Oct. 17, 1918. Wilson born in Columbus, Ohio.

Oct. 17, 1959: Two months after making commitment to join Texas oilman Lamar Hunt in

new football league, Wilson becomes a founding member of "The Foolish Club" by announcing he

will place an AFL franchise in Buffalo.

Nov. 30, 1959: Franchise officially is named the Bills.

Dec. 16, 1959: Wilson hires Detroit defensive assistant Buster Ramsey as first head

coach of the Bills.

July 30, 1960: A crowd of 16,474 at War Memorial Stadium watches the Bills play their

first game, an exhibition against Boston.

Jan. 18, 1962. Wilson hires former Boston coach Lou Saban as new Bills head coach.

Sept. 25, 1962: Bills claim quarterback Jack Kemp off waivers from San Diego for fee of

$100.

Fall 1962: Wilson lends Oakland Raiders $400,000 to keep franchise from folding.

Jan. 29, 1964: Wilson instrumental in AFL signing five-year, $36 million contract with

NBC to televise games, putting it on close-to-equal footing with the NFL.

Dec. 26, 1964: Bills win first AFL championship, beating San Diego, 20-7.

Dec. 26, 1965: Bills win second AFL championship, beating San Diego, 23-0.

Spring 1966: Wilson serves on committee that negotiates AFL merger with NFL, to go into

full effect in 1970.

March 14, 1967: Bills send QB Daryle Lamonica to Oakland in what turns out to be worst

trade in team history.

Jan. 28, 1969: Bills select O.J. Simpson first overall in NFL draft.

Sept. 23, 1971: After more than three years of debate, the Erie County Legislature

approves a $23 million bond to build a stadium in Orchard Park and signs a lease agreement

with the Bills.

Aug. 7, 1973: Rich Stadium opens to sellout crowd of 80,020 for preseason game versus

Washington.

May 4, 1974: Wilson's involvement in the horse breeding business reaches a pinnacle

when his horse, named Patrick McGroder, competes in the Kentucky Derby, finishing ninth out of

23.

Sept. 12, 1976: A day before the season-opener, Wilson gets Simpson to end contract

holdout by giving him three-year, $2.5 million deal. It makes Simpson the highest-paid player

in football.

Jan. 11, 1978: After two miserable losing seasons, Wilson hires L.A. Rams coach Chuck

Knox to a six-year contract worth $200,000 a year.

Sept. 7, 1980: Bills snap 20-game losing streak against Miami with 17-7 win. Bills fans

tear down goalposts and carry one of them up to Wilson's box. "This is the biggest win in the

history of the team, 20 years," Wilson says.

Jan. 25, 1983: Despite two playoff seasons in the previous three years, Knox resigns as

Bills coach in the wake of growing personal differences with Wilson. Kay Stephenson is named

to replace Knox.

Dec. 30, 1985: A week after firing Terry Bledsoe, Wilson promotes little-known pro

personnel chief Bill Polian to the job of general manager.

Aug. 18, 1986: Polian closes deal to bring QB Jim Kelly to Buffalo with five-year,

$1.75 million contract.

Nov. 3, 1986: Wilson fires Hank Bullough, and with Polian's recommendation, hires Marv

Levy as head coach.

April 24, 1988: Wilson gives final OK to take gamble on drafting of RB Thurman Thomas

despite a serious knee injury suffered in college.

Jan. 27, 1991: A week after 51-3 victory in AFC title game, Bills lose Super Bowl XXV

to New York Giants, 20-19, as Scott Norwood misses 47-yard field goal with 4 seconds left.

Oct. 14, 1992: Wilson inducted to Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame.

Feb. 4, 1993: Wilson fires Polian, promotes John Butler into job as the Bills' general

manager.

Jan. 30, 1994: Bills lose fourth straight Super Bowl, 30-13, to Dallas Cowboys.

Feb. 9, 1996: Wilson is one of only two owners to vote against the move of the

Cleveland Browns to Baltimore.

July 31, 1997: Wilson signs 15-year lease with Erie County and New York State that ties

team to Buffalo through 2012 in exchange for an initial outlay of $63 million in public money

for stadium improvements.

October 1999: Wilson marries for a third time, to the former Mary McLean, whom he met

while playing tennis in 1990.

Jan. 10, 2001: Tom Donahoe hired as president and general manager of Bills.

January 2006: In wake of firing of Donahoe, Wilson brings back Levy as Bills general

manager. Mike Mularkey resigns as head coach and team hires Dick Jauron to take over.

January 2008: Levy steps down as GM, then Wilson promotes Russ Brandon to chief

operating officer, overseeing both the business and football sides of the organization. Later

that month the team announces a deal to play five regular-season games in Toronto over five

years in an effort to "regionalize" its customer base.

Dec. 30, 2008: Wilson announces he is keeping Jauron, following through on a contract

extension for the head coach despite the team finishing with its third straight record of 7-9.

Jan. 31, 2009: Wilson and former Bills defensive end Bruce Smith elected to Pro

Football Hall of Fame.