Existing sources:
* articles on the Chronicles/ Knowledge pages of the site
* WeDistribute
* Strypey's 'brief history' blog piece: http://web.archive.org/web/20190617225539/https://www.coactivate.org/projects/disintermedia/blog/2017/04/01/a-brief-history-of-the-gnu-social-fediverse-and-the-federation

Timeline could include referenced dates for:


*Identica/ pump.io/ GNU social*

*2008*
[XEP-xxxx: Microblogging Over XMPP (published 2008-05-07)](https://web.archive.org/web/20090227094012/http://xmpp.org/extensions/inbox/microblogging.html)

Founding of Laconica/ Identica project

Publication of OpenMicroBlogging spec

Rebranding as StatusNet/ OStatus: https://web.archive.org/web/20090831073527/http://status.net/2009/08/28/laconica-is-now-statusnet/

Publication of OStatus spec

Publication of pump.io spec

Identi.ca switched to pump.io

Forking of Free & Social

Founding of GNU social

Merger of StatusNet, and Free & Social, into GNU social


*Diaspora*

Founding of Diaspora project

Crowdfunding success on Kickstarter

First Diaspora pod

Publication of Diaspora spec


*Friendica/ Hubzilla/ Zap*

Founding of Mistpark project

Publication of DFRN spec

Rebrand to Friendika

Rebrand to Friendica

Launch of RedMatrix project