A proud history

1834

First publication of women's weekly Kvety in Czech Republic. Today Kvety is published by Sanoma Magazines Praha.

1867

C.N. Teulings Drukkerij starts publishing the weekly family magazine De Katholieke Illustratie in 's-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands.

1906

In Haarlem, The Netherlands, De Spaarnestad is founded. In 1910 De Spaarnestad acquires De Katholieke Illustratie, previously published by C.N. Teulings Drukkerij.

1913, 1 July

First publication of Panorama, a weekly family magazine, in Leiden, The Netherlands by A.W. Sijthoff�s Uitgevers. Panorama is the oldest Dutch consumer magazine and published by Sanoma Men's Magazines today.

1929

De Spaarnestad in Haarlem, The Netherlands, acquires Panorama from A.W. Sijthoff and continues its publication.

1934, 13 April

In The Netherlands NV Uitgeverij starts publishing the weekly women's magazine Libelle. Today, Libelle is the biggest women's weekly in The Netherlands and published by Sanoma Uitgevers.

1936

Leo Teulings of C.N. Teulings� Koninklijke Drukkerij in 's-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands, establishes De Ge�llustreerde Pers (de GP) in Amsterdam.

1937

De GP merges with the Nederlandsche Diepdruk Inrichting, a printing house focused on printing illustrated magazines with large circulations.

1938, 30 September

De GP launches Margriet in The Netherlands. Today Margriet is published by Sanoma Uitgevers; it is the second largest women's weekly in the country.

1944

In Finland Sanoma Corporation enters magazine publishing by acquiring a stake in Viikkosanomain Kustannusosakeyhti�.

1945

Sanoma Corporation starts publishing the weekly Viikkosanomat in Finland after buying a majority shareholding in 1943.
In Belgium, Sanoma Magazines Belgium is established on 13 November 1945 by De Spaarnestad from Haarlem, The Netherlands. The company is first called Libelle N.V., later is is renamed to Internationale Uitgevers Maatschappij (IUM).

1946

In The Netherlands De Spaarnestad acquires the weekly women's magazine Libelle from NV Uitgeverij.
In the Czech Republic the publication of Vlasta starts. Today Vlasta, a women's weekly, is published by Sanoma Magazines Praha.

1949

In Hungary the weekly women's magazine N�k lapja is published for the first time. Today this magazine is published by Sanoma Budapest.

1951

In Finland Sanoma Corporation publishes its first comic, Aku Ankka (Donald Duck), under license from the Walt Disney Company. Today Aku Ankka has developed into Finland's number one media brand. The comic is published by Sanoma Magazines Finland.

1952

In The Netherlands de GP launches Donald Duck as a weekly children's magazine. Donald Duck is published by Sanoma Uitgevers today.

1957

Sanoma Corporation in Finland acquires the publishing rights of the women's magazine Me Naiset. Me Naiset is published by Sanoma Magazines Finland today.

1964, 17 December

In The Netherlands the publishing houses De Spaarnestad (Haarlem) and Cebema (�s-Hertogenbosch, holding company of de Ge�llustreerde Pers) decide to merge. On 2 June 1965 they become the Verenigde Nederlandse Uitgeversbedrijven, later abbreviated to VNU.

1968

In The Netherlands VNU folds De Katholieke Illustratie together with another magazine called Revue into a new magazine, Nieuwe Revu. Nieuwe Revu is currently published by Sanoma Men's Magazines.

1974

Launch of Story in The Netherlands. This weekly celebrity title is published by Sanoma Uitgevers today, but was also launched in Belgium, Hungary, Czech Republic, Romania, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria and Ukraine in later years by various Sanoma Magazines companies.

1982

In Finland Sanoma Corporation's magazine, comics, and book publishing activities are transferred to a new unit called Sanomaprint as part of a reorganisation of its businesses into five units.

1986

In The Netherlands VNU acquires the consumer magazines of rival publishing house Kluwer. VNU's magazine portfolio is expanded with titles like Ariadne, Vorsten, Ouders van Nu and Eigen Huis & Interieur. These magazines are nowadays published by Sanoma Uitgevers.

1987

In Finland Sanomaprint launches the women's lifestyle magazine Gloria. Today the Gloria brand gives its name to several magazines about antiques, home deco and food, as well as the original lifestyle magazine. These titles are published by Sanoma Magazines Finland.

1992

With the participation of VNU Erasmus Press Kiad�i Kft., predecessor of Sanoma Budapest, is founded in Hungary.
VNU Magazines International acquires Mona v.o.s. in the Czech Republic, publisher of a.o. Vlasta.
In Moscow Independent Media is founded. The company issues its first publication, the English-language newspaper The Moscow Times.

1993

In Finland Sanoma Corporation combines the magazine unit Sanomaprint and its New Media Group into a new company, Helsinki Media Company Oy.

1994

In Moscow Independent Media launched Cosmopolitan, the first glossy magazine ever to hit Russia's newsstands.
In Slovenia Toma� Drozg establishes Grand Prix d.o.o. and publishes Grand Prix Magazine about Formula 1 racing and other motor sports. In 2005 this company becomes Adria Media Ljubljana.

1996

In The Netherlands internet search engine ilse is launched by three student-entrepreneurs Wiebe Weikamp, Merien ten Houten en Robert Klep.

1998

A small group of friends led by Durk Jan de Bruin develops Startpagina in The Netherlands. Startapagina grows into one of the biggest Dutch internet portals quickly.
In Finland Helsinki Media Company, Sanoma Corporation, and WSOY agree to merge in May 1999 to form SanomaWSOY.

1999

VNU Magazines International and Hearst Magazines International establish VNU Hearst Romania.
VNU Magazines International buys a 51% interest in Strat�gie na Slovensku. This company leads the business-to-business publishing market in Slovakia

2000

VNU Magazines acquires ilse and Startpagina in The Netherlands and renames them into ilse media. Today ilse media is one of the leading Dutch online publishers.
In Finland Helsinki Media Company�s activities are split into two separate businesses: Helsinki Media Oy for magazine publishing, and SWelcom Oy for electronic media.
VNU Magazines International acquires Egyes�lt Kiad�i Holding Kft. in Hungary, the company that publishes a.o. the leading women's title N�k lapja.
VNU Budapest acquires Startlap, Hungary's leading internet portal.

2001

The Finnish media group SanomaWSOY acquires VNU Tijdschriften (VNU Consumer Information Group) in a �1.25 billion deal. After the acquisition SanomaWSOY's magazine division Helsinki Media is merged with the VNU Consumer Information Group to form Sanoma Magazines.
Sanoma Magazines International acquires the remaining 49% of Strat�gie na Slovensku in Slovakia and changes the name into Sanoma Magazines Slovakia.

2002

By merging the magazines targeted at men from Sanoma Uitgevers with those of Uitgeverij Veldhuis in The Netherlands Sanoma Men's Magazines is established.
Sanoma Magazines International starts a greenfields magazine operation in Croatia called Sanoma Magazines Zagreb.
In March Sanoma Magazines sells its trade directory publisher Blue Book to the Danish publishing company TDC Forlag A/S.
In April Sanoma Magazines sells its business unit British European Associated Publishers Ltd (BEAP, focused on puzzle magazines) in the United Kingdom to its management and a group of investors.

2003

In July Sanoma Magazines Belgium acquires the portfolio of the Loving You marriage guides.
In December Sanoma Magazines International and the Bulgarian publishing company Bliasak Media jointly establish Sanoma Bliasak Bulgaria.

2004

In November Sanoma Magazines International enters Serbia & Montenegro through its greenfields subsidiary Sanoma Magazines SMG.

2005

In January Sanoma Magazines acquires the leading glossy magazine publisher Independent Media in Russia. The company publishes 28 consumer magazines and three newspapers in Russia and Ukraine.
In April Sanoma Magazines SMG launches its first magazine in Serbia, women�s fashion magazine Elle.
In July Sanoma Magazines International acquires a majority shareholding in the Czech home deco magazine publisher Peloton.
In Hungary Sanoma Budapest acquires the leading recruitment site profession.hu in October.

2006

In The Netherlands ilse media acquires Kieskeurig.nl, the leading price and product comparison site with product reviews by consumers.
Adria Media Holding established early 2006: a new company which combines the Serbian, Slovenian and Croation operations of SMI, Gruner + Jahr and Styria Media
In September Sanoma Magazines acquires the Belgian niche magazine publisher EPN International. 17 Magazines about home decoration, gardening and special interest segments in Belgium and The Netherlands are added to the portfolio.
Sanoma Budapest expands to television with the launch of Channel 4! TV Story in Hungary.

2007

ilse media acuires the internet company Rosetta Holding, publisher of SchoolBANK.nl in The Netherlands.

2008

Sanoma Uitgevers acquires all shares in Mood for Magazines, publisher of the successful glossy titles LINDA. and La Vie en Rose in The Netherlands.
In Russia Sanoma Magazines International acuires Lux Media, publisher of the glossy titles Collezioni, Wedding and Homes Overseas.
In April Sanoma Magazines International acquires a majority shareholding in Net Info, Bulgaria's leading online publisher.