• November — Garry Betty leaves EarthLink after being diagnosed with cancer. Executive Vice President Mike Lunsford becomes interim CEO.

2007

• January — Garry Betty dies.
• June —Rolla Huff , ex-chairman and CEO of Mpower Communications, becomes CEO. Lunsford is executive vice president.
• August —EarthLink cuts half its work force, laying off 900 workers, 562 in Atlanta . Company closes offices in Orlando, Knoxville, San Francisco and Harrisburg, Pa.
• October — EarthLink posts a third-quarter loss of $79.4 million, which includes $54.8 million in restructuring charges.

2008

• May — EarthLink says it is shutting down its municipal Wi-Fi network in Philadelphia.
• June — EarthLink sells its stake in Helio to Virgin Mobile USA