1847 – 1848

Chicago Title traces its roots to 1847, when a young law clerk named Edward Rucker develops a system of tracking every recorded instrument and legal proceeding affecting real estate titles, which saves attorneys the painstaking task of searching official records for transfers of real property. In 1848, a notary public and searcher of records in San Francisco named C.V. Gillespie launches the company that will eventually become Fidelity National Title Insurance.

1871

Employees of three predecessor companies of Chicago Title risk their lives to save land records from the Great Chicago Fire. When the blaze destroys the Cook County, Illinois’ land records, the title companies’ preserved records become the basis for Cook County’s land record system.

1888

The Title Guarantee and Trust Company (later Chicago Title and Trust – CT&T) issues the first guarantee policy in Illinois.

1906

During the devastating San Francisco earthquake and fire, employees of the predecessor company to Fidelity National Title and their wives save the title plant and other important company records. The documents become a valuable resource when San Francisco’s City Hall and the Hall of Records are destroyed in the disaster.

1961

Fidelity National Title Insurance Company (FNTIC), a Nebraska corporation, receives a certificate of authority to begin doing business in Nebraska.

Chicago Title Insurance Company is formed and chartered to conduct national business.

1981

With Arizona agency operations in Maricopa and Pima Counties, FNTIC is purchased from CIGNA, and FNTIC’s corporate offices are moved from Denver to Scottsdale, Arizona. At the time, FNTIC is the country’s 48th largest title insurance company with $6.2 million in annual revenue.

1984

Controlling interest of FNTIC was sold to Fidelity National Financial Inc. (Fidelity), its present holding company. William Foley became president and chairman of the board.

1985

The Securities and Exchange Commission approves the sale of Fidelity’s stock to the employees of its various subsidiaries. Fidelity became the nation’s first and only employee-owned title insurance underwriter.

1987

Fidelity begins trading on the American Stock Exchange under the symbol FNF.

Fidelity acquires Western Title Insurance Company.

Safeco Title (now Security Union), a national title insurer based in California with a history dating to 1908, is acquired by CT&T.

1991

Fidelity establishes Premier Lenders, which performs all title work for various Southern California counties out of one regional office. The centralized title work is a unique concept to the title industry.

Ticor Title Insurance Company is acquired by CT&T. Ticor’s heritage can be traced to 1893 with the merger of two Los Angeles abstract companies.

1992

Fidelity begins trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol FNF.

Fidelity acquires Meridian Title Insurance Company as well as Security Title and Guarantee Company, expanding Fidelity’s direct operations base to include Florida, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina and Pennsylvania.

1994

Fidelity acquires ACS Systems Inc., a computer software development company, to enhance FNTIC’s electronic data interchange through the development and marketing of its trust, escrow and title-related software.

1996

The acquisition of Nations Title Inc., the eighth largest underwriter in the United States, makes FNTIC the fourth largest title underwriter in the country and doubles its existing agency base.

1997

Fidelity acquires First Title Corporation, a title company with offices throughout the southeastern United States.

1998

FNTIC merges with Alamo Title, the ninth largest title insurer in the United States. As a result, FNTIC becomes the second largest underwriter in Texas.

Fidelity forms RealEC.com, the first multiple-title-underwriter alliance for electronic commerce to order and deliver essential real estate information services in the real estate transaction process.

2000

Fidelity completes its acquisition of Chicago Title Corporation and its title insurance subsidiaries: Chicago Title, Ticor Title and Security Union. The combined companies make Fidelity the largest title insurance organization in the world.

2001

Fidelity National Information Solutions (FNIS) is formed, creating the premier services provider of real estate-related information and technical solutions.

FNF’s revenue climbs to $3.9 billion.

2002

FNF is named a FORTUNE 500 company, listed on Fortune magazine’s “America’s Most Admired Companies” list and is also listed on the Forbes “Super 500” list. For the second consecutive year, FNF is on the Forbes “Platinum 400” list of companies.

Property Insight is launched to provide real estate property information services to all title companies, creating a nationwide capability to standardize and automate title research.

2003

FNF acquires Lender’s Service, Inc. (LSI), a leading national provider of appraisal, title and closing services to residential mortgage originators.

FNF acquires the Financial Services division of ALLTEL Information Services, renamed Fidelity Information Services, and moves its headquarters to Jacksonville, Fla.

FNF reaches no. 262 on the FORTUNE 500 list and is selected by Forbes as America’s best-managed insurance company.

FNF acquires ANFI, Inc. and Key Title Insurance to strengthen the Ticor brand in the Western United States, particularly California, Arizona, Nevada and Oregon.

FNF acquires Mutual of Omaha’s flood insurance business.

FNF Canada is formed upon FNF’s acquisition of LandCanada Financial Services. FNF Canada provides Fidelity with an immediate and meaningful presence in the rapidly expanding Canadian title insurance market.

2004

Fidelity acquires American Pioneer Title Insurance Company (APTIC). The acquisition boosts FNF to become the largest title insurer in Florida.

With the acquisition of Geotrac, FNF becomes the nation’s second largest provider of flood determination and life-of-loan monitoring services.

Fidelity National Real Estate Solutions implements a fully integrated suite of Web-based tools, including Fidelity’s BrokerOffice? and AgentOffice? systems, to enable real estate agents and brokers to take advantage of Internet-based leads and business opportunities.

Fidelity acquires ClearPar, LLC, a provider of technology and services that deliver primary and secondary commercial loan trade settlement services.

FNF’s total annual revenue climbs to more than $8.3 billion.

2005

FNF acquires Service Link, the nation’s leading provider of centralized mortgage and residential real estate title and closing services for major financial institutions and institutional lenders.

Fidelity National Title Group, a division under which FNF’s title insurance businesses and ServiceLink are aligned, is established. Raymond R. (Randy) Quirk becomes CEO of Fidelity National Title Group after serving as President of FNF for three years.

2007