History of Oracle Corporation in Timeline

Oracle Corporation, a multinational computer technology company headquartered in Austin, Texas, was co-founded in 1977 by Larry Ellison. By 2020, it ranked as the world's third-largest software company based on revenue and market capitalization. Oracle's 2023 position in the Forbes Global 2000 was 80, highlighting its significance in the global technology landscape.

1970: Edgar F. Codd publishes "A Relational Model of Data for Large Shared Data Banks"

In 1970, Edgar F. Codd wrote "A Relational Model of Data for Large Shared Data Banks", a paper on relational database management systems (RDBMS) which inspired Larry Ellison.

1977: Oracle Founded as Software Development Laboratories (SDL)

In 1977, Larry Ellison, Bob Miner, and Ed Oates co-founded Oracle in Santa Clara, California, originally named Software Development Laboratories (SDL). This was inspired by Edgar F. Codd's paper on relational database management systems.

1977: Oracle Corporation Co-Founded

In 1977, Oracle Corporation was co-founded in Santa Clara, California by Larry Ellison.

1979: SDL Renamed to Relational Software, Inc (RSI)

In 1979, Software Development Laboratories (SDL) changed its name to Relational Software, Inc (RSI).

1983: Relational Software, Inc Renamed to Oracle Systems Corporation

In 1983, Relational Software, Inc (RSI) changed its name to Oracle Systems Corporation to align with its flagship product, Oracle Database.

March 12, 1986: Oracle's Initial Public Offering

On March 12, 1986, Oracle had its initial public offering.

1986: Marine World/Africa USA Moves from Redwood Shores

In 1986, Marine World/Africa USA moved from Redwood Shores to Vallejo, California. The former site then became the location for Oracle's office complex.

1988: Oracle and SAP Begin Cooperation

From 1988, Oracle Corporation and SAP AG had a decade-long history of cooperation, beginning with the integration of SAP's R/3 enterprise application suite with Oracle's relational database products.

1989: Oracle Establishes Headquarters in Redwood Shores

In 1989, Oracle established its world headquarters in the Redwood Shores area of Redwood City.

1989: Oracle Moves World Headquarters to Redwood Shores

In 1989, Oracle moved its world headquarters to the Redwood Shores neighborhood of Redwood City, California.

1989: Oracle Releases Oracle Financials

In 1989, Oracle released Oracle Financials.

1990: Oracle Lays Off 10% of Workforce Due to Accounting Errors

In 1990, Oracle laid off 10% of its workforce (about 400 people) due to accounting errors resulting from an "up-front" marketing strategy.

1992: Ellison Acknowledges "Incredible Business Mistake"

In 1992, Larry Ellison stated that Oracle had made "an incredible business mistake" regarding its accounting practices.

1994: Informix Becomes Oracle's Rival

In 1994, Informix overtook Sybase and became Oracle's most important rival, leading to an intense competition between Informix CEO Phil White and Ellison.

1994: Oracle Sponsors Benetton

In 1994, Oracle sponsored Benetton.

1995: Oracle Systems Corporation Renamed to Oracle Corporation

In 1995, Oracle Systems Corporation officially changed its name to Oracle Corporation.

1995: Oracle Sponsors Benetton

In 1995, Oracle sponsored Benetton.

1995: Completion of Redwood Shores Campus

In 1995, Oracle's campus in Redwood Shores was completed.

1997: Informix Drops Lawsuit Against Oracle

In 1997, Informix dropped its lawsuit against Oracle, which claimed that Oracle had hired away Informix engineers to disclose important trade secrets.

1998: Overbilling of US Government begins

In 1998, Oracle began overbilling the US government, which continued until 2006. This led to a lawsuit filed under the False Claims Act and a settlement in 2011 where Oracle paid $199.5 million to the General Services Administration.

1999: Oracle Buildings Featured in Bicentennial Man

In 1999, the Oracle Parkway buildings served as sets for the fictional company "NorthAm Robotics" headquarters in the Robin Williams film Bicentennial Man.

2000: Oracle Hires Private Investigators to Investigate Microsoft's Antitrust Trial

In 2000, Oracle hired private investigators to dig through the trash of organizations involved in an antitrust trial against Microsoft. This included a $1,200 offer to janitors to look through Microsoft's trash.

2001: IBM Acquires Informix Software

In 2001, IBM acquired Informix Software to complement its Db2 database, marking a shift in the database market competition after Oracle had overcome Informix and Sybase.

2002: Oracle Markets Products with "Unbreakable" Slogan

In 2002, Oracle Corporation marketed many of its products using the slogan "Can't break it, can't break in", or "Unbreakable", stressing information security and reliability.

2004: Oracle Increases Interest in Enterprise Applications Market

In 2004, Oracle began to increase its interest in the enterprise-applications market and began a series of acquisitions, most notably PeopleSoft, Siebel Systems and Hyperion.

2004: Oracle's Sales Growth and Market Share

In 2004, Oracle's sales grew at a rate of 14.5% to $6.2 billion, giving it 41.3% and the top share of the relational-database market.

2004: Lawsuit by John Ashcroft

In 2004, then-United States Attorney General John Ashcroft sued Oracle Corporation to prevent it from acquiring a multibillion-dollar intelligence contract.

March 2005: InformationWeek Report on Relational-Database Market

According to InformationWeek in March 2005, Oracle's sales grew at a rate of 14.5% to $6.2 billion in 2004, giving it 41.3% and the top share of the relational-database market

November 2005: Publication of The Real Story of Informix Software and Phil White

In November 2005, a book titled The Real Story of Informix Software and Phil White was published, detailing the battle between Informix and Oracle and how Informix's CEO landed in jail.

2005: Hiring The Ashcroft Group

In 2005, Oracle hired The Ashcroft Group, a lobbying firm founded by former Attorney General John Ashcroft, after his resignation from government. With the group's help, Oracle went on to acquire the intelligence contract.

October 20, 2006: Oracle Becomes Name Sponsor of Oakland Arena

On October 20, 2006, the Golden State Warriors and Oracle Corporation announced a 10-year agreement to rename the Oakland Arena as the Oracle Arena.

2006: Overbilling of US Government ends

In 2006, Oracle stopped overbilling the US government, which started in 1998. This led to a lawsuit filed under the False Claims Act and a settlement in 2011 where Oracle paid $199.5 million to the General Services Administration.

March 22, 2007: Oracle Sues SAP for Fraud and Unfair Competition

On March 22, 2007, Oracle sued SAP, accusing them of fraud and unfair competition.

July 3, 2007: SAP Admits "Inappropriate Downloads" from Oracle Support Website

On July 3, 2007, SAP admitted that TomorrowNow employees had made "inappropriate downloads" from the Oracle support website, with SAP's CEO expressing regret.

2008: Oracle maintains a number of product lines

As of 2008, Oracle Corporation maintains a number of product lines, following a number of acquisitions beginning in 2003, especially in the area of applications.

2008: Release of Oracle Beehive Collaboration Software

In 2008, Oracle released Oracle Beehive, a collaboration software providing team workspaces, email, instant messaging, and conferencing on a single platform.

January 2010: Acquisition of Java Programming Language

In January 2010, Oracle acquired ownership of the Java computer programming language when it acquired Sun Microsystems. The Java software includes sets of pre-developed software code organized into packages, classes, and methods.

January 2010: Acquisition of Sun Microsystems

In January 2010, Oracle completed its acquisition of Sun Microsystems for over $7 billion, transforming Oracle into both a software and hardware manufacturer.

February 2010: OpenSSO no longer strategic product

As Oracle completed their acquisition of Sun Microsystems in February 2010, they announced that OpenSSO would no longer be their strategic product. Shortly after, OpenSSO was forked to OpenAM, and will continue to be developed and supported by ForgeRock.

July 29, 2010: DoJ Lawsuit Alleging Fraud

On July 29, 2010, the United States Department of Justice (DoJ) filed a lawsuit against Oracle Corporation alleging fraud, arguing that the government received deals inferior to those Oracle gave to its commercial clients. The DoJ joined an existing whistleblower lawsuit filed by Paul Frascella.

August 13, 2010: Plans to End OpenSolaris Project

On August 13, 2010, an internal Oracle memo leaked to the Internet outlined plans for ending the OpenSolaris operating system project and community. OpenSolaris developers moved to the Illumos and OpenIndiana project as a result.

September 6, 2010: Mark Hurd hired as Oracle co-president

On September 6, 2010, Oracle announced that former Hewlett-Packard CEO Mark Hurd was to replace Charles Phillips, who resigned as Oracle co-president.

September 7, 2010: HP Sues Mark Hurd

On September 7, 2010, HP announced a civil lawsuit against Mark Hurd "to protect HP's trade secrets", in response to Oracle hiring Hurd.

November 1, 2010: OpenOffice.org Developers Resign

On November 1, 2010, 33 of the OpenOffice.org developers gave their letters of resignation from Oracle due to conflicts of interest after forming The Document Foundation to develop LibreOffice.

November 23, 2010: Jury Finds SAP Liable for Copyright Infringement

On November 23, 2010, a U.S. district court jury found that SAP AG must pay Oracle Corp $1.3 billion for copyright infringement, awarding damages.

2010: Oracle Team USA Wins America's Cup

In 2010, Larry Ellison's sailing team, competing as BMW Oracle Racing, won the America's Cup.

2010: Oracle Sues Google for Java Copyright Infringement

In 2010, Oracle sued Google for copyright infringement due to Google's use of 37 Java packages. Oracle sought between $1.4 billion and $6.1 billion in damages.

June 1, 2011: Oracle Donates OpenOffice.org to Apache

On June 1, 2011, Oracle donated OpenOffice.org to the Apache Software Foundation.

June 15, 2011: HP Sues Oracle Over Itanium Support

On June 15, 2011, HP filed a lawsuit in California Superior Court in Santa Clara, claiming that Oracle had breached an agreement to support the Itanium microprocessor used in HP's high-end enterprise servers.

June 2011: Judicial Order for Damage Claim Details

In June 2011, the judge in the Oracle v. Google case ordered Google to make public the details about Oracle's claim for damages in the copyright infringement lawsuit over Java.

August 2011: FBI Investigation for Bribery in Africa

In August 2011, The Wall Street Journal reported that Oracle was under investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation for allegedly paying bribes to government officials to secure business in Africa, violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA).

September 1, 2011: Federal Judge Overturns Judgment in Oracle v. SAP

On September 1, 2011, a federal judge overturned the judgment in the Oracle v. SAP case, offering a reduced amount or a new trial.

September 2011: WikiLeaks Cable on Sun Acquisition

In September 2011, a U.S. State Department Embassy cable leaked to WikiLeaks revealed that the U.S. pressured the E.U. to allow Oracle to acquire Sun Microsystems.

2011: Settlement for Overbilling the US Government

In 2011, Oracle settled a lawsuit filed under the False Claims Act, which accused the company of overbilling the US government between 1998 and 2006. Oracle was forced to pay $199.5 million to the General Services Administration.

2011: Settlement of DoJ Lawsuit

In 2011, the lawsuit filed by the United States Department of Justice (DoJ) against Oracle Corporation alleging fraud, which was filed on July 29, 2010, was settled.

April 20, 2012: GSA Bans Oracle from Portal

On April 20, 2012, the US General Services Administration banned Oracle from its most popular portal for bidding on GSA contracts for undisclosed reasons. Oracle previously settled a lawsuit in 2011 for overbilling the US government between 1998 and 2006.

August 1, 2012: Ruling on Itanium Support Lawsuit

On August 1, 2012, a California judge ruled that Oracle must continue porting its software at no cost until HP discontinues its sales of Itanium-based servers in the lawsuit regarding Itanium support.

August 3, 2012: SAP and Oracle Agree on Judgment for Damages

On August 3, 2012, SAP and Oracle agreed on a judgment for $306 million in damages, pending approval from the U.S. district court judge, "to save time and expense of [a] new trial".

2012: Settlement with SEC over FCPA Violations

In 2012, Oracle agreed to pay approximately $2 million to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The SEC alleged that Oracle's Indian subsidiary structured transactions with foreign governments to hold about $2.2 million in unauthorized funds, violating the FCPA.

July 15, 2013: Oracle Transfers Stock Listing to NYSE

On July 15, 2013, Oracle transferred its stock listing from Nasdaq to the New York Stock Exchange, in what was the largest-ever U.S. market transfer at the time.

October 1, 2013: Cover Oregon website launch failure

On October 1, 2013, Oracle's Cover Oregon website, developed for the State of Oregon's Oregon Health Authority (OHA), failed upon launch as part of the U.S. Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Registrations had to be taken using paper applications until the site could be fixed.

2013: Oracle Team USA Wins America's Cup Again

In 2013, Larry Ellison's sailing team, competing as Oracle Team USA, won the America's Cup, despite being penalized for cheating.

April 25, 2014: Oregon discontinues Cover Oregon

On April 25, 2014, the State of Oregon decided to discontinue Cover Oregon and use the federal exchange instead, estimating the switch would cost $5 million, compared to the $78 million needed to fix Cover Oregon.

May 9, 2014: Appeals Court Reverses Decision on Java APIs

On May 9, 2014, the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit partially reversed Judge Alsup's decision in the Oracle v. Google case, finding that Java APIs are copyrightable, but left open the possibility that Google might have a "fair use" defense.

August 2014: Lawsuits between Oracle and Cover Oregon

In August 2014, Oracle Corporation sued Cover Oregon for breach of contract, and the state of Oregon sued Oracle Corporation for breach of contract, fraud, filing false claims, and racketeering.

October 6, 2014: Supreme Court Denies Google's Appeal

On October 6, 2014, Google's petition to appeal the Oracle v. Google case to the U.S. Supreme Court was denied.

2014: FCPA Violations in India, Turkey and UAE

From 2014, Oracle was found to have violated the FCPA through its subsidiaries in India, Turkey, and the UAE by creating slush funds to bribe foreign officials for business. Oracle settled these charges with the SEC in September 2022.

2014: Oracle Financials Ranked in Top 20 Accounting Software

In 2014, Oracle Financials was ranked in the Top 20 Most Popular Accounting Software Infographic by Capterra, beating out SAP and other competitors.

2015: Awarding of a R1 billion contract by National Treasury

In 2015, National Treasury awarded a R1 billion contract to Oracle, which later became the subject of a whistleblower allegation in 2017 to the SEC and US Department of Justice, alleging possible violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

2015: Oracle Campus Represents Cyberdyne Systems in Terminator Genisys

In 2015, the Oracle campus represented the headquarters of Cyberdyne Systems in the movie Terminator Genisys.

2015: Base year for emissions reduction

Oracle plans to reduce emissions 26% by 2025 from a 2015 base year.

May 2016: Jury Finds Google's Use of Java APIs as Fair Use

In May 2016, the trial jury in the Oracle v. Google case found that Google's use of Java's APIs was considered fair use, after Oracle sought $9 billion in damages.

September 2016: Settlement between Oracle and Oregon

In September 2016, Oracle and the state of Oregon reached a settlement valued at over $100 million to the state, including a six-year agreement for Oracle to continue modernizing state software and IT.

2016: HP Awarded $3 Billion in Damages

In 2016, HP was awarded $3 billion in damages against Oracle in the lawsuit over Oracle's canceling support for HP's Itanium server brand. Oracle announced it would appeal.

February 2017: Oracle Appeals for a New Trial

In February 2017, Oracle filed another appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, seeking a new trial in the Oracle v. Google case, arguing that the District Court "repeatedly undermined Oracle's case."

2017: Cerner Wins US Department of Defense Contract

In 2017, Cerner won a major contract to supply its EHR software to the US Department of Defense and Veterans Administration Hospitals, which resulted in Cerner "leaving its traditional base of hospital systems high and dry".

2017: Whistleblower Allegations to SEC and DOJ

In 2017, a whistleblower notified the SEC and US Department of Justice, alleging possible violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act in awarding of a R1 billion (2015) (equivalent to R1.17 billion or US$88.54 million in 2018) contract by National Treasury in 2015.

2017: Oracle CEO's Compensation

In 2017, the CEO's compensation at Oracle was $108,295,023. According to Bloomberg, Oracle's CEO-to-employee pay ratio is 1,205:1.

May 16, 2018: Oracle Acquires DataScience.com

On May 16, 2018, Oracle announced that it had acquired DataScience.com, a privately held cloud workspace platform for data science projects and workloads.

2018: Oracle Ranked 82 in Fortune 500

In 2018, Oracle was ranked No. 82 in the Fortune 500 list of the largest United States corporations by total revenue.

2018: Equivalency of 2015 Contract in 2018 USD

In 2018, the R1 billion contract awarded by National Treasury in 2015 was equivalent to R1.17 billion or US$88.54 million, which later became the subject of a whistleblower allegation in 2017 to the SEC and US Department of Justice, alleging possible violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

2018: Oracle Arena Sponsorship Nears End

The agreement between the Golden State Warriors and Oracle Corporation for the Oracle Arena naming rights neared its end in 2018.

January 2019: San Francisco Giants Rename Stadium Oracle Park

In January 2019, the San Francisco Giants entered into a 20-year agreement to rename their stadium Oracle Park.

2019: End of FCPA Violations in India, Turkey and UAE

In 2019, Oracle ended the FCPA violations that its subsidiaries in India, Turkey, and the UAE had been conducting since 2014. These violations involved creating slush funds to bribe foreign officials for business, and Oracle eventually settled the charges with the SEC in September 2022.

2019: Oracle Partners with Microsoft to Compete with AWS

In 2019, Oracle partnered with Microsoft to connect Oracle Cloud and Microsoft Azure, allowing customers to store data on both cloud computing platforms and run software on either cloud.

2019: Oracle Arena Sponsorship Ends

The agreement between the Golden State Warriors and Oracle Corporation ended after the 2018–2019 NBA season when the Warriors relocated to the Chase Center.

September 13, 2020: Oracle Wins Bidding War for TikTok's US Operations

On September 13, 2020, Oracle won a bidding war to take over social media company TikTok's operations in the United States.

September 19, 2020: Trump Administration Approves Oracle's Acquisition of TikTok's US Operations

On September 19, 2020, the Trump administration approved the sale of TikTok's US operations to Oracle.

December 2020: Oracle Moves World Headquarters to Austin

In December 2020, Oracle Corporation's world headquarters was located in Austin, Texas.

December 2020: Oracle Announces Move to Austin, Texas

In December 2020, Oracle announced it was moving its world headquarters from Redwood Shores to Austin, Texas.

2020: Oracle Moves Headquarters from Redwood Shores

In 2020, Oracle moved its world headquarters from Redwood Shores to Austin, Texas.

2020: Oracle Ranked Third-Largest Software Company

In 2020, Oracle was the third-largest software company in the world by revenue and market capitalization.

2020: Trump's claims of disapproval of TikTok

In 2020, President Trump claimed disapproval of TikTok which led to attempts to ban it.

December 31, 2020: Oracle's Carbon Dioxide Emissions

Oracle reported total carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions (direct + indirect) for the twelve months ending December 31, 2020 at 428 kilotonnes (+63/+17% year over year).

February 10, 2021: Biden Administration Backs off TikTok Ban

On February 10, 2021, the Biden administration backed off from banning TikTok and shelved the sale of TikTok indefinitely.

December 2021: Oracle Announces Acquisitions of Cerner and Federos

In December 2021, Oracle announced the acquisition of Cerner, a health information technology company, and Federos, an artificial intelligence (AI) and automation tools company for network performance.

December 20, 2021: Oracle to Acquire Cerner Corporation

On December 20, 2021, Oracle announced an agreement to acquire Cerner Corporation for approximately US$28.3 billion. This acquisition aimed to create a dedicated Industry Business Unit focused on health information technology.

2021: Oracle Sponsors Red Bull Racing

Starting from the 2021 season, Oracle became a sponsor of Red Bull Racing.

June 8, 2022: Oracle Completes Acquisition of Cerner

On June 8, 2022, Oracle completed the acquisition of Cerner for US$28.3 billion in cash.

July 2022: Oracle's Sponsorship Deal with Joe Gibbs Racing Falls Through

In July 2022, it was revealed that NASCAR's Joe Gibbs Racing team tried to sign a sponsorship with Oracle after Mars Inc. would announce they would leave JGR after the 2022 season, but the deal reportedly fell through.

July 2022: Oracle Completes Cerner Acquisition

In early July 2022, Oracle's acquisition of Cerner closed after receiving final approval from European regulators. This marked Oracle's largest acquisition to date and one of the largest in corporate history.

August 2022: Class action lawsuit filed against Oracle

In August 2022, a class action lawsuit was filed against Oracle by the law firm Lieff Cabraser, alleging "deliberate and purposeful surveillance of the general population" through its digital and online tracking practices.

September 2022: Settlement with SEC over FCPA Violations

In September 2022, Oracle settled with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) by agreeing to pay $23 million without admitting or denying its findings. The SEC stated that Oracle violated the FCPA between 2014 and 2019 through its subsidiaries in India, Turkey, and the UAE by creating slush funds to bribe foreign officials for business.

2022: Oracle Shares Cloud Computing Contract with Amazon, Google, and Microsoft

In 2022, Oracle shared a $9 billion contract from the United States Department of Defense for cloud computing with Amazon, Google, and Microsoft.

February 2023: Oracle Announces Investment in Saudi Arabia

In February 2023, Oracle announced it was going to invest $1.5 billion into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, including opening a data centre in Riyadh.

February 27, 2023: Biden Echoes Trump's Disapproval of TikTok

On February 27, 2023, President Biden echoed Trump's 2020 claims of disapproval of TikTok, requiring federal agencies to remove the app from federal devices within thirty days.

2023: Contract with Heritage Foundation

In 2023, Oracle was contracted by the conservative think tank Heritage Foundation to construct a database of conservative employees for staffing a potential Republican presidency in 2025.

2023: Oracle's Ranking in Forbes Global 2000

In 2023, Oracle's ranking in the Forbes Global 2000 was 80.

March 8, 2024: Biden to Ban TikTok if ByteDance Doesn't Divest

On March 8, 2024, President Biden stated he would sign a bipartisan bill banning TikTok in the United States if the Chinese company ByteDance didn't divest.

March 2024: SIU Findings and Petition to Blacklist Oracle

In March 2024, South Africa's Special Investigating Unit found conflicts of interest, irregular processes, and non-compliance with policies and legislation in a contract with Oracle. They announced plans to petition to blacklist Oracle in South Africa, cancel the contract, and recover the money paid.

April 2024: Oracle Announces Move to Nashville

In April 2024, Oracle announced it was moving its world headquarters from Austin to a new complex in Nashville, Tennessee. A timeframe was not provided.

June 2024: Oracle Announces $1 Billion Investment in Spain

In June 2024, Oracle announced a $1 billion investment in Spain to enhance artificial intelligence and cloud computing. A new cloud region in Madrid will be created in partnership with Telefónica.

July 2024: Settlement of Surveillance Lawsuit

In July 2024, Oracle settled the class action lawsuit regarding surveillance by paying $115 million to customers and agreeing to stop tracking users.

September 2024: Oracle Announces Oracle Clinical Digital Assistant

In September 2024, Oracle announced investments in core clinical operations and the release of the Oracle Clinical Digital Assistant, a generative AI system.

November 2024: Petition to Cancel JavaScript Trademark

In November 2024, Deno Land filed a petition with the US Patent and Trademark Office to cancel Oracle's registered trademark for "JavaScript", claiming it is a generic term, Oracle hasn't controlled it, and Oracle made false statements during the trademark application.

2024: Oracle Health Expects Sales Decline

Oracle Health is expecting a decline in US-based sales in 2024, although an increase in global sales is anticipated.

January 2025: Announcement of Stargate Joint Venture

In January 2025, President Donald Trump announced Stargate, a joint venture by Oracle, OpenAI, SoftBank and investment firm MGX to invest $500 billion over four years in artificial intelligence infrastructure in the US.

February 2025: Oracle Denies Trademark Claims

In February 2025, Oracle denied all three claims made by Deno Land in a petition to the US Patent and Trademark Office, which sought to cancel Oracle's registered trademark for "JavaScript".

2025: Database for prospective Republican presidency

In 2025, Oracle is expected to help staff a prospective Republican presidency using the database of conservative employees that it was contracted to build by the conservative think tank Heritage Foundation in 2023.