First commercial jet service, UK 1952

Hitler becomes Chancellor of Germany 1933

First experimental television broadcasts by the BBC 1932

First turbine jet plane flies, Germany 1939

Second World War 1939-1945

Commercial television launched in USA 1940

Marshall Plan for European recovery 1947-1951

Italian invasion of Abyssinia 1936

Korean War 1950-1953

Spanish Civil War 1936-1939

Bauhaus closed 1933

New York's World Fair, USA 1939

Utility Design programme introduced, UK 1942

Design Research Unit founded, UK 1943

Council for Industrial Design founded, UK 1944

Britain Can Make It exhibition, London 1946

Festival of Britain 1951

American abstract expressionism begins 1946

S.B.Russell, Gordon's father, dies 1938

Russell Furnishings contract company is set up 1946

Gordon Russell Ltd employs over 400 people 1934

Joins Utility Furniture Design Panel 1942

Marion Pepler joins company 1933

London showroom closed and Broadway turns to war work 1940

Knighted in New Year's Honour's list 1955

Nikolaus Pevsner becomes chief buyer 1936

Awarded CBE 1947

W.H.'Curly' Russell appointed chief designer 1934

'Britain Can Make It' exhibition at V&A 1945

Opens showroom 40 Wigmore Street 1935

Plays major part in Festival of Britain 1951

Begins designing radios for Murphy 1931

Oversees launch of CoID's Design Magazine 1949

Park Royal factory closed 1941

Becomes managing director 1933

Founder member of Council of Industrial Design 1944

Factory opened at Park Royal 1935

Becomes director of Council of Industrial Design 1947