| 1853 |
Amphicyton Literary Society forms four days after Cornell College was founded |
| 1857 |
Philomathean Literary Society forms for women |
| 1859 |
Adelphian Literary Society forms |
| |
“The Club,” Cornell’s first underground group, disbands |
| 1869 |
The Collegian, the first student newspaper, is founded by literary society members |
| 1870s |
Literary society libraries are a major source of literature on campus |
| 1871 |
Miltonian Literary Society forms |
| 1872 |
Aesthesian Literary Society forms at the Academy |
| 1876 |
Star Literary Society forms at the Academy |
| 1878 |
Star and Aesthian societies merge |
| 1880 |
The Collegian becomes The Cornellian |
| 1886 |
Grover Cleveland accepts honorary Adelphian membership |
| 1888 |
Academy societies move to college |
| |
Alethean Literary Society forms at the Academy |
| 1891 |
Aletheans move to college |
| 1898 |
Secret societies form, including Delta Phi Rho (Delts); some, ignoring institutional policies, eventually affiliate with national Greek organizations |
| 1900s |
Literary societies lose control of The Cornellian |
| 1901 |
Aonian Literary Society forms |
| 1913 |
About 70 students are suspended after announcing their affiliation with national Greek organizations; they are allowed to resume school after renouncing (publicly, anyway) their affiliation |
| 1914 |
Star-Aesthian Society changes its name to Zetagathean Literary Society |
| 1916 |
Promethean and Parmenian Societies form |
| 1920s |
Literary societies decay |
| 1927 |
Secret societies again declare existence and seek recognition from the college |
| |
Literary societies reluctantly disband |
| 1928 |
Professor Thomas McConnell assists students in researching the underground Greek system |
| |
Student research reveals 52% of students affiliated |
| 1929 |
Faculty votes to recognize 6 female and 7 male groups, including the Milts, Arrows, Delts, Axes, Gammas and Owls |
| 1933 |
Delta Phi (Delphis) breaks off from Alpha Sigma Pi (Arrows) |
| 1940s |
Delt alumni/actives unsuccessfully petition for national chapters |
| |
Owls rechartered after suspension of unknown length |
| 1944/45 |
Panthers (Gammas) and Thalians disband |
| 1946 |
Aletheans disband; 1/3 go independent and 2/3 affiliate again |
| 1947 |
Chi Theta, Kappa Psi Omega and Omega Xi Lambda chartered |
| 1949/50 |
Omega Xi Lambda disbands and Gamma Tau (Gammas) chartered |
| 1951 |
Gamma Tau (Gammas) add Pi, now resembles the old Panthers |
| |
Tri Phi chartered, Kappa Psi Omega and Theta Chi disbanded |
| 1954 |
Kappa Theta (Thetas) chartered |
| 1957 |
Kappa Delta Chi (K-D-Chis) chartered |
| 1960 |
Tri Phi disbands |
| 1962 |
Phi Omega (Phi Os) chartered |
| 1964 |
Delta Phi (Delphis) disbands |
| 1966 |
Psi Sigma Psi chartered |
| 1970s |
Descendent of the literary societies, Alpha Theta Alpha, disbands |
| 1971 |
Psi Sigma Psi disbands |
| 1975 |
Phi Kappa Nu (Newts) chartered |
| 1980s |
Increasing enrollment contributes to increased interest in the Greek system |
| 1982 |
Kappa Delta Chi rechartered, now called the K-Delts |
| 1983 |
Chi Chi Chi (Tri Chis) chartered |
| 1985 |
Underground group Sigma Proifera Omega (Sponges) forms |
| 1986 |
Delta Phi (Delphis) rechartered, has 32 members by 1991 |
| 1989 |
Sigma Tau (Taus), offshoot of Phi Kappa Nu (Newts), chartered |
| |
Alpha Sigma chartered |
| 1990 |
Chi Chi Chi disbands |
| |
Phi Lambda Xi (Phi Lambs) chartered |
| 1994 |
Alpha Sigma disbands |
| |
Five K-Delts deactivate and remaining three members revitalize the group, calling themselves the K-D-Chis once again |
| 1999 |
Rho Zeta Omicron (Rhozes) chartered |
| 2003 |
Delta Phi (Delphis) changes letters to Delta Phi Delta |
| 2005 |
Sigma Kappa Psi (Skys) chartered |
| 2006 |
Social groups become fraternities and sororities |
| 2010 |
Sigma Tau (Taus) disbands |
| 2011 |
Kappa Delta Chi (K-D-Chis) disband |
| 2012 |
Beta Psi Eta (Betas) chartered |
| 2013 |
Kappa Delta Chi (K-D0Chis) chartered |