The alt.fan.douglas-adams FAQ

An abridged history of Douglas Adams productions.

1978

Fits 1-6 of the HHG radio series aired.
Fit 7 (the Christmas episode) aired.

1979

Pan Books publish the HHG book in Britain (expanded fits 1-4)
Double album of HHG released (contracted fits 1-4)

1980

Fits 8-12 of the HHG radio series aired.
Pan Books publish Restaurant... in Britain (contract fits 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 5, and 6)
Harmony Books publish the first book in the United States.
The Restaurant... album recorded (expanded fits 5 and 6).
ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha formed.

1981

Six television episodes aired by the BBC, based on fits 1-6 (used revision made in the books).

1982

Harmony Books publishes the second book in the United States.
Life... published simultaneously in Britain and the U.S.

1983

The Meaning of Liff with John Lloyd released.

1984

So Long... published simultaneously in Britain and the U.S.
The HHG computer game released.

1985

Harmony publishes The Original HHG Radio Scripts in the U.S.; Pan Books release the same book in the UK as The HHG: The Original Radio Scripts.
Lazlar Lyricon, the Hitch-Hiker's Guide convention, held.

1986

Nothing much really happened this year.

1987

Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency hardback published.
Bureaucracy computer game released.

1988

The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul hardback published.
Don't Panic: The Official Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy Companion by Neil Gaiman published.

1989

The More Than Complete Hitch Hiker's Guide published in the U.S. by Wings Books.

1990

Last Chance To See published.

1991

The Deeper Meaning of Liff with John Lloyd published.
Last Chance To See CD-ROM released.

1992

Mostly Harmless published.

1993

The newly-revised and updated Don't Panic: Douglas Adams and the Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy published.

1994

The Illustrated HHG published.

1995

The Original Radio Scripts re-released.

1996

A Trilogy in Five Parts released.

1997

Dirk performed to great critical acclaim at the Oxford Playhouse.

The publication of the Terry Jones novel Douglas Adams' Starship Titanic, just scraping in before the end of December.

1998

Douglas Adams' Starship Titanic- the computer game by The Digital Village and the novel by Terry Jones- published.

Lazlar Lyricon II to be held.

1999

Moon blown out of orbit
or
Mysterious object found on completely undisturbed powdery moon.