1939 - Einstein Writes the President
Albert Einstein writes President Franklin D. Roosevelt, alerting the President to the importance of research on nuclear chain reactions and the possibility that research might lead to developing powerful bombs. Einstein notes that Germany has stopped the sale of uranium and German physicists are engaged in uranium research.
The Department of Energy - www.energy.gov/about/timeline1939-1950.htm

1946 - Atomic Energy Act of 1946
By the close of World War II, it was dramatically evident that fundamental knowledge of atomic and nuclear physics had tipped the balance of world power. The Manhattan Project, which gave rise to the atom bombs of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, vividly demonstrated the importance of basic research and its linkages to some of the most urgent national priorities.

After the War, there was a need to continue the research and development activities of the Manhattan Project and to take the opportunity to turn some of them towards nonmilitary purposes. With the nuclear genie out of the bottle, the U.S. Congress passed the Atomic Energy Act of 1946, which transferred responsibility for atomic energy research and development from the War Department to an independent civilian agency. On August 1, 1946, President Truman signed the bill into law, and the transfer of the Manhattan Engineer District’s activities to the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) became effective at midnight on December 31, 1946.
The Department of Energy - www.er.doe.gov/about/History.htm

1970 - The Environmental Protection Agency is Established
In July of 1970, the White House and Congress worked together to establish the EPA in response to the growing public demand for cleaner water, air and land. Prior to the establishment of the EPA, the federal government was not structured to make a coordinated attack on the pollutants that harm human health and degrade the environment. The EPA was assigned the daunting task of repairing the damage already done to the natural environment and to establish new criteria to guide Americans in making a cleaner environment a reality.
The Environmental Protection Agency - www.epa.gov/epahome/aboutepa.htm

1971 - Atomic Energy Commission Objectives Expanded
Many of the Atomic Energy Commission’s activities were unprecedented and exploratory. The Atomic Energy Commission’s charter directed it, in part, to ensure continuity of the ongoing activities and to carry out a diversified program of basic research. Specifically, the charter directed the Atomic Energy Commission “to assist in the acquisition of an ever expanding fund of theoretical and practical knowledge” relating to the Atomic Energy Commission’s mission, including the peaceful use of the atom.  Basic research programs in atomic, nuclear, and radiation physics, and in related disciplines of chemistry and applied mathematics, were foremost among those brought forward from the Manhattan Project. The work was carried out in much the same way as it is today, by universities and National Laboratories, in conjunction with selected commercial and industrial collaborators.  In 1971, with early concerns about rising petroleum imports, the charter of the Atomic Energy Commission was expanded to include other forms of energy and related technologies. During the period of expansion, additional focus was given to “more efficient methods for meeting the Nation’s energy needs.”
The Department of Energy - www.er.doe.gov/about/History.htm

1974 - Energy Research and Development Administration Created
On December 31, 1974, as part of a larger series of energy related national policy initiatives; the Atomic Energy Commission was abolished. Its functions were reorganized under the newly created Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA). The Energy Research and Development Administration were chartered with an expanded research mission. In addition to research on nuclear energy, basic research responsibilities were broadened to include solar, fossil, conservation, and geothermal research.
The Department of Energy - www.er.doe.gov/about/History.htm

1975 - ASHRAE Standard 90.1 is Published in Response to the Energy Crisis
In 1975, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) published its first version of a model energy efficiency standard for buildings — Standard 90.1.  Standard 90.1 originated in 1975 in response to the energy crisis of the early 1970s.
HPAC Engineering - www.hpac.com/mag/using_standard_energy

1977 - United States Department of Energy created
In 1977, the establishment of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) gathered under one authority most of the energy related activities that had evolved during the 1970s among a number of Federal agencies. Included in the reorganization were not only the technical missions of the Energy Research and Development Administration and the Bureau of Mines, but also the energy policy and planning activities of the Federal Energy Administration (FEA) and the regulatory responsibilities of the Federal Power Commission.

With the creation of the Department of Energy, the Carter Administration formulated a comprehensive energy policy. Energy technologies were not divided by fuel type, such as fossil, nuclear, or solar, but grouped under assistant secretaries according to their evolution from research and development through application and commercialization. The joining of policy, planning, and regulation with research and development again served to broaden the agency’s basic research mission.
The Department of Energy - www.er.doe.gov/about/History.htm

1980 - ASHRAE Standard 90.1 Revised
ASHRAE 90.1 was revised in 1980 and becomes more prominent in building designs.
ASHRAE - www.ashrae.org/

1987 - Polyiso Insulation Manufacturers Association (PIMA) Founded
The Polyisocyanurate Insulation Manufacturers Association (PIMA) is the national trade association that represents polyiso insulation manufacturers and suppliers to the polyiso industry. PIMA advances the use of polyiso insulation and is one of the nation’s foremost industry advocates for energy-efficient practices and policies and had been recognized by both the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Sustainable Building Industries Council for advocacy and products that both contribute to this country’s efforts to promote energy efficiency and combat global warming.
PIMA - www.pima.org/ContentPage/ContentPage7,51.html

1987-Montreal Protocol Enacted
The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer stands as one of the most successful examples of international cooperation to tackle a major global environmental threat. Since the negotiation of the Protocol in 1987, its Parties have continued to adapt the regime they established in response to scientific evidence and technological developments. The production and consumption of entire groups of harmful ozone-depleting chemicals has been successfully phased out in developed countries, and the same process is now well under way in developing countries. Overall, almost ninety five per cent of all ozone-depleting substances have been phased out. This is a remarkable effort by the Parties to the Montreal Protocol.
United Nations Environment Programme - ozone.unep.org/Publications/MP_Handbook/index.shtml

1989 - Committee on the Environment formed by AIA
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) formed the Committee on the Environment. The Committee on the Environment (COTE) works to advance, disseminate, and advocate—to the profession, the building industry, the academy, and the public—design practices that integrate built and natural systems and enhance both the design quality and environmental performance of the built environment.
The American Institute of Architects - www.aia.org/cote/cote_default

1989 - ASHRAE Standard 90.1 Updated, Gains Momentum
The 1989 updated edition results in its adoption within the building codes of many state and local governments throughout the country.
ASHRAE - www.ashrae.org/

1990 - Persian Gulf War Begins
Iraq invades its tiny neighbor, Kuwait, after talks break down over oil production and debt repayment. Iraqi president Saddam Hussein later annexes Kuwait and declares it a 19th province of Iraq (Aug. 2). President Bush believes that Iraq intends to invade Saudi Arabia and take control of the region's oil supplies. He begins organizing a multinational coalition to seek Kuwait's freedom and restoration of its legitimate government. The UN Security Council authorizes economic sanctions against Iraq. Bush orders U.S. troops to protect Saudi Arabia at the Saudis' request and “Operation Desert Shield” begins (Aug. 6). 230,000 American troops arrive in Saudi Arabia to take defensive action, but when Iraq continues a huge military buildup in Kuwait, the President orders an additional 200,000 troops deployed to prepare for a possible offensive action by the U.S.-led coalition forces. He subsequently obtains a UN Security Council resolution setting a Jan. 15, 1991 deadline for Iraq to withdraw unconditionally from Kuwait (Nov. 8).
InfoPlease - www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0001293.html

1991 - First Publication of the Handbook for the Montreal Protocol
Since 1991 the publication of the Handbook for the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (1987) has proved to be a valuable reference source for the decisions the Parties have made in the process of developing the ozone regime. The Handbook itself is published in response to the Parties’ decision (made in 1990) requesting the Secretariat to publish and update regularly a Handbook, setting out the Protocol, as adjusted and amended, together with the decisions of the Parties and other relevant material. Since that time, the Protocol has been adjusted five times and amended four times. These have been integrated into a single text, which is included in this Handbook.
United Nations Environment Programme - ozone.unep.org/Publications/MP_Handbook/index.shtml

1992 - Energy Policy Act of 1992 Mandates ASHRAE Standard 90.1   
The Energy Policy Act of 1992 (EPAct) was passed to reduce our nation's reliance on foreign petroleum, and improve air quality. Officially known as Public Law 102-486, EPAct included provisions that address all aspects of energy supply and demand.
Under the 1992 federal Energy Policy Act (EPAct), ASHRAE 90.1 was mandated as the basis for all state building codes as they affect energy use, starting with ASHRAE 90.1-1989.
The Department of Energy - www1.eere.energy.gov/vehiclesandfuels/epact/about/index.html

1992 - Environmental Protection Agency introduces Energy Star
Energy Star was introduced by EPA in 1992 as a voluntary, market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency. The US Department of Energy joined EPA in this effort and today, the Energy Star label can be found on more than 50 different kinds of products. Products that have earned the Energy Star designation prevent greenhouse gas emissions by meeting strict energy-efficiency specifications set by the government.
Energy Star - www.energystar.gov/

1992 - Environmental Resource Guide published by AIA, funded by EPA
The Environmental Resource Guide was designed to develop and disseminate reliable and scientifically sound knowledge and insights needed within the profession.  This was funded by the Environmental Protection Agency.
The Environmental Protection Agency - www.epa.gov/greenbuilding/pubs/about.htm

1993 - Greening of the White House
The White House, which was celebrating its 200th birthday, has a long tradition of demonstrating technological innovation. In keeping with that tradition, President Clinton announced the Greening of the White House Initiative on Earth Day 1993. The initiative improves the energy and environmental performance of the White House complex by identifying opportunities to reduce waste, lower energy use, and make an appropriate use of renewable resources, all while improving indoor air quality and building comfort.
The Greening of the White House - clinton3.nara.gov/Initiatives/Climate/greeningsummary.html

1993 - United States Green Building Council (USGBC) Founded
The U.S. Green Building Council was created in 1993 and is now the nation’s foremost coalition of leaders from across the building industry working to promote buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places to live and work.
USGBC is the acknowledged leader in green building and development. USGBC’s LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System™ has provided the reliable building design and performance measurement systems that building owners and operators need. USGBC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. A 32-member Board of Directors elected by the full USGBC membership governs the organization. USGBC is a dues-based membership organization representing more than 17, 000 organizations from 12 membership categories.
USGBC – www.usgbc.org

1996 - Montreal Protocol Deadline for Elimination of CFCs
In 1996, the deadline for all developed countries to have banned the use of CFCs is reached. Class I substances have an ozone depletion potential (ODP) of 0.2 or higher, and include halons, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), methyl chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, and methyl bromide.  Section 604 of the Clean Air Act sets the phaseout targets for Class I substances. The ban on production and import of halons took effect on January 1, 1994. The ban on production and import of other Class I ODS – excluding methyl bromide – took effect on January 1, 1996.
The Environmental Protection Agency - www.epa.gov/ozone/title6/phaseout/classone.html

1998 - USGBC develops LEED Certification Program, Launches Pilot
The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System, is developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). Since its inception,  LEED has grown to encompass more than 14,000 projects in 50 US States and 30 countries covering 1.062 billion square feet (99 km²) of development area. The hallmark of LEED is that it is an open and transparent process where the technical criteria proposed by the LEED committees are publicly reviewed for approval by the more than 10,000 membership organizations that currently constitute the USGBC. The LEED Pilot Project Program also referred to as LEED Version 1.0 was launched at the USGBC Membership Summit in August 1998.
USGBC – www.usgbc.org

1999 - ASHRAE Standard 90.1 Becomes Standard for State Building Codes
In 1999, ASHRAE placed the standard on continuous maintenance in conjunction with the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) also reviewed the 1999 edition and determined that it was in the country's best interests to require all states to implement a state energy code requirement that met or exceeded Standard 90.1-1999 by July 2004.
HPAC Engineering - http://hpac.com/mag/using_standard_energy/

2000 - LEED 2.0 Launched
After extensive modifications, the LEED Green Building Rating System Version 2.0 was released in March 2000. This rating system is now called LEED for New Construction and Major Renovations.
USGBC – http://www.usgbc.org

2001 - September 11, 2001 Tragedy Shakes the Foundation of the United States
Airplane hijackings and the subsequent coordinated attacks result in the collapse of the World Trade Center in New York City, destruction of the western portion of The Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and an unplanned passenger airliner crash in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, which happened after airplane passengers fought back on the plane. In total, 2,974 people are killed in the September 11, 2001 attacks.
Wikipedia - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/September_11

2002 - Architecture 2030 mission established
Architecture 2030, a non-profit, non-partisan and independent organization, was established in response to the global-warming crisis by architect Edward Mazria in 2002. 2030’s mission is to rapidly transform the US and global Building Sector from the major contributor of greenhouse gas emissions to a central part of the solution to the global-warming crisis. Their goal is to achieve a dramatic reduction in the global-warming-causing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of the Building Sector by changing the way buildings and developments are planned, designed and constructed.
Architecture 2030 - www.architecture2030.org/

2003 - PIMA creates QualityMark as 3rd Party Certification for LTTR Values
The PIMA Quality Mark Program was designed by polyiso manufacturers to be a benchmark against which all roof insulations can be measured. Through the Quality Mark program, participating polyiso insulation manufacturers can obtain independent third-party certification of the LTTR-values for ASTM C1289-02 Type II, Class 1 and Class 2 permeable-faced polyiso foam insulation produced with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-compliant blowing agents.  FM Global, one of the world’s largest independent commercial and industrial property insurance and risk management organizations, is the administrator of the program. FM Global, or an approved independent third-party selector, takes random polyiso roof insulation samples from each plant of a participating manufacturer, in accordance with the program’s guidelines. An accredited testing laboratory then applies the ASTM International-approved techniques to establish and certify the 15-year LTTR-value. To assure continued compliance with the stated LTTR-values, each polyiso insulation plant must have a third-party quality assurance program in place and is subject to unannounced LTTR-value verification. Only those manufacturers that choose to participate in the program will be permitted to use the PIMA Quality Mark logo on their certified products.
PIMA - www/pima.org

2003 - Montreal Protocol Deadline for Reduction of HCFCs, U.S. Eliminates Them
The Montreal Protocol reaches deadline for 35% reduction in Class II Substances (including HCFCs), however the United States Clean Air Act mandates the complete phaseout of HCFC-141b by the same date.

The phase-out schedules for developed countries as contained in the Montreal Protocol are as follows: Reduce HCFCs by 35% by 2004, 75% by 2010, 90% by 2015, and phase out by 2020, allowing 0.5% for servicing purposes during the period 2020-2030.
The Environmental Protection Agency - www.epa.gov/ozone/title6/phaseout/classtwo.html

2003 - Iraq Conflict Begins
The war against Iraq begins 5:30 AM Baghdad time (9:30 PM EST, March 19), when the U.S. launches Operation Iraqi Freedom. Called a "decapitation attack," the initial air strike of the war attempted to target Saddam Hussein and other Iraqi leaders in Baghdad.
InfoPlease - www.infoplease.com/spot/iraqtimeline2.html

2004 - Updated ASHRAE Standard 90.1
Among the changes seen in ASHRAE 90.1-2004 are many clarifications of requirements as well as a major reformatting of the text and a more consistent numbering scheme. One improvement has been a reduction in the number of climate zones (which affect choices of equipment) from 26 to eight. Those zones are now specified by county boundaries, eliminating difficulty where previous zone boundaries cut across political jurisdictions. This reduction also reduced the number and complexity of tables in the standard.
Building Operating Management - www.facilitiesnet.com/bom/article.asp?id=2886

2005 - US Government Creates New Energy Policy Act
President George W. Bush made history on August 8, 2005 by signing into law H.R. 6, The Energy Policy Act of 2005, which includes precedent setting provisions for energy-efficient new home construction. The legislation has the potential to dramatically affect the home building industry, particularly given current concerns about rising energy costs.
PIMA - www.pima.org/UploadedFiles/adv_residfact.pdf

2006 - New NAECA Standards-National Appliance Energy Conservation Act
On January 23, 2006, DOE's regulations under the National Appliance Energy Conservation Act (NAECA) established a new efficiency standard for certain heating and cooling systems. The greatest impact of the new requirements is on residential sized central air conditioners and heat pumps, whose minimum efficiency ratings are now SEER 13 for cooling and HSPF 7.7 for heat pump heating. NAECA is primarily understood as a manufacturing standard mandating that any new equipment produced in or imported to the United States beginning on the effective date be at least as efficient as the minimums.
The Building Codes Assistance Project - www.reca-codes.org/pages/NAECA%20news.htm

2007 - ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2007: R-15 is now R-20
For the first time in over 19 years, ASHRAE increases the minimum required prescriptive R-value (resistance to heat flow) for roof and wall insulation levels in ASHRAE Standard 90.1 – the national model energy code for commercial buildings.
ASHRAE – www.ashrae.org

2008 - Record Setting Oil Costs
On July 11, 2008, oil prices rose to a new record of $147.27 following concern over recent Iranian missile tests.
Wikipedia - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_prices

2008 - Financial markets collapse
The fiancial crisis, which has roots in the closing years of the 20th century but has become more apparent throughout 2007 and 2008, has passed through various stages exposing pervasive weaknesses in the global financial system and regulatory framework.

The crisis began with the bursting of the United States housing bubble. and high default rates on "subprime" and adjustable rate mortgages (ARM), beginning in approximately 2005–2006.
Wikipedia - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subprime_mortgage_crisis

2009 - LEED 2009 Set to Release
Rick Fedrizzi, CEO of the USGBC decribes LEED 2009: “LEED 2009 resets the bar for green building leadership because the urgency of our mission has challenged the industry to move faster and reach further than ever before.  LEED 2009, coupled with an expanded third-party certification program and significant enhancements to LEED Online make up a multi-faceted initiative that we refer to as LEED v3.”
USGBC - www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=1849