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History of Nokia Timeline
(1865 - Present)Nokia is a Finnish multinational telecommunications and consumer electronics company founded in 1865. Originally a pulp mill near the town of Nokia, it diversified into rubber, cables, and electronics before becoming the world's largest mobile phone manufacturer in the late 1990s and early 2000s. After losing smartphone dominance to Apple and Android devices, Nokia sold its handset business to Microsoft in 2014 and refocused on networking infrastructure, becoming a key player in 5G technology. More Less
Early History
Fredrik Idestam founds a pulp mill in Tampere
May 12, 1865
Mining engineer Fredrik Idestam established a wood pulp mill on the banks of the Tammerkoski rapids in Tampere, Finland, laying the foundation for what would later become the Nokia Corporation.
Image source: Nokia
Second mill opens near the town of Nokia
1871
Idestam opened a larger mill by the Nokianvirta river near the town of Nokia, and with Leo Mechelin transformed the business into a share company named Nokia Ab in 1871.
Finnish Rubber Works established
1898
Arvid Wickström founded the Finnish Rubber Works in Helsinki, producing rubber boots and other products. The company would later adopt the Nokia name and become one of its three founding businesses.
Finnish Cable Works founded
1912
The Finnish Cable Works company was established in Helsinki, manufacturing telephone and electric cables. It became the third of the companies that eventually merged to form Nokia.
Three companies merge into Nokia Corporation
1967
Nokia Ab, Finnish Rubber Works, and Finnish Cable Works merged to form the Nokia Corporation, creating a conglomerate involved in rubber, cabling, electronics, and paper products.
Kari Kairamo becomes CEO and pushes into electronics
1977
Kari Kairamo became CEO of Nokia and aggressively expanded the company's electronics and telecommunications divisions, transforming Nokia from an industrial conglomerate into a technology-focused enterprise.
Image source: Kari Kairamo
Mobile Phone Era
Nokia launches Mobira Senator car phone
1982
Nokia introduced the Mobira Senator, one of its first car phones, marking the company's entry into mobile telephony through its Mobira division.
Image source: List of Nokia products
Acquisition of Salora and formation of Nokia-Mobira
1984
Nokia acquired a majority stake in Finnish radio and TV manufacturer Salora, merging it with its own mobile operations to create Nokia-Mobira, strengthening its position in consumer telecommunications.
Image source: Salora Oy
Mobira Cityman phone gains fame via Mikhail Gorbachev
Oct 1987
Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev was photographed using a Mobira Cityman phone during a visit to Helsinki, earning the handset the nickname 'Gorba' and boosting Nokia's international profile.
Image source: Mobira Cityman 900
Jorma Ollila appointed CEO
Jan 1, 1992
Jorma Ollila became CEO of Nokia amid financial difficulties and made the pivotal decision to focus the company entirely on telecommunications, divesting unrelated businesses.
Image source: Jorma Ollila
Key Facts
- Nokia was founded in 1865 by Fredrik Idestam as a pulp mill on the Nokianvirta River in Finland.
- In 1998, Nokia became the world's largest mobile phone manufacturer, a position it held for over a decade.
- The Nokia 1100, released in 2003, became one of the best-selling phones of all time with over 250 million units sold.
- Nokia's failure to adapt quickly to smartphones running iOS and Android led to a dramatic decline, culminating in the sale of its handset business to Microsoft in 2014.
- Today, Nokia is one of the world's leading providers of telecommunications network equipment and a major contributor to 5G technology.
Source
This History of Nokia timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.
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