A timeline of Norm Brinker's life and careerA timeline of Norm Brinker's life and career

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