- Marc Birgkit and Damien Matèu found “Fabrica de Automoviles Hispano-Suiza” in Barcelona (Spain).

1905

- Louis Seguin founds the company Gnome (June 6).

1907

- Studies kick off for the first aeronautical rotary engine, the Gnome Omega.
- Société des Moteurs Renault starts to make aircraft engines.

1909

- Ettore Bugatti founds his automobile company.
- Start of volume production of the Gnome Omega.

1910

- Léon Morane breaks the 100 km/h mark for the first time, with a Blériot monoplane powered by a Gnome Omega.

1911

- Creation of the Hispano-Suiza works in France.

1912

- Louis Verdet founds the Société des Moteurs Le Rhône.

1913

- Roland Garros makes the first flight across with Mediterranean on a Morane-Saulnier H powered by a 60-hp Gnome Sigma.

1914

- Gnome and Le Rhône pool their design and production resources.

1915

- Gnome takes over Le Rhône, becoming the Société des Moteurs Gnome et Rhône (January 12).
- Hispano-Suiza produces the revolutionary 150-hp V-8 aircraft engine.

1920

- Gnome & Rhône start motorcycle production to cope with the drop in aircraft orders.

1921

- Gnome & Rhône purchases license for the Jupiter radial engine from Bristol Aeroplane Company of Britain.

1922

- Gnome & Rhône is listed on the stock exchange.

1923

- Production of rotary engines comes to a halt with the Rhône 9Z.

1927

- Start of aeronautical business by a company which will become SFMA, then Messier (1933).
- Hispano-Suiza launches the HS 600 CV engine, which will make the first crossing of the South Atlantic the same year as powerplant of the “Oiseau-Canari” flown by Costes and Le Bris.

1924

- Young engineer Marcel Môme, 25, creates the Société d’Applications Générales de l’Electricité et

de la Mécanique – SAGEM.

1925

- Sagem opens its first workshop, on Avenue de Clichy in Paris, to machine mechanical parts and

make electrical networks.

1930

- Gnome & Rhône launches the Series K engine.
- First crossing of the North Atlantic from Europe to America by Costes and Bellonte on their “Point d’Interrogation” (Question Mark), powered by a 650-hp Hispano-Suiza 12N.

1933

- Hispano-Suiza engines hold the most international aviation records – 14!

1935

- Gnome & Rhône launches its new Series 14 line of engines, which will be very successful.

1937

- The French government nationalizes most of the aviation industry, but not Gnome & Rhône or Hispano-Suiza.

1938

- Joseph Szydlowski founds Turbomeca.

1941

- Gnome & Rhône takes control of the Lorraine aero-engine firm.

1944

- Two-thirds of the Gnome & Rhône plant in Gennevilliers is destroyed during a bombardment (May 10).

1945

- Gnome & Rhône is nationalized, and Snecma created (May 29).
- Snecma creates new Flight Testing and Jet Engine departments.

1946

- Creation of the “Group O”, headed by Dr. Oestrich, which will develop the Snecma Atar jet engine.
- Snecma takes control of the Lorraine aero-engine firm.

1948

- Tests kick off on Atar prototype (March 26).
- Turbomeca tests its first jet engine, called the Pimene.

1949

- Hispano-Suiza produces the Nene jet under license from Rolls-Royce.

1951

- Start of volume production of Atar engines, which will power the Dassault Ouragan, Mystère and Mirage aircraft.
- Flight of the SO1120 Arriel III, the first helicopter powered by a gas turbine engine, the Turbomeca Arrius II, in turbo-blower configuration (April 18).

1956

- First flight of the Mirage III, powered by an Atar 9B (November 17).
- Turbomeca and Hispano-Suiza create CGTM for flight testing of engines.

1957

- Snecma creates an electronics department, which will become Elecma.

1959

- Snecma signs agreement with Pratt & Whitney for development of the JTF-10 jet engine. Pratt & Whitney takes a 10% stake in Snecma.

1960

- Snecma absorbs its subsidiary Voisin.
- Snecma shuts down motorcycle production.

1961

- Agreement between Snecma and Bristol Siddeley of the UK to develop the engine for the planned civilian supersonic transport, Concorde.

1964

- Rolls-Royce and Hispano-Suiza sign a license agreement for joint production of the Tyne turboprop engine (January).

1965

- Creation of Rolls-Royce Turbomeca to handle the Adour turbojet program for the French-English Jaguar aircraft.

1968

- Snecma takes control of Hispano-Suiza (consolidated as a division), Sochata and Bugatti (May 28).
- Launch of the M53 military jet engine program (July).

1969

- Snecma and Turbomeca create the GRTS consortium for the joint development of the Larzac engine that will power the Alpha Jet trainer.
- French government creates Société Européenne de Propulsion (SEP), by grouping SEPR and Snecma’s space and missiles division (June). Snecma holds 34% of this new company.
- Start of flight testing of the Mirage F1, powered by an Atar 9K50 (August).
- General Electric and Snecma decide to collaborate for European production of the CF6-50 (October).
- First flight of the Concorde SST, powered by the Olympus 593 built by Bristol Siddeley and Snecma (March 2).

1970

- Snecma and Messier sign agreement to group their landing gear businesses (December).

1971

- Creation of Messier-Hispano, in which Snecma holds a 34% stake (September).

1973

- Snecma takes control of Messier-Hispano (October).
- Start of Europe’s Ariane launcher program. SEP provides rocket engines.

1974

- Snecma and General Electric create CFM International, an equally owned company which will market the CFM56 (September).

1975

- Creation of Sochata-Snecma, to consolidate the group’s aircraft engine repair activities (June).

1977

- CFM56-2 flight tests start (February).
- Snecma moves to its current headquarters (April 29).
- Creation of Messier-Hispano-Bugatti, grouping all of Snecma’s landing gear businesses (May).

1978

- First flight of the Mirage 2000 prototype, powered by a Snecma M53-2 jet engine (March).

1979

- First flight of the Super Puma helicopter, powered by twin Makila engines.
- First order for the CFM56, from United Airlines to reengine 30 DC-8s (March).
- First launch of Ariane 1, powered by SEP (December 24).
 

1980

- CFM56 selected to reengine the USAF’s KC135-R tankers, and the French air force’s C135-FR tankers (January).
- Start of demonstration program for a new-generation fighter engine, the Snecma M88.

1982

- The CFM56-2 enters service on a Delta DC-8 (April 24).
- First flight of the Alpha Jet, powered by twin Larzac 04C-20 engines (December).

1983

- First flight tests of the CFM56-3 (February).

1984

- Snecma takes control of SEP (June).
- First launch of an Ariane 3 (August).

1985

- Testing starts on first FADEC, developed jointly by General Electric and Elecma, Snecma’s electronics division (November).
- Delivery of the 1,000th CFM56 (November).

1987

- Dassault Aviation, Snecma and Thomson-CSF (now Thales) create the Rafale consortium.
- Delivery of the 2,000th CFM56 (August).
- Labinal and Turbomeca link up through a cross-shareholding agreement.

1988

- First launch of Ariane 4 (June 15).

1989

- Snecma takes control of Belgian company FN Moteurs (now Techspace Aero) (December).

1990

- Snecma announces that it is taking a stake in the GE90 engine program (January).
- First flight of the M88-2 engine on the Rafale A demonstrator (February).
- Messier-Hispano-Bugatti becomes Messier-Bugatti to avoid confusion with Hispano-Suiza.

1991

- First flight of the Mirage 2000-5, powered by the Snecma M53-P2 (April).
- Start of tests of the Ariane 5 Vulcain cryogenic engine by SEP (June).
- Delivery of the 5,000th CFM56 (October).

1992

- Snecma introduces its current logo (June).
- FN Moteurs becomes Techspace Aero (September).

1993

- First ground firing test of the MPS solid rocket motor for Ariane 5. Produced by Europropulsion, an equally-owned subsidiary of Snecma and FiatAvio (January), the MPS develops nearly 1.5 million pounds of thrust.
- Snecma and the TI Group of Britain, owner of Dowty Aerospace, sign an agreement to merge their landing gear businesses (December).

1994

- Creation of Messier-Dowty, an equally-owned subsidiary of Snecma and the TI Group (July).

1997

- Snecma acquires all of SEP, making it a division.

1998

- Snecma Control Systems is created to consolidate the group’s engine control activities, including Elecma (September).
- Snecma takes control of Messier-Dowty.

1999

- Snecma Services is created to consolidate the group’s engine MRO activities, including Sochata-Snecma (April).
- Delivery of the 10,000th CFM56 engine (June).
- Delivery of the 1,000th Viking rocket engine for Ariane 1 to 4 launchers.

2000

- Snecma is converted into a holding company, and propulsion operations are spun off into a new company called Snecma Moteurs (January).
- Snecma acquires the aeronautical businesses of the Labinal group, including Turbomeca and Microturbo (September).
- Snecma acquires the Hurel-Dubois group (November).
- CFM56 production increases to 1,024 items delivered an 1,072 ordered.

2001

- Reorganization of nacelle and thrust reverser operations completed with the creation of Hurel-Hispano (April).
- Snecma Moteurs’ Jason-1 and orientation devices for solar panels SEPA®31 are successful.

2002

- Aircelle acquired (initially created by Airbus Industries) and integrated into Hurel-Hispano.
- Creation of Snecma Propulsion Solide.
- EasyJet selects CFM56-5B for 240 of its A320s.
- RyanAir and CFM56 : record contract for $1 billion.
- Messier-Bugatti brakes selected for the US Air Force’s C-17.
- Technofan : 3M€ contract for the NH90.
- Turbomeca : 5,000th Arriel delivered.

2003

- Labinal takes over the cabling operations at Boeing Corinth, Inc.
- Fadec International created: a joint-venture company between Hispano-Suiza and BAE SYSTEMS specializing in engine control systems.
- Sukhoi selects Snecma Moteurs’ and NOP Saturn’s SM146 engine to power all versions of its forthcoming Russian Regional Jet (RRJ)
- Hindustan Aeroanutics Ltd orders over 600 Turbomeca helicopter turbines.
- Techspace Aero acquires Cenco Inc.
- Airbus Military selects the TP400-D6 turboprop engine for the Airbus 400M military transport aircraft.
- Flight 159 : successful final mission for Ariane 4 and its Viking rocket engines.
- Certification of the GE90-115B.
- Turbomeca’s Arriel 2 engines are the first to be certified by the AESA.

2004

- Snecma Group selected (Messier-Dowty) for the integrated landing gear on Airbus’ A400M and for the landing gear on the new Boeing 787.
- GP7000 for the A380 : Techspace Aero delivers its first modules to Pratt & Whitney.
- Makila 2A powers the EC 225 and the EC 725.
- The Sultan of Oman’s Air Force selects the RTM322 for 20 of its NH90 transport helicopters.
- The US Navy selects the Boeing 737 powered by CFMI for its future marine surveillance aircraft, MMA.
- The DGA (military procurement office) notifies EADS SPACE Transportation of an order for 3 billion € for the production of the M51 ballistic missile for which Snecma Propulsion Solide supplies various thrusters.
- Techspace Aero; a key player in the GEnx engine intended for the new aircraft, Boeing 7E7 Dreamliner and Airbus A350.

2005

- Launch of VITAL the new European R&T program, led by Snecma Moteurs, for cleaner aircraft.
- Messier-Bugatti selected to supply wheels and breaks for the A400M.
- Flight 164 and Vulcain 2 : successful launch of Ariane 5 ECA.
- Ryanair orders $900 million worth of CFM56-7B engines which will equip a further 70 Boeing 737-800s.
- SMART-1 now in definitive orbit around the Moon, propelled by Snecma Moteurs’ plasma thruster.
- The new group created by the merger will be named SAFRAN.