Timeline of Eamon history

"You are at the Oracle of Minden, god of destiny, he who maps the future planes. His voice is fate and the trail behind him as he walks is history..." —Buccaneer!

This article is a timeline of events in (or related to) the history of the Eamon text adventure series, from its earliest influences to the latest developments. For a more detailed narrative account, please see History of Eamon.

20th century

1936

Will Crowther, creator of Colossal Cave Adventure, born.

1938

July 27 – Gary Gygax, co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons, born.

1947

October 1 – Dave Arneson, co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons, born.
December 26 – Bill Fesselmeyer, the "grandfather of Eamon", born.

1953

Richard Skeie, founder of the Computer Emporium and CE Software, born.

1954

July 29 – The first volume of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings published.

1959

Eamon creator Donald Brown born.

1966

May 1 – The Society for Creative Anachronism founded in Berkeley, California.

1973

October – TSR founded in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.

1974

January – Dungeons & Dragons first published.

1976

Colossal Cave Adventure released.
April 1 – Apple Computer founded in Cupertino, California.

1977

June 10 – The first Apple II computer sold.
late – Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D) published.

1978

Bill and Sherry Fesselmeyer found the Des Moines chapter of the Society for Creative Anachronism.
early – Richard Skeie founds the Computer Emporium in Des Moines, Iowa.
February 21 – Val Golding founds the Apple Pugetsound Program Library Exchange (A.P.P.L.E.).
June – Disk II floppy disk drive introduced.
July 20 – Apple DOS 3.1 released.

1979

February 16 – Apple DOS 3.2 released.
June – Apple introduces the Apple II Plus computer.
November – Atari introduces the Atari 800 home computer.
c. late 1979 – Donald Brown releases The Wonderful World of Eamon.
The Beginners Cave and The Lair of the Minotaur released.

1980

January – The Cave of the Mind released.
Odyssey: The Compleat Apventure by Robert Clardy published.
June – Commodore introduces the VIC-20 computer.
July – Recreational Computing publishes "The Wonderful World of Eamon", an article by Donald Brown.
August 25 – Apple DOS 3.3 released.
late – Ron Maleika founds the Apple Avocation Alliance.

1981

early – CE Software, the software development arm of the Computer Emporium, begins operation.
May – CE Software publishes SwordThrust.
August 12 – IBM introduces the IBM Personal Computer.
September – Softdisk begins publication.

1982

mid – CE Software publishes the final adventures in the SwordThrust series.
August – Commodore introduces the Commodore 64 computer.

1983

January – Robert Plamondon's article about Eamon published in Creative Computing.
Apple introduces the Apple IIe and Apple Lisa computers.
Apple introduces ProDOS.

1984

The Eamon Adventurers Log logo.

January 24 – Apple introduces the Macintosh computer.
March – Eamon Adventurers Log first published (full text).
The City in the Clouds, Museum of Unnatural History, Daemon's Playground, Caverns of Lanst, Alternate Beginners Cave, Priests of Xim!, Escape from the Orc Lair, SwordQuest, Lifequest, FutureQuest, and Picnic in Paradise released.
April 24 – Apple introduces the Apple IIc computer.
May – Eamon Adventurers Log published (full text).
The Castle Kophinos, Behind the Sealed Door, The Caves of Eamon Bluff, The Devil's Dungeon, Feast of Carroll, Crystal Mountain, The Master's Dungeon, The Lost Adventure, The Manxome Foe, The Land of Death, The Jungles of Vietnam, The Sewers of Chicago, The Harpy Cloud, The Caverns of Doom, Valkenburg Castle, Modern Problems, The School of Death, Dungeons of Xenon, Chaosium Caves, and The Smith's Stronghold released.
July – The Des Moines-area chapter of the SCA formally becomes the Barony of Coeur d'Ennui, part of the Kingdom of Calontir.
August – Eamon Adventurers Log published (full text).
The Black Castle of NaGog, The Tomb of Y'Golonac, Operation Crab Key, House on Eamon Ridge, The Deep Canyon, DharmaQuest, Temple of the Guild, and The Search for Yourself released.
September 14 – Bill Fesselmeyer and four others die in an automobile accident.
October – Eamon Adventurers Log published (full text).
Temple of the Trolls and The Prince's Tavern released.

1985

The Mines of Moria by Sam Ruby

Little Green Software publishes Super Eamon.
Mark Welch creates the Generic Adventure Game System (GAGS), predecessor to the Adventure Game Toolkit.
January – Kent Sullivan begins work on a Commodore 64 port of Eamon.
Commodore introduces the Commodore 128 computer
Eamon Adventurers Log published (full text).
The Castle of Count Fuey, The Search for the Key, The Rescue Mission, Escape from Mansi Island, The Twin Castles, Castle of Riveneta, The Time Portal, Castle Mantru, Caves of Hollow Mountain, The Shopping Mall, Superfortress of Lin Wang, and FutureQuest II released.
March – Eamon Adventurers Log published (full text).
The Fugitive released.
May – Eamon Adventurers Log published (full text).
John Nelson and Bob Davis announce an "un-contest" to create new Eamon adventures.
Flying Circus, Blood Feud, The Maze of Quasequeton, The Chamber of the Dragons, The House of Secrets, Slave Pits of Kzorland, In the Clutches of Torrik, and Sorceror's Spire released.
June – Atari Corporation released the Atari ST home computer.
July – Commodore introduces the Amiga home computer.
August – Eamon Adventurers Log published (full text).
Ground Zero, Eamon Railroad, Top Secret, The Lost World, The Strange Resort, Camp Eamon, The Last Dragon, The Mines of Moria, and The Forest of Fear released.
October – Eamon Adventurers Log published (full text).
Fire Island, A Vacation in Europe, Hills of History, The Life-Orb of Mevtrelek, and Thror's Ring released.
GEnie online service launches.
November 5 – Green Valley Publishing releases version 3.5 (the last known version) of its pirated Adventure series.

1986

The Apple IIGS.

June – Eamon Adventurers Log published (full text).
Ring of Doom, The Iron Prison, Dungeon of Doom, Pittfall, Grunewalde, Orb of My Life, and Wrenhold's Secret Vigil released.
September 15 – Apple introduces the Apple IIGS computer.

1987

David Malmberg creates the Adventure Game Toolkit.
Philippe Houdry creates Connall.
Scott Everts creates Lightning Eamon.
January 1 – Dr. Evil Laboratories opens.
January – CE Software incorporates.
January – Macintosh Buyer's Guide names Donald Brown one of the top Macintosh programmers in the world.
January – Eamon Adventurers Log published (full text).
The Valley of Death, The Wizard of the Spheres, Assault on Dolni Keep, The Mattimoe Palace, The Pyramid of Anharos, The Hunt for the Ring, Quest of Erebor, Return to Moria, Haradwaith, Nucleus of the Ruby, Rhadshur Warrior, The Final Frontier, Pyramid of the Ancients, The Tomb of Evron, The Mountain Fortress, The Ruins of Ivory Castle, Starfire, Peg's Place, Beginner's Forest, The Infested Fortress, The Beermeister's Brewery, The Alternate Zone, and Gartin Manor released.
January – Eamon-PC released.
March 30 – Kenn Blincoe dies.
October – Eamon Adventurers Log published (full text).
Buccaneer!, The House of Horrors, The Dark Brotherhood, Journey to Jotunheim, and Elemental Apocalypse released.
October – Eamon Gazetteer published.

1988

A Trip to Fort Scott by William Trent

Eamon Adventurers Log interim letter published (full text).
The Star Portal released as an AGT adventure.
TADS interactive fiction authoring system released.
June – Eamon Adventurer's Guild Newsletter first published (full text).
Walled City of Darkness, Eamon S.A.R.-1, The Computer Club of Fear, Lost!, A Trip to Fort Scott, and Tomb of the Vampire released.
September – Eamon Adventurer's Guild Newsletter published (full text).
The Lake, The Pathetic Hideout of Mr. R., The Lair of Mr. Ed, The Bridge of Catzad-Dum, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and Operation Endgame released.
September 16 – Apple introduces the Apple IIc Plus computer.
December – Eamon Adventurer's Guild Newsletter published (full text).
Gartin Manor, Eamon 7.0 Demo Adventure, The Sands of Mars, A Real Cliffhanger, and Animal Farm released.

1989

Daniel Noguerol writes his Atari 800 conversion of Eamon.
March – Eamon Adventurer's Guild Newsletter published (full text).
Storm Breaker released.
June – Eamon Adventurer's Guild Newsletter published (full text).
Expedition to the Darkwoods, The High School of Horrors, The Black Phoenix, Ragnarok Revisited, The Pyramid of Cheops, The Mountain of the Master, The House That Jack Built, Escape from Granite Hall, Anatomy of the Body, Dirtie Trix's Mad Maze, Shippe of Fooles, and The Alien Intruder released.
September – Eamon Adventurer's Guild Newsletter published (full text).
The Wizard's Tower, Gamma 1, The Eamon Sewer System, Farmer Brown's Woods, and The Boy and the Bard released.
December – Eamon Adventurer's Guild Newsletter published (full text).
Quest for Orion, The Body Revisited, Beginner's Cave II, and Batman!! released.

1990

March – William Trent publishes his collection of text-based adventure maps.
March – Eamon Adventurer's Guild Newsletter published (full text).
Encounter: The Bookworm, The Ruins of Belfast, Shift Change at Grimmwax, Enhanced Beginners Cave, Mean Streets, The Creature of Rhyl, Attack of the Kretons, and The Training Ground released.
June – Eamon Adventurer's Guild Newsletter published (full text).
The Cat House, Star Wars - Tempest One, Revenge of the Bookworm, Quest of the Crystal Wand, The Lost Isle, and The Caverns of Vanavara released.
September – Eamon Adventurer's Guild Newsletter published (full text).
The Plain of Srevi, Lotto's Masterpiece, and Sanctuary released.
December – Eamon Adventurer's Guild Newsletter published (full text).

1991

Hypercard Eamon

March – Eamon Adventurer's Guild Newsletter published (full text).
Utterly Outrageous and Curse of the Hellsblade released.
HyperCard Eamon, an Apple IIGS version by Whit Crowley, released.
June – Eamon Adventurer's Guild Newsletter published (full text).
September – Eamon Adventurer's Guild Newsletter published (full text).
Eamon Renegade Club released.
December – Eamon Adventurer's Guild Newsletter published (full text).
Assault on Helstar, Apocalypse 2021, Return of Ngurct, Lair of the Marauders, Haunted Keep, and Demongate released.

1992

March – Eamon Adventurer's Guild Newsletter published (full text).
Deathstalker's Castle, Treasure Island, and The Pirate's Cave released.
May – CE Software ranked #42 in Inc. magazine's annual list of the top 100 fastest-growing small public corporations.
June – Eamon Adventurer's Guild Newsletter published (full text).
Eye of Agamon released.
September – Eamon Adventurer's Guild Newsletter published (full text).
Return to Pendrama and The City of Sorcerers released.
December – Eamon Adventurer's Guild Newsletter published (full text).
Catacombs of Terror released.

1993

Redemption by Sam Ruby

CE Software lays off employees as it downsizes.
CE Software creates spin-off organization Prairie Group, which acquires various software titles from CE including SwordThrust.
March – Eamon Adventurer's Guild Newsletter published (full text).
Count Dracula's Castle and The Halls of the Adept released.
April – Richard Skeie resigns as president of CE Software and is succeeded by Ford Goodman.
May – Redemption published by Softdisk.
June – Eamon Adventurer's Guild Newsletter published (full text).
Time-Shift released.
September – Eamon Adventurer's Guild Newsletter published (full text).
Eamon Dungeon Designer version 7.1 released.
December – Eamon Adventurer's Guild Newsletter published (full text).
Eamon Dungeon Designer version 7.1 Multi-Disk Supplement released.

1994

March – Eamon Adventurer's Guild Newsletter published (full text).
Prisoner of Darkness released.
June – Eamon Adventurer's Guild Newsletter published (full text).
Adventure in Interzone released.
August – The initial release of AppleWin created by Mike O'Brien.[1]
September – Eamon Adventurer's Guild Newsletter published (full text).
Bookworm 3-D, B I Z A R R O, and Shipwreck Island released.
December – Eamon Adventurer's Guild Newsletter published (full text).
Banana Republic released.

1995

March – Eamon Adventurer's Guild Newsletter published (full text).
Firestorm, Well of the Great Ones, and Keep of Skull Gorge released.
June – Eamon Adventurer's Guild Newsletter published (full text).
September – Eamon Adventurer's Guild Newsletter published (full text).
The Curse of Talon, Jewel of Yara, The Domain of Zenoqq, and The Forbidden City released.
December – Eamon Adventurer's Guild Newsletter published (full text).
Vaalpa's Plight and Search for Mack released.

1996

March – Eamon Adventurer's Guild Newsletter published (full text).
Fiends of Eamon released.
June – Eamon Adventurer's Guild Newsletter published (full text).
September – Eamon Adventurer's Guild Newsletter published (full text).
Sagamore released.
December – Eamon Adventurer's Guild Newsletter published (full text).

1997

TSR, creator of Dungeons & Dragons, becomes defunct.
February – The alt.games.eamon newsgroup established.
March – Eamon Adventurer's Guild Newsletter published (full text).
Idol of the Incas released.
June – Eamon Adventurer's Guild Newsletter published (full text).
Heart of Gold released.
September – Eamon Adventurer's Guild Newsletter published (full text).
December – Eamon Adventurer's Guild Newsletter published (full text).
The Shrunken Adventurer and The Dungeon of Traps release.
Work begins on an MS-DOS port of Eamon later known as Eamon Deluxe.

1998

Eamon Deluxe artwork

March – Eamon Adventurer's Guild Newsletter published (full text).
May – Eamon Deluxe version 1.0 is released.
June – Eamon Adventurer's Guild Newsletter published (full text).
August 15 – Apple introduces the first iMac computer.
September – Eamon Adventurer's Guild Newsletter published (full text).
December – Eamon Adventurer's Guild Newsletter published (full text).
December – Eamon Deluxe version 2.0 released.

1999

March – Eamon Adventurer's Guild Newsletter published (full text).
June – Eamon Adventurer's Guild Newsletter published (full text).
summer – Work begins on Eamon Deluxe version 3; it is decided to include all classic Eamon adventures in the system, now made available by the Eamon CD and MD-DOS emulation.
September – Eamon Adventurer's Guild Newsletter published (full text).
December – Eamon Adventurer's Guild Newsletter published (full text).
GEnie's Apple II Roundtable closes.

2000

March – Eamon Adventurer's Guild Newsletter published (full text).
May – Donald Brown launches the websites eamontales.com and gadgetdon.com.
June – Eamon Adventurer's Guild Newsletter published (full text).
September – Eamon Adventurer's Guild Newsletter published (full text).
December – Eamon Adventurer's Guild Newsletter published (full text).
The Dragon of Aldaar released.

21st century

2001

January – Eamon Adventurer's Guild Newsletter published (full text).
October – Eamon Adventurer's Guild Newsletter published (full text).
The Caverns of the Sphinx and Dracula's Chateau released.
Autumn – Eamon Deluxe version 4.2 released.

2002

March – First edition of the Eamon Deluxe Adventure Design Manual published.
July 22 – DOSBox first released.

2003

The Eamon Adventurers Guild Online

February – Eamon Adventurer's Guild Newsletter published (full text).
June – The Caverns of the Sphinx. Dracula's Chateau, and The Sword of Inari released.
July – Adora Entertainment announces plans to develop The Eamon Guild of Free Adventurers.
November – Matthew Clark establishes the Eamon Adventurers Guild Online website at eamonag.org.
December – Matthew Clark releases Eamon on Java.

2004

Journey Across the Muerte Sea becomes the first Eamon Deluxe adventure.
January – Eamon Adventurer's Guild Newsletter published (full text).
The incomplete Hammer's Slammers released.
February – Amateur Alley and Quest for the Fire Dragon released.
March – The Hindenburg Ogre released.
April – A group of CE Software employees form Startly Technologies, acquiring the operating assets of CE Software and taking the company private.
August – Matthew Clark writes the essay "Eamon and Interactive Fiction".

2005

January – The Tomb of Razaak released.
February – Eamon Deluxe Newsletter first published (full text).
March – Journey Across the Muerte Sea released.
March 29 – Red Varnum dies.
May – The Pixy Oak released.
August – Adora Entertainment ceases operation; Draconis Entertainment is formed.

2006

November 18 – Realm of Fantasy released.
Development of Eamon Deluxe suspended, beginning a long hiatus.

2007

June 29 – Apple introduces the first iPhone.

2008

March 4 – Dungeons & Dragons co-creator Gary Gygax dies.
December – The Vi gaming community discover Eamon Deluxe as an accessible way of playing Eamon.

2009

March – Cliffs of Fire, The Prism of Shadows, and Dawn of the Warlock released.
April 7 – Dungeons & Dragons co-creator Dave Arneson dies.
August – Pathfinder Roleplaying Game first published.
September 30 – AkeySoft Group releases the iBASIC app for Apple iOS.
December 5 – AkeySoft adds Eamon and eight adventures to its iBASIC app.

2010

Leadlight

February 15 – Chester Bolingbroke launches The CRPG Addict blog.
Leadlight released.
August – The text adventure documentary Get Lamp is released.

2011

April 3 – The Eamon Museum established at EAG Online.
The Eamon Adventurer's Guild Facebook group (@EamonGuild) makes its first post.
March 4 – The Digital Antiquarian blog makes its first post.
November – Eamon Deluxe version 5.0 publicly announced.
December 9 – Eamon Deluxe version 4.5 officially closed.

2012

The Adventurer's General Store released.
January – Beta testing begins on Eamon Deluxe version 5.0 with Beginners Adventures.
February – Eamon Deluxe Demo Adventure is released as a public beta.
Beta testing begins on Jim Jacobson Adventures Deluxe and some of The Thomas Zuchowski Adventures.
Frank Black writes The Waiting Room as a place-holder adventure.
March – Development begins on Eamon Wiki.
Eamon Deluxe Newsletter published (full text).
A Runcible Cargo released.
April 29 – Derek Jeter completes the first version of the Eamon Deluxe Adventure Database Editor.
May – Beta testing begins on The Sam Ruby Adventures and The Nathan Segerlind Adventures.
June – Realm of Fantasy is published in a newly upgraded form.
A Runcible Cargo released.
July – Eamon Deluxe Newsletter published (full text).
Stronghold of Kahr-Dur released.
October – Eamon Deluxe version 5.0 released as a public beta.

2013

The Eamon Wiki

January 26 – Gary Flanagan dies.
March – Eamon Deluxe Newsletter published (full text).
Stronghold of Kahr-Dur released.
March 17 – Eamon Wiki opens to the public at eamononline.com.
March 22 – The CRPG Addict publishes its review of Eamon.
April – A Runcible Cargo nominated for the XYZZY Award.
May – The Treachery of Zorag released.
July 27 – Margaret Anderson wins first place in the KansasFest Hackfest programming competition with her Eamon Mapper.
September – Margaret Anderson's article "Mapping the Unknown" is published in the September issue of Juiced.GS.
September 20 – The CRPG Addict publishes its review of SwordThrust.

2014

2015

Eamon Adventure Browser created by Derek Jeter.
January 14 – Paul Van Bloem dies.
April 9 – Leadlight Gamma released.
July – Michael Penner releases Eamon AC, an ANSI C Eamon port.

2016

Donald Browns's website eamontales.com closes.
February 22 – The CRPG Addict reviews The Adventure - Only the Fittest Shall Survive

2017

Eamon Remastered

February 4 - Eamon Remastered launches at eamon-remastered.com with seven ported adventures: The Beginners Cave, The Training Ground, Eamon Deluxe 5.0 Demo Adventure, The Devil's Dungeon, The Magic Kingdom, Furioso, and The Caves of Treasure Island
August 14 – Keith Dechant releases Assault on the Clone Master.
August 27 – Eamon Wiki relaunches at eamon.wiki.
October 21 – William Trent dies.

2018

Michael Penner releases Eamon CS, a C#-based version of Eamon

2019

April – The CRPG Book published.
August – Margaret Anderson releases an updated version of her Eamon Mapper.
October – Lightning Eamon rediscovered and made available online.

2020

February – Land of the Mountain King released.
April – Malleus Maleficarum released.