TIMELINE

A concise timeline of Ghostbusters related events.

1980s

• 8 MAR 1983: Three fellows from Columbia University in the City of New York (Drs. Egon Spengler, Raymond Stantz, and Peter Venkman) proved scientifically that ghosts exist after gathering evidence from a specter haunting the New York Public Library.

• 19 MAR 1983 - Ghostbusters Inc. was formed in New York City, located at the dilapidated firehouse on 14 N. Moore Street, New York, New York 10013. 

• 15 APR 1983 -  The Ghostbusters captured their first ghost at the Sedgewick Hotel. Their business began to upswing at this point.

• 3 MAY 1983 - The First Gozerian Incident occurs in New York City, New York.. 

• 8 JUN 1984 - Ghostbusters film released based on the First Gozerian Incident. 

• JUL 1984 - NOV 1986 - Ghostbusters sued by city of New York for property destruction in several high profile suits prompting the closure of Ghostbusters Inc. A restraining order is filed in New  York that prevents the Ghostbusters from using their equipment. The Ghostbusters are unable to maintain their business and it shuts down, shuttering the firehouse, which is still owned by Dr. Stantz. 

• 27 DEC 1987 - 1 JAN 1988 - The Vigo the Carpathian Incident. The Ghostbusters discover that ghosts are made up of psychomagnotheric ectoplasm and technology is invented using this realization to defeat Prince Vigo. 

• 16 JUN 1989 - Ghostbusters 2 film is released based on the events surrounding the Vigo the Carpathian Incident.

1990s

• 2 FEB 1990 - Ghostbusters International formed in New York City with the purpose of opening Ghostbusters Franchises. 18 franchises were optioned, 14 of them in the USA. 

• 29 MAY 1990 - President H. W. Bush creates the Department of Paranormal Defense and nationalizes the Ghostbusters, allowing State and Federal governments to purchase the Ghostbusters International franchises in the US. The Paranormal Containment Oversight Committee is also formed in Congress.  With the nationalizing of Ghostbusters International, no new non-governmental franchises are allowed in the US. 

• 4 JUN 1990 - Ghostbusters International HQ is nationalized by the state of New York. Egon Spengler is recruited to work for the DOPD. Ray Stantz devotes more time to his book store. Peter Venkman goes back to his TV show World of the Psychic. Winston Zeddemore becomes the first official employee of the Department of the Paranormal in NYC.

• 28 NOV 1991 - Second Gozerian Incident, combated by Winston Zeddemore and the DoP NYC. 

• 8 JUL 1991 - Austin Ghostbusters franchise nationalized as the Department for Paranormal Affairs by Governor Ann Richards, with clause that franchise rights revert to original owners after 10 years should State of Texas close the department.

• 17 JUL 1998 - Governor George Bush cut funding for DoPA to the point that only power for the current containment grid would remain intact, effectively firing the entire staff. Of note, Governor Bush refused to declare the department as officially closed, thus leaving department in state control indefinitely. 

• 10 OCT 1999 - In an unanimous decision by the Texas Supreme Court in Austin Ghostbusters vs State of Texas, it was decided that since there were no official personnel attached to the Department of Paranormal Affairs that the State of Texas would have 90 days to either provide adequate staffing for the department or the timer would start on the clause enacted by Gov. Richards. After the verdict was handed down, the maintenance of the containment grid was turned over to the Austin Ghostbusters, although the State of Texas still paid for the electricity.

2000s

• 1 JUL 2008 -  With the deadline closing on the option to keep DoPA under State control, a special session of the Texas Congress was called to determine whether or not to re-open the department. After much deliberation, and with funding cuts going through nearly every department, it was decided that DoPA would officially close, giving the Ghostbuster franchise rights back to Austin Ghostbusters on 17 JUL, 2008. By this point, most other state governments also dropped the department as the cost of operation and the insurance could get into the multi-million dollar range. 

• 16 JUN 2009 - Ghostbusters: The Video Game is released on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo DS, Microsoft Windows, depicting the events of Thanksgiving 1991 involving the Second Gozerian Incident and the Shandor Island Incident. The likeness of the movie Ghostbusters was used for the video game. 

• 20 NOV 2009 - Austin Ghostbusters set up shop in North Austin. 

2010s

• 5 May 2011 - The Carnival Conquest Incident. On a supernaturally themed cruise, the Austin Ghostbusters went up against an enemy of Dr. Venkman who has summoned the ghosts of a shipwreck the cruise ship passed over. 

• 29 Feb 2016 - Austin Ghostbusters franchise owners are found dead. No cause of death determined. Paranormal equipment that exists within the estate is tied up in litigation with the State of Texas for years.

• 18 Aug 2019 - Third Gozerian Incident occurs in Summerville, Oklahoma. 

2020s

• 19 Nov 2021 - Ghostbusters Afterlife released, depicting the Third Gozerian Incident.  

• 18 May 2024 - Probate of estate of Austin Ghostbusters owners is resolved. The State of Texas has relinquished all rights to the equipment, with the proviso that any government jobs associated with the Ghostbusters are handled at an extremely lowered rate.