Nancy drew original books

1892--Harriet Stratemeyer is born.

1893-- Russell H. Tandy is born.

1895--Edna Stratemeyer is born.

1898-- Walter Karig is born.

1905--Edward Stratemeyer forms the Stratemeyer Syndicate. Mildred Augustine (Mildred A. Wirt Benson) is born.

1911--Bill Gillies is born.

1920--Women get the right to vote.

1923--Rudy Nappi is born.

1926--Mildred Augustine is hired to write the latest Ruth Fielding volume, part of a Stratemeyer series.

1929--At age 24, Mildred A. Wirt writes

the first Nancy Drew book,

The Secret of the Old Clock.

1930--The first 3 Nancy Drew books debut on April 28th as a breeder set and are an "overnight success." These three books are Russell H. Tandy's first three Nancy Drew covers. Edward Stratemeyer dies of pneumonia on May 10th.

1931--Bess Marvin & George Fayne are introduced in volume #5, The Secret at Shadow Ranch.

1932--Nancy meets Ned Nickerson for the first time in volume #7, The Clue in the Diary. Mildred A. Wirt declines to write volumes 8-10 and Walter Karig steps in. Volume #8, Nancy's Mysterious Letter, was published and Nancy's roadster briefly became maroon in color. The familiar orange 1930's silhouette and the orange silhouette endpapers debut.

1933--Karig's last two Nancys, volumes 9 and 10, The Sign of the Twisted Candles, and The Password to Larkspur Lane, are published.

1934-- Fortune magazine publishes an article on Edward Stratemeyer and the Stratemeyer Syndicate. The fifty-center, affordable to more children and families is discussed at length as well as the success of Nancy Drew. The dust jacket art for volume #11, The Clue of the Broken Locket, remains a mystery as to it's mysterious illustrator--a mystery that even Nancy has not solved. Mildred A. Wirt returns to writing volumes in the series with Broken Locket.

1937--Three of the four glossy internal illustrations are done away with and only the glossy frontispiece continues to be used. Nancy's dog Togo, is introduced in volume #14, The Whispering Statue.

1938-1939--Four Nancy Drew movies are released by Warner Brothers.

The movies starred Bonita Granville as Nancy and Frankie Thomas as Ted (instead of Ned!)

1941--Glossy frontispieces give way to plain paper frontispieces beginning with volume #18, The Mystery at the Moss-Covered Mansion. Russell H. Tandy's frontispieces for volumes 1-17 go through a slight revision as well.

1946--The wrap-style dust jacket is introduced beginning with volume #23, The Mystery of the Tolling Bell.

1949--Russell H. Tandy's last cover appears on volume

#26, The Clue of the Leaning Chimney, also his last frontispiece as well.

1950--Bill Gillies's first cover for volume #27, The Secret of the Wooden Lady debuts as well as his revisions of covers for volumes 1-9 and 11.

1952--Bill Gillies last cover is used for volume #29, The Mystery at the Ski Jump.

1953--Mildred A. Wirt Benson's last Nancy is published, volume #30, The Clue of the Velvet Mask. Rudy Nappi's first cover appears on Velvet Mask.

1957--The Nancy Drew Mystery Game appears on the market, created by Parker Brothers.

It features Nancy on the cover in a red raincoat and matching hat.

1959--The 1959 version of the Nancy Drew Mystery Game appears with a re-done cover with Nancy in a green raincoat. The game is now available in Canada and these games bear a swirl symbol on the cover. Harriet Stratemeyer Adams begins what will be a nearly 20 year revision project for the first 34 volumes. The first two revisions are published for The Secret of the Old Clock, and The Hidden Staircase. The first type of book club editions, the Cameos, are released with new art by Polly Bolian.

1962--The yellow spine picture cover format is introduced.

1973-- The Nancy Drew Cookbook:

Clues to Good Cooking

1977--Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys

appear on TV in a weekly mystery hour.

The last revision of the first 34 books is complete with volume #24, The Clue in the Old Album.

1979--The last Nancy Drew® picture hardcover is published, volume #56, The Thirteenth Pearl. The Stratemeyer Syndicate switches publishers to Simon & Schuster. Simon & Schuster publishes their first Nancy, volume #57, The Triple Hoax.

1980--Simon & Schuster and the Stratemeyer Syndicate celebrate Nancy Drew's 50th Birthday! Grosset & Dunlap sues Gulf & Western Corp., of which Simon & Schuster is a subdivision, and the Stratemeyer Syndicate over breach of contract. Mildred A. Wirt Benson testifies and is publicly on the record as being the original Carolyn Keene. Harriet Stratemeyer Adams also testifies.

1981--Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys appear for the first time together in print in Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys Super Sleuths, a Wanderer paperback.

1982--Harriet Stratemeyer Adams dies.

1984--The Stratemeyer Syndicate is sold to Simon & Schuster.

1985--The first printing guide to the Nancy Drew® books is published: Farah's Guide to Nancy Drew Books and Collectibles.

1986--The Nancy Drew Files series is launched.

Nancy is more modern and more into romance.

1988--The first series involving both Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys is launched--Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys SuperMysteries.

1989--The River Heights series spins off of the Files series.

1991--Volume #100, A Secret in Time, is published and ties back into the first mystery, The Secret of the Old Clock. Applewood Books publishes its first reproduction of the original Nancy Drew Mystery Stories, The Secret of the Old Clock. Mildred A. Wirt Benson donates her old typewriter that she wrote the early Nancys on to the Smithsonian Institute.

1992--The River Heights Series ends with volume #16, The Jealousy Trap.

1993--The first ever Nancy Drew Conference is held at the University of Iowa, Mildred A Wirt Benson's alma mater.

Mildred is honored for being the original Carolyn Keene. Grosset & Dunlap and Simon & Schuster reach an agreement with Mildred that she be acknowledged on future printings of the books she wrote.

1994--The Nancy Drew Notebooks series debuts.

1995--Nelvana/New Line Television debuts a short-lived Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys TV series. The On Campus series debuts and Nancy goes off to college!

1997--The Nancy Drew Files series ends with volume #124, Crime at the Chat Cafe. Her Interactive releases its first Nancy Drew computer game, Secrets Can Kill, based on the File of that same title.

1998-- The Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys SuperMysteries series ends with volume #36, Process of Elimination. The On Campus series ends with volume #25, Snowbound.

2000-- Bill Gillies dies.

2002--Mildred A. Wirt Benson dies. A pilot for a third TV series, Nancy Drew, aired on ABC in December. Unfortunately, it was not picked up as a future TV series.

2003--The Nancy Drew Mystery Stories series, in print since 1930, ends with volume #175, Werewolf in a Winter Wonderland, published in November 2003.

New Nancy Drew merchandise: Gumshoe Girls begin selling line of Nancy Drew loungewear and accessories.

2004--A new re-launched Nancy Drew series, Nancy Drew Girl Detective, debuted in March 2004. Volume 1, Without a Trace, made the NY Times Best Seller List. continues the tradition of the classic series with much richer descriptive stories. Simon & Schuster's 25th anniversary publishing the Nancy Drew series.

2005--Nancy Drew Turns 75--on April 28, 2005, dating back to when the first 3 books were published in 1930. 100th anniversary of the Stratemeyer Syndicate. June, 2005 marks the debut of the Nancy Drew: Girl Detective Super Mystery series.

Nancy Drew Graphic Novels by Papercutz debut in March 2005. Chronicle Books begins selling Nancy Drew stationary items and American Greetings produces a 75th anniversary Nancy Drew ornament. Specialty Boardgames produces a Nancy Drew party game.

June 16-19, 2005: Nancy Drew 75th/Stratemeyer Syndicate 100th Conference in NYC.

2006-- Warner Brothers films a new movie, Nancy Drew: The Mystery in Hollywood Hills starring Emma Roberts as Nancy Drew.

The Nancy Drew Notebooks series is relaunched as Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew in June 2006 with a junior detectives club.

2007-- Nancy Drew movie debuts on June 15.

2010-- Nancy Drew celebrates her 80th anniversary!

The Nancy Drew Sleuths fan group hosts their 10th annual convention in Florida including an 80th anniversary cruise.

2011-- For the first time ever: Nancy Drew Paper Dolls!

2012-- The Nancy Drew Girl Detective series ends with volume 47, Stalk, Don't Run.

2013-- Back to illustrated covers, the Nancy Drew Diaries series debuts, replacing the Girl Detective series.

2015-- Nancy Drew & the Clue series ends with volume 40, Butterfly Blues. Prolific Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys Illustrator Rudy Nappi passes away on March 13 at age 92. Nancy Drew celebrates her 85th anniversary on April 28. The Nancy Drew Sleuths celebrate this milestone and others with a series of 3 historic Nancy Drew Mini Cons. Nancy Drew Sleuths fan organization turns 15! The Nancy Drew Clue Book series debuts, replacing the Clue Crew series.

2017-- Nancy Drew & The Hardy Boys get their own comic book series from Dynamite Comics.

2019-- Nancy Drew is back on the big screen in The Hidden Staircase. A new Nancy Drew TV series debuted on the CW starring Kennedy McMann as Nancy Drew. The Jennifer Fisher Nancy Drew Collection of over 5000 items was donated to the Toledo Public Library by collector Jennifer Fisher - it is housed in the Children's Library at the downtown branch in its own "Mystery Room."

2020-- Nancy Drew celebrated 90 years amidst a global pandemic, special anniversary events planned had to be cancelled. An online event was held instead.

2022-- In July, the Jennifer Fisher Nancy Drew Collection was celebrated by numerous Nancy Drew fans in downtown Toledo at the Toledo Public Library for a grand-opening mystery weekend of Sleuth-tacular proportions!

2023-- Nancy Drew fans backed a successful Kickstarter campaign by Wandering Planet Toys so that for the first time ever, we could have Nancy Drew Action Figures! A special Novella was written by a "Carolyn Keene" and illustrated by Nancy Drew illustrator Ruth Sanderson - a special perk for those who backed the campaign. The figures will debut spring 2024.

2024-- Nancy Drew Action Figures arrive to fans in spring 2024 and they are a stellar example of fan driven collectibles masterfully delivered by an indie company who cares about characters, toys and their fans.