1891
All aboard! The Akron Street Railway Co. completes more than 15 miles of track.
1899
High-speed chases get a little more speed. The first-ever horseless police car is used in Akron.
1890
Two circles of The Daughters of the King—The Heart and Hand Circle at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church and The Wayside Circle at First Congregational—establish a day nursery to care for the children of working women.
1891
The Akron Day Nursery is renamed Mary Day Nursery in honor of Colonel George Tod Perkins' first granddaughter, Mary Perkins Raymond.
1895
The first Mary Day Nursery Ball is held at Albert Hall. Renamed the Charity Ball in 1897, the gala raised money for the nursery and kindergarten.
1891
Colonel George Tod Perkins donates a house at 406 S. High St. to allow the nursery to expand.
1893
The Mary Day Nursery adds a kindergarten class, which is the forerunner of kindergartens in the Akron Public Schools.
1897
Colonel George Tod Perkins builds a new home for the nursery at 43 Buchtel St.
1890
Emil von Behring discovers antitoxins and develops tetanus and diphtheria vaccines.
1899
Felix Hoffman develops aspirin.
1895
It's like a super power come to life! Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen discovers X-rays.
1890
Look Mom, no hands! Bicycles become mass produced.
1895
The first U.S. Golf Open tees off in Newport, Rhode Island.
1904
Ice cream cones are invented at the World's Fair by the Menches brothers, who then open Premium Ice Cream Cone and Candy in Akron.
1906
John R. Gammeter, owner of Akron's first plane, takes off from a fairway at Portage Country Club.
1905
Harvey Firestone makes a deal to supply tires for cars produced by Henry Ford.
1905
The Mary Day Nursery opens a ward for crippled children in a room vacated by the kindergarten and is operated in cooperation with Akron City Hospital.
1906
The facility is incorporated as the Mary Day Nursery and Ward for Crippled Children.
1905
Six doctors are selected by the Executive Board to be the Ward's first staff: James P. Boyd, William S. Chase, Thomas K. Moore and surgeons Harold H. Jacobs, James W. Rabe and George T. Rankin. Dr. Chase is named Chief.
1900
The ABO blood group is discovered by Karl Landsteiner at the University of Vienna.
1907
The ABO blood typing technique is successfully used for a human blood transfusion.
1900
Chocolate for all! Hershey's begins mass-producing milk chocolate bars, making what was once a luxury item for the wealthy affordable to the masses.
1903
A rainbow of fun! Noticing a need for safe and affordable wax crayons, Binney & Smith produces the first box of 8 Crayola crayons, featuring red, orange, yellow, green, violet, brown and black sticks.
1902
The first unofficial world ping-pong championship gets paddled into history.
1906
All aboard for fun! Lionel introduces preassembled track and a selection of toy trains and cars.
1910
The founding of the Flashes! Kent State Universtiy is established as a teacher training school.
1913
Trustees transfer Buchtel College and its assets to the city of Akron, and it is renamed the Municipal University of Akron.
1910
Before his death, Colonel George Tod Perkins approves plans to add a six-ward hospital to the facility. The name is changed to Mary Day Nursery and Children's Hospital. It houses 50 beds, and Akron is hailed at its opening as "having more beds pro-rata than any other city in the country."
1916
Akron Children's officially begins its nursing education program.
1917
Because of the need for space for hospital patients, the Mary Day Nursery separates from the hospital and moves to a house at 312 Locust St.
1918
An infantile paralysis (polio) clinic opens at Akron Children's Hospital.
1910
A bronze tablet is installed as a tribute to Colonel George Tod Perkins. It features a della Robbia "bambino," with the Latin inscription: "Fides, Spes, Charitas" or "Faith, Hope, Charity."
1917
Children's Hospital opens a clinic to treat conditions of the eye, ear, nose and throat.
1918
Children's Hospital recruits Dr. Walter Hoyt to organize and head its department of orthopedic surgery. He also served as chief of staff from 1919-1923, and in 1928 and 1943.
1911
German researcher Paul Erhlich tests Salvarsan, the first treatment effective against syphilis; regarded as the birth of modern chemotherapy.
1915
The Association for the Prevention and Relief of Heart Disease, later renamed the American Heart Association, is founded.
1913
Dr. Paul Dudley White pioneers the use of the electrocardiograph (ECG).
1910
On my honor, I will do my best... The Boy Scouts of America is founded by W. D. Boyce and Ernest Thompson Seton.
1912
Juliette Gordon Low founds the Girl Scouts of the United States of America after she met Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of Scouting, in 1911.
1914
Inspired by watching children play with pencils, sticks and empty spools of thread, Charles Pajeau and Robert Pettit create Tinker Toys.
1916
Lincoln Logs are first produced by John Lloyd Wright, the son of famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright.
1912
"What didya get?" Cracker Jacks introduces "A Prize in Every Box."
1913
The Great Flood of 1913 causes one of the most widespread disasters in our nation's history, bringing an end to the Ohio and Erie Canal.
1915
Raggedy Ann is created by Johnny Gruelle to entertain his daughter. He later creates stories based on the doll.
1919
A bouncing good time! George Hansburg patents his pogo stick.
1922
The Akron Art Museum, then called the Akron Art Institute, opens in two rooms on the ground floor of the Akron Public Library on East Market Street.
1929
Construction of the USS Akron begins at the newly completed Goodyear-Zeppelin Airdock in Akron.
1925
100 years of Akron. The city celebrates its centennial.
1920
The American Hospital Association accredits Akron Children's Hospital for the first time.
1926
Akron's Junior League agrees to manage the Mary Day Nursery with the hospital continuing its financial support.
1927
The first polio epidemic strikes Children's Hospital.
1928
The new hospital building opens at the corner of West Buchtel and Bowery streets.
1922
Children's Hospital's nurses' instructional program is named a training school for nurses in children's diseases by the Ohio State Department of Registration.
1927
Dr. Noah Miller becomes Children's Hospital's first pediatric resident. He went on to be chief of staff for several years and also a chairman of pediatrics.
1927
Children's Hospital starts the first approved residency program for pediatric specialists in Akron, becoming one of only 59 hospitals at that time to have American Medical Association approval for "Residencies in Specialties."
1923
Frederick G. Banting and John Macleod are awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine "for the discovery of insulin."
1927
The tetanus vaccine is developed.
1928
A happy accident! Penicillin is discovered by Scottish scientist and Nobel laureate Alexander Fleming.
1923
The first successful diphtheria vaccine is developed.
1927
The iron lung is invented and becomes a valuable tool in the battle against polio.
1925
F. Scott Fitzgerald publishes "The Great Gatsby."
1927
No caddy needed! Garnet Carter patents a game of miniature golf, which he called "Tom Thumb Golf."
1926
Oh bother! A. A. Milne publishes his first collection of stories about Winnie-the-Pooh.
1928
A Disney Debut. Mickey and Minnie Mouse make their debut in Steamboat Willie.
1930
Roadway Express is founded by brothers Galen and Carroll Roush in Akron, and the city becomes a national trucking hub.
1935
Henrietta Seiberling introduces Dr. Bob Smith of Akron to stockbroker Bill Wilson in the Gate Lodge of Stan Hywet Hall. The two men will go on to form Alcoholics Anonymous.
1935
The All-American Soap Box Derby finds its home in Akron.
1933
The American Pediatric Society selects Akron Children's as one of 25 hospitals in the U.S. and Canada to help formulate a set of medical standards for hospitals.
1934
Akron Children's is given a top rating by the American College of Surgeons and the American Medical Association.
1934
Children's Hospital's Luetic Clinic, led by Drs. Myrl M. Miller and Carl E. Krill, Sr., is considered one of the best in the country.
1936
The sulfa drug, Prontosil, wins wide publicity in the United States when it is used to treat President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s son, who was severely ill from a streptococcic infection.
1939
The whooping cough vaccine, developed by Pearl Kendrick, Ph.D., is shown to be effective.
1933
Ernie Bushmiller introduces Nancy in the comic strip Fritzi Ritz.
1938
Up, up and away! Superman, created by Clevelanders, debuts in Action Comics #1.
1934
"On the Good Ship Lollipop!" At age 3, Shirley Temple appears in "Bright Eyes," her first film.
1940
The first synthetic rubber tire, made in Akron, is marketed.
1940
Built with the support of the Works Progress Administration, the Akron Rubber Bowl opens.
1941
Orthopedist Dr. Walter Hoyt, along with Drs. Adrian Davis and George Van Buren, are recognized for their successful treatment of osteomyelitis (an infection of the bone and bone marrow).
1947
Akron Children's is pushed beyond its capacity with 415 polio cases. Acute cases are kept at Children's while less severe cases are housed next door at the Grace Evangelical and Reformed Church.
1944
Roger Sherman becomes the president of Children's Hospital, a post he holds until 1979.
1949
Akron Children's begins a major expansion. It includes inpatient units, updates to the X-ray and physiotherapy departments, a new lobby and a clinical lab.
1942
The first influenza vaccine is developed.
1943
Selman A. Waksman discovers the antibiotic streptomycin.
1942
Dr. Karl Theodore Dussik publishes the first paper on medical ultrasonic-ultrasound.
1940
That's what it's all about! The Hokey Pokey is introduced.
1946
The monthly children's magazine "Highlights" is published and features puzzles, jokes, crafts, articles and silly stories.
1943
"What walks down stairs, alone or in pairs, and makes a slinkity sound?" The Slinky is invented by naval engineer Richard James.
1947
Play ball little ones! The National Little League Tournament is first held in 1947 at South Williamsport, PA. It was later renamed the Little League Baseball World Series.
1953
WAKR-TV becomes the first and only television station to be broadcast from Akron.
1953
Lions, tigers and bears! The Akron Children's Zoo opens.
1950
Akron Children's establishes its first EEG (electroencephalographic) lab, blood bank and bone bank, as well as the speech and hearing clinic.
1952
Akron Children's Hospital, Akron General Medical Center and Summa Health System Hospitals jointly establish the Cooperative Medical Technology Program.
1955
A building fund drive for Children's Hospital raises $2.3 million to add 5 new floors and surgery facilities, as well as establish a new radiology department.
1956
Children's Hospital opens the Cystic Fibrosis Center with Dr. Lewis Walker at the helm.
1956
Children's initiates its Candy Striper volunteer program for teens, making it the only pediatric hospital using teen volunteers in direct patient contact.
1957
Children's Hospital establishes a Poison Control Center.
1950
Children's establishes the School of Radiologic Technology.
1955
The Women's Board launches Friends of Children's Hospital, a women's auxiliary, to aid the hospital in various ways.
1956
Pinkie the Puppet, a small hand puppet given to every inpatient under the age of 12, is introduced and funded by the Friends of Children’s Hospital.
1956
The Children's Hospital Women's Board opens a hospital gift shop, with proceeds benefiting the hospital.
1957
Children's begins construction of its education building, which includes an auditorium and classrooms for interns and nurses. Biochemistry and clinical research labs are expanded, as well as the laundry and maintenance shop.
1953
The molecular structure of DNA is first identified by James Watson and Francis Crick.
1955
Medical history! After years of research, American medical researcher and virologist Jonas Salk develops the first safe and effective polio vaccine.
1954
Dr. Joseph E. Murray performs the first kidney transplant.
1950
Good grief! Charlie Brown appears in the first Peanuts comic strip.
1955
The original, world-renowned Tangier Restaurant opens for business.
1957
Originally marketed as the "Pluto Platter," the Wham-O toy company changes the name of the flying disc after learning that college students in the Northeast were calling it a "Frisbee."
1959
Mattel introduces the Barbie doll, created by Ruth Handler, who said it was inspired by and named after her daughter Barbara.
1953
Tile floors become racetracks as the first Matchbox cars are introduced.
1957
Everybody's doing a brand new dance now… America's teens take to the dance floor when American Bandstand debuts with Dick Clark!
1958
The modern hula hoop is invented by Arthur K. "Spud" Melin and Richard Knerr.
1961
The American Golf Classic, the forerunner of the World Series of Golf, is held for the first time at Firestone Country Club in Akron.
1965
So many stores under one roof! Summit Mall opens, giving shoppers one convenient place for everything they need.
1961
Cascade Plaza opens, featuring an ice-skating rink.
1967
The Municipal University of Akron becomes a state institution, changing its name to The University of Akron.
1961
The Friends of Children's Hospital launch Friendly TWIGS (Together With Important Goals), an arts and crafts group that assembles craft kits for patients.
1962
Akron Children's Hospital jumps into the computer age with help from IBM. Children's is the nation's pilot facility for the program later known as HIS, Hospital Information System.
1968
Children's Hospital establishes the Employee Foundation, which raises funds to help charitable agencies in the community and provide scholarships.
1962
The Friends of Children's Hospital holds the first annual Harness Race Rally, still a popular fundraiser today.
1962
Children's Hospital builds cardiac catheterization lab. Dr. John D. Kramer is the director.
1968
Akron Children's Hospital completes the Margaret Stone Labs, which allows its pathology department to expand and adds two floors to its education building.
1963
The measles vaccine is introduced.
1969
The first rubella vaccine is licensed.
1960
The Ohio Art Company introduces the first Etch A Sketch, which goes on to be named one of the top 100 toys of the 20th century.
1964
Hasbro first markets GI Joe to boys, using the term "action figure" instead of doll.
1969
"Can you tell me how to get to…" Sesame Street airs for the first time on public broadcasting stations on Nov. 10.
1964
Yeah, yeah yeah! The Beatles appear on the Ed Sullivan Show. Their first appearance on American TV is considered a pop culture milestone and the beginning of the British Invasion.
1968
"It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood." Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, created by Fred Rogers, debuts nationally on U.S. Network NET, the forerunner of PBS.
1973
Music to Akron's ears! E.J. Thomas Hall opens October 9.
1977
The musical group DEVO emerges from Akron. Their biggest hit, "Whip It," would debut 3 years later.
1975
The former Quaker Oats grain silos are converted into a shopping and hotel complex.
1970
Akron Children's Hospital builds a dormitory for student nurses.
1971
The hospital establishes a social services (social work) department.
1971
The Akron Children's Hospital Foundation is established by the Board of Trustees to secure funds to aid the hospital's mission.
1974
Getting stitched up. Children's Hospital begins one of the first suture programs in the country.
1974
The Employee Foundation establishes the Distinguished Service Award to recognize contributions in leadership, dedication, loyalty and service to Akron Children's. Hospital president Roger J. Sherman is the first recipient.
1975
Akron Children's Hospital opens an outpatient wing that includes a new emergency department, admitting area, elevator tower, enlarged radiology department, gift shop, Mary A. Hower lobby, new outpatient and clinic facilities, outpatient lab, parent lobbies on each floor and rehabilitation services.
1977
Children's becomes the teaching hospital for pediatrics and pathology for Northeastern Ohio Universities Colleges of Medicine, now called Northeast Ohio Medical University.
1977
The hospital changes its name from Akron Children's Hospital to Children's Hospital Medical Center of Akron to reflect the broad scope of services offered.
1978
Akron Children's Hospital opens a burn center to treat all children and adult burn victims in a 17-county area. Children's becomes 1 of only 2 pediatric hospitals in the U.S. that treats adult patients.
1979
Children's Hospital opens an inpatient psychiatric unit for children and teens.
1979
Children's Hospital launches the child life program to help patients and their families cope before, during and after a medical procedure or hospital stay.
1970
Akron Children's Hospital opens a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
1971
Akron Children's Hospital adds a medical library, called the Mary A. Hower Health Science Library, to its education building.
1973
Akron Children's Hospital is the first to grow human skin in the lab. Drs. Howard J. Igel, Clifford Boeckman and Aaron Freeman collaborated in this effort that revolutionized burn treatment.
1974
Akron Children's Hospital establishes the John B. Hower Award in Pediatric Neurology to honor a dedicated Board of Trustees member. The award has become a major international award in the field of pediatric neurology, with recipients selected by a committee of the Child Neurology Society.
1974
Akron Children's Hospital establishes a department of psychiatry, with Dr. Chris VanDevere as its first director.
1977
The Akron Children's Hospital Foundation establishes the Annual Fund drive to ensure the hospital will be able to fulfill its promise to the community.
1977
Under the direction of Dr. Haynes Robinson, Children's opens a genetics clinic to help diagnose and manage genetic conditions, birth defects and developmental delays.
1978
Children's Hospital builds a Level III 59-bed NICU.
1979
Children's Hospital and Akron City Hospital establish the "2-roof" Regional Perinatal Center.
1979
At the age of 32, William H. Considine is named president of Children's Hospital.
1974
Less itching! The first vaccine is developed for chickenpox.
1978
The world's first successful "test-tube" baby is born in Great Britain on July 25.
1975
Robert S. Ledley invents CAT-Scans.
1975
But it won't roll over on its own. Advertising executive Gary Dahl comes up with the idea of a pet rock after listening to his friends complain about their pets being too much trouble and costing too much money.
1977
"Tomorrow! Tomorrow!" The original Broadway musical "Annie" debuts at Alvin Theatre in New York City.
1975
Left, right, repeat over and over. Atari introduces Pong, a tennis sports game featuring simple 2-dimensional graphics. It is one of the first video games to reach mainstream popularity.
1978
Garden takeover! Art student Xavier Roberts creates Cabbage Patch Dolls, one of the first fad toys of the 1980s.
1981
Akron is voted All-America City by the National Civic League for the first time.
1988
Archbishop Hoban High School graduate Butch Reynolds wins the silver medal in the 400-meter dash during the 1988 Olympics.
1987
Buchtel High School graduate Rita Dove wins the Pulitzer Prize for poetry.
1980
Children's Hospital establishes a division of adolescent medicine with Dr. James Fitzgibbon as director.
1980
Children's Hospital collaborates with Kent State University to establish the Family Child Learning Center to work with young children with developmental concerns and their families.
1982
Children's Hospital establishes a division of nephrology to diagnose and treat children with kidney diseases.
1984
On your mark, get set, RUN! Children's Hospital's Employee Foundation launches the Kids Are #1 Run to benefit special projects at the hospital and in the community.
1985
The Ronald McDonald House of Akron opens, providing a "home away from home" for patients' families. The 17,000-square-foot house has 20 bedrooms.
1986
The Children's Circle is created to recognize a distinguished group of donors who make Akron Children’s Hospital a priority in their philanthropy.
1986
Children's Hospital develops a child advocacy initiative to address concerns such as violence and injury prevention, healthcare for the uninsured, and health education.
1987
Children's Hospital establishes the CARE (Children At Risk Evaluation) Center to evaluate and initiate treatment for abused children. Dr. R. Daryl Steiner is the director.
1988
Children's Hospital expands its Locust Professional Building.
1980
Children's Hospital Chief of Surgery Dr. Clifford Boeckman performs the first bowel-lengthening surgery. This procedure becomes the standard of care in the U.S., Canada and England.
1982
Children's Hospital's volunteer department launches the Holiday Tree Festival as a major fundraiser and Children's gift to the community. Admission is free and proceeds from the sale benefit Children's.
1984
The sports medicine center opens, with Dr. William Moat as director.
1984
Children's Hospital opens a kidney dialysis center to diagnose and treat babies, children and teens suffering from chronic or acute kidney failure.
1985
Barbie Emler becomes Children's Hospital's first kidney transplant patient.
1986
Children's Hospital participates in the Children's Miracle Network Telethon for the first time. The CMN Telethon is sponsored nationally by the Osmond Foundation.
1986
Stark and Summit County firefighters start ACBC (Aluminum Cans for Burned Children) to collect and recycle aluminum cans to raise money to help Children's Hospital burn victims.
1988
The hospital launches Children's Home Care Group to support children who require special care but do not need the full services of a hospital.
1980
Magnetic Resonance Imaging, commonly referred to as an MRI, is used for the first time to obtain clinically valuable scans of a patient.
1983
HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, is identified.
1981
The first hepatitis B vaccine is approved for use in the United States.
1982
Dinner parties have a lot more questions as friends challenge each other's smarts with Trivial Pursuit—the diversion that starts a rebirth in the board game industry.
1985
Game on! The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is introduced and becomes an instant hit.
1984
Turtle Power! The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are born in the pages of a Mirage Studios comic book before expanding into a cartoon series, films, video games and toys.
1991
The Goodyear Polymer Center opens at the University of Akron, signaling Akron’s rebirth as the Polymer Valley.
1997
Play ball! The opening of Canal Park helps spur the revitalization of downtown Akron.
1995
Eureka! The National Inventors Hall of Fame is dedicated.
1990
With $1 million in funding from the Ohio Department of Education, the Decker Family Development Center opens in Barberton.
1992
Children's establishes Safe Kids Summit County with community partners, representing regional health agencies, businesses, fire and police departments, and other county-wide agencies.
1992
Children's Hospital's Chief of Surgery Dr. Clifford R. Boeckman performs the first pediatric laparoscopic gallbladder removal surgery in the U.S.
1993
Eight new stories! The Centennial Modernization and Renovation Project is completed. The 250,000 sq. ft. addition created: 104 private medical / surgical rooms with sleeping accommodations, 59-bed NICU, 12-bed PICU, 24-bed psychiatric unit, a surgery suite with eight ORs and an ER.
1995
Children's Hospital forms the Parent Advisory Council to give parents a voice and offers parent-to-parent support.
1996
Children's Hospital's first website springs to life.
1998
Children's Hospital's cardiology department opens an arrhythmia center to diagnose and treat children and teens with all types of irregular heartbeats.
1999
Children's Hospital opens a new 12,000-square-foot respiratory center in the hospital, which includes the cystic fibrosis center, asthma education program, pulmonary medicine and pulmonary function testing lab.
1990
Children's Hospital launches the PATHS (Promoting Adolescents Through Health Services) program to provide social, medical, educational and employment support services to at-risk adolescents in Summit County.
1992
The Doggie Brigade bounds into the hearts of Children's Hospital patients and staff alike. A program of the volunteer department, it is the country's second pet visitation program at a children's hospital.
1992
Children's Hospital establishes an on-site MRI.
1995
Children's Hospital Physician Associates, now called Akron Children's Hospital Pediatrics, opens its first office in Fairlawn, followed closely by a Twinsburg office.
1995
Ask Children's begins offering Children's After Hours to help families after pediatrician offices close for the day.
1997
Petie the Pony begins making bedside visits to hospital patients. Petie is accompanied by staff from Victory Gallop Farm. It is the first and only horse to visit a hospital.
1998
Akron Children's Hospital opens a sick child care center as an alternative for working parents with mildly ill children.
1999
The parent mentor program is established to connect parents who have similar medical experiences for emotional support and information.
1990
AZT, known as azidothymidine, is the first drug approved for the treatment of AIDS.
1994
The protease inhibitor, an antiviral drug for the treatment of HIV and Hepatitis C is developed, leading to additional research and potential cures.
1992
The Hepatitis C vaccine is created and provides indefinite protection from the infection.
1996
Dolly doubles! A sheep is the first mammal to be cloned.
1994
A whole new game to play! The Sony PlayStation is introduced in Japan in 1994, and in North America and Europe the following year.
1996
"That tickles!" Tyco introduces Tickle Me Elmo, and it quickly creates a shopping craze due to its scarcity.
1995
The Pokémon Company is created by Satoshi Tajiri.
1999
A new way to roll. The first Razor scooter is distributed by The Sharper Image.
2000
The Cuyahoga Valley Recreation Area is designated as a national park.
2004
University of Akron completes the Landscape for Learning with 22 new buildings and 34 acres of new green space.
2003
Run, Akron, run! The first Akron Marathon brings tens of thousands downtown for what becomes an annual event.
2005
The rebuilt Akron Art Museum opens.
2000
Children's Hospital partners with WKDD 98.1 to hold its first radiothon, called "Have a Heart, Do Your Part." In just three days, it raises $327,000, making it one of the top ten radiothons in the country.
2000
Children's Hospital develops a division of rheumatology to treat and diagnose children with inflammation of joints and muscles and autoimmune diseases, such as juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, rheumatic fever, Kawasaki syndrome and lupus.
2001
American College of Surgeons designates Akron Children's Hospital as a Level II Pediatric Trauma Center.
2002
Akron Children's Hospital installs a new digital catheterization lab, only the second such pediatric digital facility in the country.
2002
Akron Children's Hospital, in cooperation with Akron General Medical Center and Summa Health System, establishes the Fetal Treatment Center of Northeast Ohio.
2002
Children's Hospital and Akron General Medical Center form a partnership for specialty newborn care. Under the agreement, Children's leases and operates Akron General's 15-bed special care nursery.
2003
Akron Children's Arrhythmia Center becomes a national leader in using 3-D mapping to eliminate the use of fluoroscopy (x-ray) in cardiac catheter ablation.
2004
Akron Children's Hospital establishes school health services. Akron, Cuyahoga Falls and Hudson are the first clients.
2004
In September, Akron Children's pediatric intensive care unit moves into more spacious quarters in the hospital's north addition. The new 25,200 sq. ft. PICU features 23 private rooms, a family waiting room, bright & airy spaces, & child-friendly art. It also houses a rooftop helipad, hematology-oncology unit & 12-bed burn unit.
2005
In July 2005, Akron Children's Hospital begins offering pediatric outpatient services and after-hours care in Hudson.
2006
Akron Children's school health services launches a pilot telemedicine program with Akron Public Schools, giving doctors and nurses at the hospital the ability to examine students with symptoms of minor ailments.
2007
Children's and Humility of Mary Health Partners acquire Tri-County Child Advocacy Center in Youngstown.
2007
Akron Children's combines orthopedics, sports medicine and sport rehab services under one roof. The 30,000-square-foot center for orthopedics and sports medicine comprises a team of highly trained medical professional and support staff to offer patients a personalized, all-in-one approach to care.
2007
Akron Children's opens $3.5 million office suite in Boardman to house pediatric specialists. The 20,500-square-foot space features 21 exam rooms, including 2 cast rooms for orthopedics, 3 assessment rooms, 3 nursing stations, 2 consultation rooms, EKG and cardiac exercise labs, a pulmonary exercise lab, and a digital radiology suite.
2008
With generous support from the Women's Board, Akron Children's opens the Garden of Hope and Healing in Perkins Square Park. The garden provides patients, their families and hospital staff an outdoor space for reflection, meditation and renewal.
2009
Akron Children's establishes a division of clinical pharmacology and toxicology to provide patients and families with specialized expertise on children's specific medication and poisoning issues.
2009
Akron Children's hematology-oncology program is verified by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer as one of only 14 pediatric teaching hospital cancer programs in the nation.
2000
Akron Children's Hospital opens a sleep center under the direction of Dr. Greg Omlor, who is also the director of pulmonology.
2001
Akron Children's Hospital greatly expands its cardiac services with the opening of its heart center. The center adds pediatric heart surgery, adult congenital heart disease and maternal-fetal cardiology to its list of services.
2001
Thanks to a generous donation from the hospital's Women's Board, Akron Children's opens a skeletal dysplasia center under the direction of its founders, Dr. Dennis Weiner and Dr. Haynes Robinson.
2002
Akron Children's Hospital hires Dr. Grace Smith to start a heart center office in Boardman.
2002
The American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer verifies Akron Children's cancer program as one of only 14 pediatric teaching hospital cancer programs in the nation.
2003
Akron Children's Hospital opens the $45 million, 239,400-square-foot Bowery (later named Considine) Professional Building across from the hospital's main entrance. The medical office building houses the heart center, sick child care center, medical education and a conference center that includes a 211-seat auditorium and ten conference rooms.
2003
Children's returns to doing business as Akron Children's Hospital but retains Children's Hospital Medical Center of Akron as its legal name.
2004
Akron Children's Hospital establishes the department of maternal-fetal medicine to provide basic and specialty maternal care with advanced fetal diagnosis and treatment.
2004
Akron Children's Hospital completes the $9 million, 27,000-square-foot east addition. It houses an expanded and renovated Kids' Café, 5 new post-anesthesia care unit beds, and 4 new ORs.
2005
Akron Children's Hospital estabalishes a hospitalist program called diagnostic referral services. These in-house physicians manage patient care from admission to discharge.
2006
Akron Children's Hospital enters into an agreement with Humility of Mary Health Partners (HMHP) to establish a hospitalist program at St. Elizabeth's in Youngstown. In addition, Children's creates a 20-bed pediatric unit at HMHP's new Boardman facility.
2007
Akron Children's begins operating the 20-bed neonatal intensive care unit at St. Elizabeth Health Center in Youngstown.
2007
After undergoing a rigorous application and evaluation process, Akron Children's is awarded Magnet recognition status by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).
2008
In December 2008, Akron Children's opens a second hospital in Boardman to serve the patients and families of the Mahoning Valley. The 189,174-square-foot Beeghly campus has 32 inpatient rooms, an ER, and rehabilitation, radiology, lab and other services.
2008
It's a bird, it's a plane... it's Air Bear! Ohio's first medical transport helicopter dedicated to pediatrics arrives at its new home at Akron Children's Hospital.
2009
Akron Children's opens the 10,000-square-foot Ear, Nose and Throat Center.
2000
Scientists release a rough draft of the Human Genome Project to the public.
2008
The first single-port surgery is performed in Cleveland, revolutionizing minimally invasive surgery.
2004
Rumaisa Rahman is born Sept. 19, 2004, at less than 26 week's gestation at Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago. At 8.6 oz., or lighter than a can of Coke, Rumaisa is the smallest preemie born to live past discharge in the United States.
2009
Stem cell research continues to expand, following the end to the ban on federal funding.
2000
Let's walk & roll! Roger Adams creates Heelys, athletic shoes with wheels in the heels, and they quickly became a pop culture craze among teens.
2005
Kids online, everywhere! Webkinz are released by the Canadian toy company Ganz.
2009
Everyone's favorite waiting game—Angry Birds is released for Apple iPhones.
2001
The four original 10-inch Bratz dolls are released by MGA Entertainment.
2006
Move to play! The interactive Wii home video game console is released by Nintendo.
2010
We are the champions! The University of Akron Men’s Soccer Team wins the NCAA Championship.
2013
Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company completes its new world headquarters building.
2018
The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company welcomed Wingfoot Three to the company’s fleet of airships on Aug. 30, 2018.
2011
The Black Keys—Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney, a blues-rock duo from Akron, win four Grammy Awards and another four in 2013.
2016
For the fifth time, the Double-A Akron RubberDucks are Eastern League champions.
2010
In September 2010, Akron Children's hires its first language access services coordinator.
2011
Akron Children's opens the Emily Cooper Welty Expressive Therapy Center. The 3,000-square-foot center allows patients to use various forms of art to deal with illness, cope with emotions and find comfort.
2012
Akron Children's is ranked in eight pediatric specialties in the U.S. News and World Report's 2012-2013 Best Children's Hospitals rankings: urology, pulmonology, neonatology, cancer, nephrology, orthopedics, neurology and neurosurgery, and cardiology and heart surgery.
2013
Akron Children's establishes a Parent Advisory Council in Mahoning Valley.
2015
Akron Children’s Hospital, the fastest growing hospital in the country, opened doors to its $180 million Kay Jewelers Pavilion. The 7-story, nearly 370K sq. ft. facility is home to a NICU with 75 private rooms, an emergency department, an expanded outpatient surgery center and the hospital’s first delivery unit for high-risk births.
2016
The American Nurses Credentialing Center re-designates Akron Children’s a Magnet hospital for the 3rd time for quality patient care, nursing excellence and innovations in professional nursing practice.
2016
Akron Children's opens the Celeste Myers Dental Clinic to offer complete oral healthcare to children, especially those with special needs.
2016
Akron Children's opens urgent care centers in Hudson, Mansfield and Warren.
2016
1 million served. For the first time in our history, Akron Children's surpasses 1 million outpatient visits.
2016
Time for an upgrade! Akron Children's enhances many areas including the inpatient units in the Centennial Building, the Maynard unit in the Kay Jewelers Pavilion, the Sleep Lab, and the Heart Center’s catheterization lab. It also opens a $4 million interventional radiology suite.
2017
Akron Children's launches centralized scheduling.
2017
In July 2017, Akron Children's opens a new 2-story addition on its Beeghly campus. This $20-million project adds more than 51,000 square feet to Building A, including 47 exam rooms, a welcome center and support testing rooms.
2017
The "Have a Heart, Do Your Part" Radiothon surpasses $10 million in funds raised over 18 years.
2018
Grace Wakulchik assumes the title of president and CEO of Akron Children’s Hospital, as William H. Considine becomes CEO Emeritus.
2018
In August 2018, Akron Children's opens the 230,000-square-foot addition to the Considine Professional Building. The $82-million addition is 8-stories tall and brings together all of our outpatient clinics on the Akron campus.
2018
Akron Children's Hospital Pediatrics opens new offices in Massillon and Liberty.
2011
Akron Children's signs an agreement with MetroHealth to provide pediatric specialty care in the areas of cardiology and cardiovascular surgery, gastroenterology, cancer and blood disorders, and critical care.
2011
Akron Children's opens the Kikel Center for Pediatric Surgery at its Beeghly campus in Boardman.
2012
Akron Children's goes live with the Epic electronic medical records system. This $50 million investment makes it possible for the hospital to provide all staff with 24/7 access to the same patient information across the enterprise.
2014
Akron Children's Hospital hires its 5,000th employee.
2015
Akron Children's Hospital opens its first urgent care center at the Akron General Wellness Center in Montrose. The center offers extended hours and lower-cost options for minor medical situations.
2016
Akron Children’s received a 2016 “Most Wired” award, a national benchmark for hospitals with exceptional IT integration.
2016
Akron Children's adds dermatology services at the Akron campus.
2016
Akron Children's Hospital Pediatrics opens new offices in Austintown, Lisbon and Mansfield.
2016
Akron Children's completes a $4.5 million expansion of our behavioral health services inpatient unit in Akron, doubling the number of beds.
2016
Akron Children's Hospital becomes the title beneficiary of the Akron Marathon Race Series. In addition to promoting healthy lifestyles and showcasing our vibrant community, the hospital brought patient heroes to the race experience to inspire runners and spectators alike.
2017
In March 2017, Akron Children's breaks ground on the 230,000-square-foot addition to the Considine Professional Building. The expanded building will offer space to serve more patients and brings outpatient care in Akron together in one location.
2017
Akron Children's invests $8.6 million in a dedicated neurosurgery suite and intraoperative MRI scanner (iMRI) to help improve surgical outcomes for patients.
2017
Akron Children's implements a new leadership structure, separating the functions of chief executive officer (CEO) and president. On July 17, Bill Considine announces that he will continue to serve as CEO while Grace Wakulchik takes on the duties of president.
2018
Akron Children's Hospital Pediatrics and Locust Pediatric Care Group earn Patient-Centered Medical Home certification from the National Committee for Quality Assurance.
2018
Akron Children’s Hospital celebrates the 10-year anniversary of the Beeghly campus.
2018
Akron Public Schools and Akron Children's come together to launch the Akron Children’s Hospital Academy of Health and Human Services at North High School. The school offers pathways in healthcare operations, early childhood education, biomedical science and allied health.
2010
A medical marvel. Doctors in Barcelona complete the world’s first full facial transplant.
2010
No mountain high enough! Jordan Romero, 13, becomes the youngest person to scale Mount Everest, the world's tallest mountain.
2016
19-year-old gymnast Simone Biles earns four gold medals at the 2016 Olympics in Rio, becoming the first American gymnast to accomplish that feat and one of only four women to do so in Olympic history.
2010
Apple unveils the iPad tablet computer. The company's founder, Steve Jobs, calls it, "the best browsing experience you've ever had."
2018
The 13th Doctor has landed! Jodie Whittaker makes her debut as the first female Doctor Who.
2023
Akron Children’s opens Campbell pediatrics practice.
2024
Salem Regional Medical Center’s pediatric primary care offices in Columbiana and Salem will join the Akron Children’s Pediatrics network, bring the number of locations to 44.
2024
Akron Children's opens Outpatient Surgery Center in Beachwood.
2024
Akron Children’s launches breastfeeding medicine program
2023
Pediatric behavioral health centers opened in Canton and Mansfield.
2024
Akron Children’s opens a new Urgent Care and Orthopedic and Sports Injury Walk-in Clinic in Montrose.
2024
New sports medicine facility opens at the University of Akron's Stile Fieldhouse.
Akron's Own Stories
1891
All aboard! The Akron Street Railway Co. completes more than 15 miles of track.
Hospital Happenings
1893
The Mary Day Nursery adds a kindergarten class, which is the forerunner of kindergartens in the Akron Public Schools.
Medical Milestones
1895
It's like a super power come to life! Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen discovers X-rays.
Pop Culture Memories
Akron's Own Stories
1904
Ice cream cones are invented at the World's Fair by the Menches brothers, who then open Premium Ice Cream Cone and Candy in Akron.
Hospital Happenings
1906
The facility is incorporated as the Mary Day Nursery and Ward for Crippled Children.
Medical Milestones
1900
The ABO blood group is discovered by Karl Landsteiner at the University of Vienna.
Pop Culture Memories
Akron's Own Stories
1910
The founding of the Flashes! Kent State Universtiy is established as a teacher training school.
Hospital Happenings
Medical Milestones
1911
German researcher Paul Erhlich tests Salvarsan, the first treatment effective against syphilis; regarded as the birth of modern chemotherapy.
Pop Culture Memories
Akron's Own Stories
1922
The Akron Art Museum, then called the Akron Art Institute, opens in two rooms on the ground floor of the Akron Public Library on East Market Street.
Hospital Happenings
Medical Milestones
1923
Frederick G. Banting and John Macleod are awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine "for the discovery of insulin."
Pop Culture Memories
Akron's Own Stories
Hospital Happenings
1934
Children's Hospital's Luetic Clinic, led by Drs. Myrl M. Miller and Carl E. Krill, Sr., is considered one of the best in the country.
Medical Milestones
1939
The whooping cough vaccine, developed by Pearl Kendrick, Ph.D., is shown to be effective.
Pop Culture Memories
1938
Up, up and away! Superman, created by Clevelanders, debuts in Action Comics #1.
Akron's Own Stories
1940
Built with the support of the Works Progress Administration, the Akron Rubber Bowl opens.
Hospital Happenings
1944
Roger Sherman becomes the president of Children's Hospital, a post he holds until 1979.
Medical Milestones
1942
Dr. Karl Theodore Dussik publishes the first paper on medical ultrasonic-ultrasound.
Pop Culture Memories
1943
"What walks down stairs, alone or in pairs, and makes a slinkity sound?" The Slinky is invented by naval engineer Richard James.
Akron's Own Stories
1953
WAKR-TV becomes the first and only television station to be broadcast from Akron.
Hospital Happenings
1956
Children's Hospital opens the Cystic Fibrosis Center with Dr. Lewis Walker at the helm.
Medical Milestones
1955
Medical history! After years of research, American medical researcher and virologist Jonas Salk develops the first safe and effective polio vaccine.
Pop Culture Memories
Akron's Own Stories
1961
The American Golf Classic, the forerunner of the World Series of Golf, is held for the first time at Firestone Country Club in Akron.
Hospital Happenings
1968
Children's Hospital establishes the Employee Foundation, which raises funds to help charitable agencies in the community and provide scholarships.
Medical Milestones
Pop Culture Memories
1960
The Ohio Art Company introduces the first Etch A Sketch, which goes on to be named one of the top 100 toys of the 20th century.
Akron's Own Stories
1975
The former Quaker Oats grain silos are converted into a shopping and hotel complex.
Hospital Happenings
1973
Akron Children's Hospital is the first to grow human skin in the lab. Drs. Howard J. Igel, Clifford Boeckman and Aaron Freeman collaborated in this effort that revolutionized burn treatment.
Medical Milestones
1978
The world's first successful "test-tube" baby is born in Great Britain on July 25.
Pop Culture Memories
1975
Left, right, repeat over and over. Atari introduces Pong, a tennis sports game featuring simple 2-dimensional graphics. It is one of the first video games to reach mainstream popularity.
Akron's Own Stories
Hospital Happenings
1980
Children's Hospital collaborates with Kent State University to establish the Family Child Learning Center to work with young children with developmental concerns and their families.
Medical Milestones
Pop Culture Memories
1985
Game on! The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is introduced and becomes an instant hit.
Akron's Own Stories
1997
Play ball! The opening of Canal Park helps spur the revitalization of downtown Akron.
Hospital Happenings
1998
Children's Hospital's cardiology department opens an arrhythmia center to diagnose and treat children and teens with all types of irregular heartbeats.
Medical Milestones
1994
The protease inhibitor, an antiviral drug for the treatment of HIV and Hepatitis C is developed, leading to additional research and potential cures.
Pop Culture Memories
1999
A new way to roll. The first Razor scooter is distributed by The Sharper Image.
Akron's Own Stories
Hospital Happenings
2004
Akron Children's Hospital completes the $9 million, 27,000-square-foot east addition. It houses an expanded and renovated Kids' Café, 5 new post-anesthesia care unit beds, and 4 new ORs.
Medical Milestones
2008
The first single-port surgery is performed in Cleveland, revolutionizing minimally invasive surgery.
Pop Culture Memories
Akron's Own Stories
2013
Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company completes its new world headquarters building.
Hospital Happenings
2016
Time for an upgrade! Akron Children's enhances many areas including the inpatient units in the Centennial Building, the Maynard unit in the Kay Jewelers Pavilion, the Sleep Lab, and the Heart Center’s catheterization lab. It also opens a $4 million interventional radiology suite.
Medical Milestones
2010
A medical marvel. Doctors in Barcelona complete the world’s first full facial transplant.
Pop Culture Memories
2010
No mountain high enough! Jordan Romero, 13, becomes the youngest person to scale Mount Everest, the world's tallest mountain.
Akron's Own Stories
Hospital Happenings
Medical Milestones
