Greenwood Chinchillas - History Timeline

*Year*	*Event*
*1524*	The Spaniards discover the Chinchilla. Queen Isabella of Spain receives a Chinchilla coat.
*1591*	The first written record of Chinchillas appears: accredited to Josef de Acosta
*1829*	The first "Lanigera" comes to London Zoo, the first held in captivity worldwide
*1865*	"Lanigera" shown for the first time at Hamburg Zoo in Germany
*1874*	With 500 Brevicaudatas Sir John Murray (Englishman), working in Chile tries to develop the breed. This was the first known chinchilla breeding farm.
*1882*	On 29 July 1882 Mathias Ferrel Chapman was born.
*1893*	Dr. Pechuel-Loesche editor of the mammal section of Brehm’s Tierleben 1893 edition states that observation of the Chinchilla has drawn to a conclusion they can live without drinking liquids
*1895*	Fransico Irrazaval of Santiago received a pair of Chinchillas from the province of Coquimbo. The first offspring were born that same year in October. Every year after they would have two litters a year one in March the other in October. An epidemic in the summer of 1898 killed all of his 13 Chinchillas within a 2-month period.
*1900*	Frederico Alberrt, director of the zoological and botanical research station in Santiago, Chile, asked the government to protect the Chinchilla and develop a management program, this was ignored.
*1910*	Bolivia, Chile, Argentina as well as Peru governments decide to restrict the number of pelts obtained to stop the wild chinchilla being made extinct
*1919*	Chapman captured his first Chinchillas
*1920*	Decree Law was passed which authorized the Director General of Hunting and Fishing to issue individual case licenses to establish domesticated Chinchilla breeding pens and the trapping of a stated number of wild Chinchilla to stock them. The quota of 50 animals was trapped over a four-month period. These animals that were caught were of the Lanigera species of Chinchilla
*1921*	A second application was granted in 1921 and among these were some of the Brevicaudata species of Chinchilla. These were found a considerable distance from the breeding farm over the Bolivian border and had to be smuggled in.
*1923*	With 11 animals Chapman in San Pedro, Chapman begins his Chinchilla Ranching.
*1926*	Chapman moves his herd to Inglewood
*1930*	Fritz Ferger has the first Brevicaudata birth in captivity Chapman started selling animals to other breeders to establish their own herds
*1934*	On 28 December 1934 Mathias Ferrel Chapman, died at the age of 54
*1936*	Establishment of the first Chinchilla organization NCBA, in Salt Lake town center (Utah/USA)
*1936*	Fritz Ferger delivers the first Brevicaudata into the USA
*1945*	National Chinchilla Breeders of America, Inc. was started and published their first magazine.
*1947*	Chinchilla Breeder OF Canada (N.C.B.C.) is created
*1949*	Establishment of the Chinchilla Association OF America (C.A.A.)
*1950s*	Chinchilla Fur Breeders Association Ltd was formed in the UK following the first imports
*1954*	Petrol Wellman reports in New York State on the first Recessive beige
*1955*	On the Ranch "Blythe Wilson" in California the first dominant gene factor chinchilla appeared: the white Chinchilla.
*1955*	The first beige Chinchilla is born to Ned Jensen in Oregon
*1956*	G. Writer creates the "Chinchilla post office". An independent magazine for the promotion of the European Chinchilla.
*1960*	The first Violet Chinchilla was born in Rhodesia/Africa, and was sold to Lloyd Sullivan's farm in California
*1961*	The first Black velvet (Gunning Black) is mentioned by Robert Gunning in Washington State.
*1963*	Merle Larson shows the first sapphire Chinchilla to the world.
*1967*	Violets were born in Rhodesia, S. Africa and moved to the Sullivan Ranch in California.
*1970s*	Chinchilla Fur Breeders Association Ltd in the UK dropped the Ltd from its name
1980- 1990	Chinchillas become ever more popular as pets. However the high price and the lack of information deter many from attempting to keep them.
*1985*	Fred Duggins imports new lines from the USA from Jack Jumphries stock
*1993*	Chinchilla Fur Breeders Association in the UK renamed to the National Chinchilla Society
*1999*	The Online Chinchilla Club was formed
*2003*	The Chinchilla Club was split in two to form the Chinchilla Breeders Organisation
*Aug 2003*	Greenwood Chinchillas established
*Jan 2004*	Fur farming made illegal in the UK following new legislation