Historical Milestones of Rotary
Historical Milestones of Rotary
1905
The first Rotary Club was established in Chicago, Illinois, USA.
1908
The second Rotary Club was founded in San Francisco, California, USA.
1910
The first Rotary International Convention was held in Chicago.
1917
The first Rotary Foundation was established.
1932
Herbert Taylor, a member of the Rotary Club of Chicago, introduced the “Four-Way Test,” which was officially adopted by Rotary.
1945
Forty-nine Rotarians participated in drafting the preliminary charter of the United Nations in San Francisco, USA.
1962
The first Interact Club was founded in Melbourne, Florida, USA.
1965
The Rotary Foundation launched programs such as Group Study Exchange (GSE) and Matching Grants.
1985
Rotarians launched the global “End Polio” initiative to eradicate polio worldwide.
1989
Rotary officially amended its policies to allow women to become members.
1995
The first Rotary Club was established in Mongolia.
1999
Rotary established a Center for Peace and Conflict Resolution to address global tensions and promote international understanding.
2000
The first Rotaract Club was founded in Mongolia.
2008
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation donated $100 million to Rotary International to support global polio eradication efforts.
2018
Rotary adopted a new strategic plan addressing four key priorities: -Increase our impact -Expand our reach -Enhance participant engagement -Increase our ability to adapt
2021
To recognize Rotary members who actively support the inclusion of women in Rotary, a new membership award—the Sylvia Whitlock Leadership Award—was established. This annual award honors outstanding efforts to promote female participation within the organization.
2023
Rotary approved the formation of a Joint DEI Advisory Council to advise the Board of Directors and Trustees on the implementation of Rotary’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) action plan.
2024
Rotary established a new strategic partnership with the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP).
2025
Rotary and Rotaract leaders were encouraged to support youth delegates in participating at local, district, regional, and international Rotary conferences. The initiative aims to facilitate networking, showcase youth-led projects and initiatives, and strengthen connections between young leaders and the broader Rotary community.