| 7000 BC–5000 BC |
Avocado (Persea Americana) originated in South
Central Mexico |
| 1450–1475 |
Incas discover avocados when conquering an area named
Palta, thus calling the fruit "palta" |
| 1518 |
Martin Fernandez de Enciso, a Spanish conquistador, wrote
the first published record that describes the avocado |
| 1519 |
Hernando Cortez, a Spanish soldier, arrived in Mexico City
and found the avocado a staple in the native diet |
| 1532–1550 |
Pedro de Ciezo de Leon, a Spanish conquistador and
historian, first uses the Spanish name "aguacate" when
describing avocados in a journal of his travels. He also noted that
avocados at that time grew in Panama, Ecuador, Columbia and Peru |
| 1554 |
Fransico Cervantes Salazar, the first to mention avocados
growing in Mexico in his book Chronicles of New Spain. |
| 1672 |
W. Hughes, physician to King Charles II of England, wrote
about the avocado during his visit to Jamaica |
| 1696 |
Sir Hans Sloane, a naturalist, gave the fruit its name as
we know it today, in a catalogue he published of Jamaican plants. He
also states that there were over 40 different names for the fruit. |
| 1700's |
European sailors began calling avocados "midshipman's
butter" because they liked to spread them on hardtack biscuits
|
| 1833 |
Judge Henry Perrine plants the 1 st avocado tree in Florida
|
| 1856 |
Thomas J. White introduces avocado trees in California,
according to the California State Agricultural Society Report |
| 1871 |
Judge R.B. Ord of Santa Barbara plants the first successful
introduction of avocado trees. The trees were secured from Mexico |
| 1892 |
Juan Murrieta of Los Angeles becomes interested in the
avocado and imports a large amount from Atlixco, Mexico. It is from
this group of seedling trees that came a number of varieties that
attracted the attention of promising commercial fruit. |
| 1895 |
Charles Delmonico and Ranhofer introduce New York to
avocados, which is imported from South America |
| 1911 |
Fredrick O. Popenoe owner of West Indian Gardens in
Altadena, CA sends Carl Schmidt to Mexico to search for quality
avocado trees. He returned and only one of the trees survived the
great freeze of 1913 in California. They named the remaining tree
"Fuerte" |
| 1926 |
Rudolph Hass discovers the now #1 selling avocado |
| 1926 |
First full carload of avocados from California shipped to
Chicago. About same date, first half-carload shipped to New York. |
| 1927 |
California Avocado Grower's Exchange renamed: Calavo
Growers of California. |
| 1937 |
During the longest cold spell on record major damage was
caused to the avocado fruit and trees in most avocado-growing areas
of California. The loss of crop was estimated to be 33% and 3.2% of
industry's trees died. |
| 1943 |
Nutritional research revealed nine important vitamins in
avocado in appreciable quantities. |
|
|
| 1950's |
25 different varieties of avocados are being commercially
packaged and shipped in California |
| 1970’s |
Hass replaces the Fuerte avocado as the leading California
variety |
| 1976 – 1980 |
The avocado industry expands to 80,000 acres with over
8,000 growers. "Gold Rush" euphoria eventually turns to market glut
and low prices |
| 1977 |
California Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. signed California
Assembly Bill 1602 authorizing a California Avocado Commission. |
| 1981 |
An Avocado Inspection Committee was established by
California Senate Bill 70 to be an independent advisor to the
Director of the California Department of Food and Agriculture. |
| 1990 |
Hass accounted for 83% of California's avocado production |
| 1991 |
A new mite, was discovered on backyard avocado trees in
Coronado and La Jolla. The mite, in 2 years, infested almost every
avocado tree in San Diego County. The mites moved to the other
avocado-producing counties, most likely in picking bins. Many groves
had to be sprayed with Omite by helicopter in the early years of
infestation, but the pest eventually came under fairly good
biological control. |
| 1992-1998 |
Significant amounts of Hass avocado imports from Chile
begin to show up in U.S. markets. |
| 1996 |
Another new pest, avocado thrips (Scirtothrips perseae)
arrived in Ventura County and quickly spread to all groves. The pest
eventually spread to the other avocado-growing counties. Groves in
coastal climates had up to 100% losses in scarred fruit. |
| 1997 |
U.S.D.A approves Rule to allow importation of Mexican
avocados to nineteen states in the northeastern U. S., and the
District of Columbia, during the months of November through
February. California Avocado Commission launches program to monitor
USDA enforcement of rules and regulations to make sure Mexico ships
fruit free of quarantine pests. |
| 1999-2000 |
The Hass Avocado Promotion, Research and Information Act
was introduced in Congress and passed. |
| 2008 |
Peruvian Avocados enter the US market. |
