Chronology
1876
Arnold Peter Møller, Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller’s father, is born October 2nd in Store Magleby near Dragør, son of Anna and Peter Mærsk Møller.
1884
Anna and Peter Mærsk Møller leave Dragør in December to move to Svendborg, which at the time is home to the majority of Denmark’s sailing fleet. They reside in Villa Anna at 27 Høje Bøgevej, which is a family museum today.
1886
In June, Peter Mærsk Møller, who is a captain, founds ‘A/S Steamship Company Laura’, which owns the ship of the same name. The white seven-pointed star on a blue background that today is the Group’s logo is Peter Mærsk Møller’s work. He put it on Laura’s funnel in memory of an evening when he had prayed to God for his sick wife, Anna.
1904
Peter Mærsk Møller and his son Arnold Peter manages to raise Dkr 150,000 after great difficulties towards the formation of ‘The Steamship Company Svendborg’ and immediately buy the used ship Ada. Under the name Svendborg, she makes her maiden voyage to the Russian Baltic port of Kronstadt near St. Petersburg.
1910
Arnold Peter Møller marries Scottish-American Chastine Estelle Mc-Kinney, born in Kentucky, USA.
1912
‘The Steamship Company of 1912’ is formed with the aim of using steamers for freight traffic.
1913
July 13th Arnold Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller is born. Earlier that year the head office of the two shipping companies move from Svendborg to Copenhagen into Christian IV’s Stock Exchange building.
1914
At the outbreak of the First World War, the two companies have 11 ships.
1915
In April of this year the head office moves to 8 Kongens Nytorv.
1918
A.P. Møller founds The Odense Steelship Yard.
1919
On December 20th the first ship, the big 2,200-ton freighter Robert Mærsk, is launched in Odense. That same year A.P. Møller, along with his cousin Hans Isbrandtsen, founds ‘The Isbrandtsen-Moller Company Inc. (ISMOLCO)’ based in New York.
1928
The company provides regular service between the Far East and USA and launches tanker shipping.
1930
Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller passes his secondary school leaving examination with honours from Øregård Gymnasium. He is employed in the shipping company C.K. Hansen.
1932
Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller is employed in his father’s company.
1934-
On completion of compulsory military service, Mærsk is posted to
1938
Germany, France, and England as part of his training in the company.
1940
On April 8th Arnold Peter Møller gives his cousin Hans Isbrandtsen in New York right of disposal of the company’s ships. The following day the Germans occupy Denmark. On May 22nd Mærsk marries school friend Emma Neergaard Rasmussen. On May 24th Mærsk becomes a partner in the company A.P. Møller. Five days later Mærsk and Emma travel by train through Germany to Genoa in Italy, where they board the American passenger ship ‘Manhattan’. On June 10th they arrive in New York, where Mærsk is to look after the company’s interests. On December 5th Arnold Peter Møller withdraws Hans Isbrandtsen’s power of attorney. Captains of the company’s ships are given standing orders only to receive directions from Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller. The subsequent legal battles between A.P. Møller and Isbrandtsen culminate in a legal settlement in 1947.
1941
Emma and Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller have their first child, a daughter Leise.
1944
The couple’s second child, Kirsten, comes into the world.
1946
A.P. Møller and His Wife Chastine Mc-Kinney Møller’s Family Foundation formed.
1947
Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller and the family return home to Denmark in November 1947 and move into Prime Minister Thorvald Stauning’s former honorary residence on Valeursvej 6 in Hellerup.
1948
Emma and Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller have their third child, Ane.
1953
The A.P. Møller and Chastine Mc-Kinney Møller Foundation is formed. It will take a controlling stake in the A.P. Møller companies after the shipowner’s death.
1954
The 190-metre long super tanker Regina Mærsk launched – at that time the largest ship ever in the merchant navy. She is the first ship in the A.P. Møller fleet painted in the characteristic light blue col-our.
1962
A.P. Møller gets the Danish state’s concession for the exploration for and production of oil and gas in Denmark’s subsoil. Despite lack of experience in this type of business and despite his son’s opposition, A.P. Møller applies for the concession on the grounds of nationalism. He fears that it may end in foreign hands. The year before the German company ‘Deutsche Erdöl Aktiengesellschaft’ had turned to the Danish Government and indicated interest in obtaining a concession for oil exploration in an area north of the Danish-German border. A.P. Møller is personally granted the concession for 50 years.
1964
A.P. Møller goes into a 50/50 partnership with the Aarhus merchant Herman Salling in Dansk Supermarked (major Danish retail chain).
1965
Arnold Peter Møller dies on June 12th and Mærsk takes over leadership of the company after his father.
1969
Jess Søderberg is employed as a 25-year-old newly qualified economist at A.P. Møller.
1970
Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller is the first non-American on the board of IBM, one of the world’s biggest companies.
1972
After massive public criticism over the North Sea oil concessions, A.P. Møller’s exclusive rights on oil exploration are extended for further two years. The price is a ‘buy Danish’ clause to ensure the use of the Danish labour, Danish drilling platforms, Danish supply vessels, and helicopters.On July 4th the first oil is struck in the North Sea.
1974
After several years of hesitation, A.P. Møller decides to engage in container shipping, and the company’s first container ship is delivered, the Svendborg Mærsk.
1979
The site at 8 Kongens Nytorv becomes too cramped and the company moves to a new head office at 50 Esplanaden, on the waterfront in Copenhagen. Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller is rewarded with the Tietgen Prize for ‘initiative and enterprise.’
1983
The A.P. Møller and Chastine Mc-Kinney Møller Foundation donate Amalie Garden as a gift to the City of Copenhagen and the State. The project meets fierce criticism, from among others, the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts.
1987
41-year-old Jess Søderberg becomes a partner of A.P. Møller.
1990
A majority in parliament decides to send the corvette Olfert Fischer to the Persian Gulf to participate in the international naval blockade of Iraq after its invasion on August 2nd of Kuwait. After a few days, it becomes known that A.P. Møller makes container ships freely available to the USA. The ships are used to transport munitions from the USA to ports in Saudi Arabia.
1991
Jess Søderberg is appointed as successor to Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller in the post of Group CEO. However, he will not assume the position until on July 1st 1993. Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller continues in the post of chairman of the two listed companies and the Foundations.
1993
The highly respected shipping company EAC is in deep financial difficulty and must sell its liner business to A.P. Møller.
1998
On October 20th the company’s efforts in China culminate with Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller’s meeting with Chinese President Jiang Zemin. Møller is received in the official Chinese guest residence in Beijing.
1999
A.P. Møller takes over Safmarine and Sealand. Berlingske Tidende publishes a series of highly critical articles about Mærsk’s father, A.P. Møller, who is accused of having been pro-German during war. Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller reacts angrily and puts his stake in the newspaper up for sale.
Danish Society for Management announces that Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller is to be named Danish businessman of the century.
2000
The A.P. Møller and Chastine Mc-Kinney Møller Foundation offers to build the Opera House, and the Government accepts. On December 15th Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller is awarded the highest Danish order, Knight of the Elephant.
2001
A.P. Møller’s subsidiary, Maersk Air, is ordered to pay an antitrust fine of Dkr 97 million by the European Commission for illegal cartel cooperation with SAS.
2003
The two listed companies, Svendborg and 1912, is merged into one, A.P. Møller - Mærsk A/S, and Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller steps down as chairman. He hands over the post to Topdanmark Director Michael Pram Rasmussen.
2004
A.P. Møller’s concession for oil exploration and extraction is extended to 2042. The Opera House is handed over to the State.
2005
A.P. Møller - Mærsk A/S acquires leading container competitor P&O Nedlloyd for Dkr 17 billion and then American Kerr-McGee’s oil and gas activities in Britain for Dkr 18 billion. The Company sells Maersk Air to Sterling. Just before Christmas, Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller’s wife Emma dies.
2006
Mærsk McKinney Møller leaves the post of chairman of the Lindø yard. Lars-Erik Brenøe replaces him. Due to Maersk Line’s poor revenue, A.P. Møller - Mærsk A/S is required to make a dramatic downward revision of expectations for the full year result.
2007
A.P. Møller - Mærsk A/S announces 2006 accounts where the container business contributes negatively to the overall result with a deficit of Dkr 3.4 billion.
On June 22nd the Group announces that Jess Søderberg will leave the post of Group CEO to be replaced by Carlsberg Director Nils Smedegaard Andersen. At the same time, two other shipowners, Knud E. Stubkjær and Tommy Thomsen, say goodbye to the company.
2008
Interim financial statements for the Group show that they are back on track. Higher oil prices, higher oil production and higher freight rates led to a profit before tax of Dkr 31.8 billion against Dkr 18.9 billion in the same period the previous year. The company make a bid for Swedish product tanker company Broström of almost Skr 4 billion.
2009
Søren Thorup Sørensen resigns as Group CFO and partner. He is replaced by Trond Westlie on 1st January 2010. On 10th August the Group announces that the Lindø yard is to cease shipbuilding activities when contracts are met. By the end of August, Thomas Thune Anderson resigns as CEO of Maersk Oil (Mærsk Olie og Gas A/S). He is replaced by Jakob Thomasen, who also joins the Group’s Executive Board.
2010
Poul Svanholm leaves the Board at the AGM. Arne Karlsson and Robert Routs are elected. Niels Jacobsen replaces Poul Svanholm as Deputy Chairman of the Board. In connection with the publication of the accounts for the first half of 2010, the A.P. Møller - Mærsk Group revises the expectations of the annual result to a profit of more than USD 4 billion.