1964- Tim Hortons opens its first location in Hamilton, Ont. Coffee cost 25 cents and doughnuts were 69 cents a dozen. The doughnut shop was founded by Canadian hockey player Tim Horton and partner Jim Charade. Charade left the company in 1966.

First Tim Hortons location

1974- Tim Horton dies in car crash.  Ron Joyce, the company’s first franchisee, assumes full control of the company.

Tim Horton

1976- Tim Hortons introduces the Timbit, a bite-sized doughnut hole. The chain later introduces muffins, cookies and soups and chili to its menu in the 1980s.

Timbits

1984- The first U.S. Tim Horton location opens in Tonawanda, New York.

1986- Canadians are introduced to the first RRRoll Up the Rim contest.

1995- Wendy’s International Inc. purchases Tim Hortons for $400 million.

Wendy's

2004- The word ‘Double-double’ is added to the Canadian Oxford Dictionary.

Double Double introduced to dictionary

2005 – Wendy’s announces it will sell 15 to 18 per cent of Tim Hortons operations in an initial public offering and spin off its remaining interests to shareholders.

2006- Shares of the company begin trading on March 24, with an initial public offering of $27 per share, raising more than $700 million in the first day of trading. Tim Hortons is fully spun off as a separate company in September.

Tim Hortons IPO

2011- Tim Hortons opens its 4,000th location. The vast majority are in Canada and nearly 900 are in the U.S. The chain has announced growth plans in the Persian Gulf.

Tim Hortons in Kandahar

2014- Tim Hortons and Burger King announce in a joint statement that they’re in talks to create a new Canadian-based company through a merger that would see both chains operate as standalone brands.