1968?          Bob Leighton begins development of telescope dishes

1970?          Al Moffet, radio astronomer, joins Caltech to develop OVRO

1974            Tom Phillips becomes acquainted with Leighton and problems in
            submillimeter astronomy

1975          Bob Leighton starts building the prototype telescopes for Owens           Valley

1978            Funding from NSF for OVRO interferometer

1979            Tom Phillips joins Caltech faculty

1983            OVRO completed, Tom Phillips starts on CSO

1985            Dome completed and prepared for shipment to Hawaii

1986            CSO construction essentially completed.

                   Dedication on 11/11/86

1987          Finishing work on dome skin completed, routine operation began.

1996       Georgina and William Gimbel Building base facility dedicated Feb. 23, 1996.

2003        Active optics system went into operation.  Improvements continued into 2004.