Born in a small, rural Nebraska town named Rising City, Cliff Hillegass epitomized the notion of the "self starter." Fueled by his early love of literature, Cliff was determined to go to college. To finance his education, Cliff held down two paper routes in addition to caring for his family's Jersey cows.

As a college student in the dust bowl days of the "dirty '30s," Cliff continued to pursue his love of learning. While a graduate student in geology and physics at the University of Nebraska, Cliff got married and started his first full-time job as a college bookstore representative for Long's College Bookstore (now the Nebraska Book Company). The numerous contacts Cliff develop through his work at the bookstore were crucial to the launch of CliffsNotes many years later.

One Toronto contact, Jack Cole, owned Coles, The Book People, which produced study guides called Cole's Notes that were published in Canada. During one momentous conversation, Cole suggested that American students would likely welcome a U.S. version of the notes. With that idea, Cliff launched CliffsNotes in August, 1958, with a line of 16 Shakespeare titles.

In 1998, Cliff sold CliffsNotes, Inc., and the brand lives on today as part of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. In May 2001, Mr. Hillegass died at the age of 83.

1958 CliffsNotes, Inc., is founded by Cliff Hillegass with the prompting of Jack Cole, owner of Canada's Coles Notes

16 Shakespeare Coles Notes are published with CliffsNotes covers

Cole's Notes' Total Study Edition titles are published by CliffsNotes as Complete Study Edition titles

1958-65 CliffsNotes experiences a phenomenal increase in the number of units sold per year: from 18.5K units in 1958 to 2M units in 1965

1965 Jack Coles' heirs inform CliffsNotes that Coles Notes content may no longer be sold under CliffsNotes brand name; CliffsNotes republishes titles with non-Coles Notes content at break-neck speed

Late 1970s CliffsNotes expands into test preparation market by publishing ACT and SAT test prep books

Early 1990s CliffsNotes unveils a new series called QuickReviews, supplemental study aids for high school and college subjects

December 1998 Hungry Minds, Inc. (formerly IDG Books, Inc.) acquires CliffsNotes, Inc.

August 1999 8 CliffsNotes Technology titles are published

September 1999 8 CliffsNotes Business titles are published

November 1999 cliffsnotes.com site is launched

May 2000 10 Shakespeare titles from the Complete Study Edition series are relaunched as the CliffsComplete series, with a new look-and-feel and new content

June 2000 CliffsNotes top 30 best-selling literature titles are relaunched with a new look-and-feel and new content

July 2000 CliffsTestPrep series relaunches with 5 new-edition titles in a larger, easy-to-use trim size

December 2000 CliffsNotes next 30 best-selling literature titles are relaunched in the updated series design with new content

March-April 2001 9 new CliffsComplete literature titles published, including non-Shakespeare titles (The Scarlet Letter, Huck Finn, Frankenstein, and others)

May 2001 CliffsQuickReview top 12 best-selling titles are relaunched with new look-and-feel and updated content

September 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc., acquires Hungry Minds, Inc., including the CliffsNotes brand

2004 cliffsnotes.com begins the school year with a new design, new online tools and resources, and free online literature notes