About NPG homepage

History

Timelines

Branching out (1970-1999)

"Nature is the most famed scientific journal in existence. Scientists all over the world grab copies of Nature from the postman such as cowboys grab for their favorite pulp."
TIME MAGAZINE

The history of Nature ...and

the science we have published

Click on the arrow red arrow to expand each year's entry
1970

Nature opens its first overseas office

 

  • With the international circulation of Nature ever increasing, the first overseas office opens, with one correspondent, in Washington DC.
  •  
1973

Nature is split into three
Nature's sixth editor

 

  • Nature is split into three separate publications. Nature, Nature New Biology and Nature Physical Sciences are published on Monday, Wednesday and Friday respectively for a short period of time.

    David DaviesDavid "Dai" Davies becomes the sixth editor of Nature, and soon after this Nature is amalgamated back into one journal.
  •  
1975

 

Creation of the first monoclonal antibodies

1979

Office opens in New York

 

  • Nature opens an office in New York. The office is situated on 175 Fifth Avenue in the historical Flatiron Building, home of St. Martin's Press.
  •  
1980

John Maddox returns to Nature

 

  • John Maddox returns for a second period as editor of Nature.
  •  
1983

Nature Biotechnology is launched

Gottlieb's AIDS paper

  • Macmillan launches a magazine/journal hybrid, Bio/technology, the first publication designed to communicate original scientific research to the international industrial community. The journal is later re-branded as Nature Biotechnology.
  • The AIDS virus is identified and first reported on by Michael Gottlieb. His paper "Acquired immune deficiency syndrome. AIDS: the widening gyre" appears in Nature.
1984

Office opens in Japan

 

  • Nature establishes an editorial news beureau in Japan, within the offices of Macmillan Shuppan KK. This opening marks Nature's first venture outside England and the USA.
  •  
1985

 

Discovery of a hole in the ozone layer

  •  
  • J. C. Farman, B. G. Gardiner and J. D. Shanklin discover a hole in the ozone layer. Their research is published in Nature.
1987

Formation of Nature Japan KK

 

  • The company Nature Japan KK is formed to handle all aspects of publishing Nature in Japan.

    Offices open in Munich, and in Paris two years later.
  •  
1992

Nature Genetics launches

300,000 year-old skull remains are found

  • Nature Genetics launches, the first modern sister journal to Nature. It is an instant success, with the quality and quantity of manuscripts rivaling those sent to Nature.
  • 300,000 year-old skull remains are found in Spain, providing key information on the early stages of Neanderthal evolution. Nature publishes the research.
1994

Nature Structural Biology is launched

Nicolaou achieves total synthesis of Taxol

  • Nature Structural Biology launches, later developing into Nature Structural & Molecular Biology.
  • Nicolaou achieves total synthesis of Taxol - a compound used to treat cancer. Nature publishes his paper.
1995

Nature Medicine launches
Philip Campbell becomes editor

First discovery of a planet outside our Solar System

1996

nature.com is launched

Birth of Dolly the sheep

  • nature.com is launched providing online access to select content from Nature. Today nature.com provides access to content from all NPG publications. It is one of the most popular scholarly websites on the internet with over 10 million users.
  • Nature reports of the birth of Dolly the sheep, the first mammal to be cloned from the cells of an adult mammal.
1998

Nature Neuroscience launches

A coelacanth is rediscovered

  • Nature Neuroscience launches, the first of the Nature series to be simultaneously launched both in print and online.
  • An Indonesian population of coelacanth is discovered. Previously thought extinct, the coelacanth is the oldest living lineage of jawed fish. Nature publishes the research.
1999

Nature Publishing Group (NPG) is formed

The discovery of the oldest playable flutes

The papers referred to in this timeline represent a selection of the research published in Nature and other NPG journals

Extra navigation

Information and services@npg

ADVERTISEMENT