- 1931 Born on June 3 in Denver
- 1952 Alternate on the U.S. equestrian team at the Helsinki Summer Olympics
- 1954 Part of Modern Pentathlon Team at World Championships in Budapest, Hungary
- 1964 Opens Brink’s Coffee Shop in Dallas
- 1966 Opens first Steak & Ale on Lemmon Avenue in Dallas
- 1971 Steak & Ale goes public
- 1972 Opens Willow Bend Polo & Hunt Club in Plano, Texas
- 1974 Named Entrepreneur of the Year by Southern Methodist University
- 1976 Opens first Bennigan’s Tavern
- 1977 Named as Distinguished Alumni at San Diego State University
- 1982 Named president of the Pillsbury Restaurant Group
- 1982 Initiates Burger King vs. McDonald’s “Battle of the Burgers” ad campaign
- 1982 Named Operator of the Year by Nation’s Restaurant News
- 1983 Named chairman and CEO of Chili’s
- 1984 Chili’s goes public
- 1985 Receives Horatio Alger Award
- 1986 Inducted into the New Mexico Military Institute Hall of Fame
- 1990 Inducted into the Texas Business Hall of Fame
- 1990 Chili’s becomes Brinker International
- 1992 Receives Pioneer Award from Nation’s Restaurant News
- 1993 Suffers polo accident in Wellington, Fla., on Jan. 21
- 1993 Returns to the helm of Brinker International on May 1
- 1998 Inducted into the Polo Hall of Fame at the Museum of Polo in Lake Worth, Fla.
- 2001 Retires as Chairman Emeritus from Brinker International
- 2006 With wife, Toni Brinker, donates $1 million to establish the Institute for Hospitality and Restaurant Management at Southern Methodist University
- 2009 Passes away at age 78
If you would like to share favorite memories of Norman Brinker, send them along with your contact information to Ron Ruggless at [email protected].
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