October 22, 1924
The first meeting of the Number One Toastmasters club in Santa Ana, California.

January 19, 1926
The second Toastmasters club is chartered in Anaheim, California.

August 11, 1927
Representatives of five Santa Ana Toastmasters clubs plan the formation of a “Federation of Toastmasters Clubs.”

October 25, 1928
The first Manual for Toastmasters Clubs is copyrights by Dr. Ralph C. Smedley.

October 4, 1930
The name Toastmasters International is adopted and officers are elected.

December 6, 1930
Publication of The Gavel, the first Toastmasters newsletter.

December 19, 1932
Toastmasters International is incorporated.

January 9, 1933
First Toastmasters club outside of California is established in Seattle, Washington.

April 1933
First issue of The Toastmaster magazine is published.

July 6, 1935
District organization is instituted, starting with District 1 of Southern California.

October 1935
First Toastmasters club outside the United State is charted in British Columbia, Canada.

January 29, 1938
Charter No. 100 is presented to the Century Toastmasters Club in Santa Ana, California.

August 1938
Inter-Club Speech Contest started. First winner: Henry Wiens of Reedley, California.

July 1946
District 18 of Scotland becomes the first district organized outside the United States

1948
First TI Articles of Incorporation are published.

1950
The first “Certificate of Achievement” is issued for the new advanced course, “Beyond Basic Training.”

June 1951
First Regional Conference is held in Des Moines, Iowa.

October 27, 1962
Dedication of new World Headquarters building in Santa Ana, California.

1964
The first Able Toastmasters Award (ATM) is issued.

1968
The first Competent Toastmaster Award is issued for completing the Basic Manual.

August 1969
The Communication and Leadership Manual is introduced at the International Convention in Cleveland, Ohio.

1970
The first Distinguished Toastmaster Award (DTM) is issued.

August 1973
Membership opens to women.

1978
The multi-manual Advanced Communication and Leadership Program is introduced.

1979
The first two Success/Leadership Programs are introduced.

1981
The Accredited Speaker Program begins.

October 1982
Membership reaches 100,000.

1984
The Communication and Leadership Program manual is revised, and two new educational awards are introduced, the ATM Bronze and ATM Silver.

April 1989
Membership reaches 150,000.

July 1989
The Distinguished Club Program, Distinguished Area Program and Distinguished Division Program are introduced.

June 1990
World Headquarters moves to Rancho Santa Margarita, California.

January 1993
Toastmasters International charters its 8,000th club.

January 1997
The revised Communication and Leadership Program manual is introduced.

July 1997
An improved two-track educational requirement recognition system begins. The communication track includes the CTM, ATM-Bronze, ATM-Silver and ATM-Gold awards. The leadership track includes the Competent Leader (CL) and Advanced Leader (AL) awards. Requirements for the DTM award also change.