3,200 B.C. – The oldest tattoos date back to the Neolithic Era (aka the New Stone Age), which lasted from around 10,200 B.C. to about 2,000 B.C. and was the period within which humans first started developing technology. Otzi “the Iceman” was the first known human to show evidence of tattoos, possibly as a means to relieve pain similar to acupressure or acupuncture.
2160 B.C. – Tattoos were common in ancient Egypt, with ancient Egyptian mummies bearing henna designs. Cleopatra herself used henna for decorative purposes.
2,000 B.C. – Germanic, Celtic and several other central and northern European tribes were occasionally heavily tattooed, often with elaborate war-inspired designs.
1200 – Mehndi, the art of applying henna “tattoos” to hands and feet began to spread in India after being introduced by the Mughals. Henna had been used in various forms and for various reasons for thousands of years. Nowadays, Indian weddings are incomplete without the mehndi ceremony.
1600 – During the Edo period in Japan, tattoos gain acceptance as a form of art and decorative tattooing began to develop into the art form it is known as today.
1769 – Captain James Cook sails into Tahiti and discovers Polynesian tattoos, along with the island’s word for the art form: tatau.
1800 – Sailors and soldiers popularize tattoos they see and get while traveling. This helps to globalize tattoos.
1846 – Martin Hildebrandt opens the first American tattoo studio in lower Manhattan. Hildebrandt sets the stage for modern tattoo culture in the U.S.
2,000 B.C. – Germanic, Celtic and several other central and northern European tribes were occasionally heavily tattooed, often with elaborate war-inspired designs.
1200 – Mehndi, the art of applying henna “tattoos” to hands and feet began to spread in India after being introduced by the Mughals. Henna had been used in various forms and for various reasons for thousands of years. Nowadays, Indian weddings are incomplete without the mehndi ceremony.
1600 – During the Edo period in Japan, tattoos gain acceptance as a form of art and decorative tattooing began to develop into the art form it is known as today.
1769 – Captain James Cook sails into Tahiti and discovers Polynesian tattoos, along with the island’s word for the art form: tatau.
1800 – Sailors and soldiers popularize tattoos they see and get while traveling. This helps to globalize tattoos.
1846 – Martin Hildebrandt opens the first American tattoo studio in lower Manhattan. Hildebrandt sets the stage for modern tattoo culture in the U.S.
1891 – New Yorker Samuel O’Reilly patents the first electric tattoo machine, a modification of Thomas Edison’s perforating pen.
1891 – The first electric tattoo machine is invented by Samuel O’Reilly. This invention revolutionized tattooing in the U.S. overnight.
1897 – Gambler Bolton publishes an article entitled “Pictures in the Human Skin” in The Strand magazine. This article provides an overview of the tattoo culture in the late 1800’s, which aids in the expanding acceptance of tattoos.
1899 – Inventor Alfred Smith creates the modern two-coil electromagnetic tattoo machine, which is the design and appearance that tattoo machines have kept since.
1930 – Famed tattoo artist George Burchett develops cosmetic tattooing with such techniques as permanently darkening eyebrows.
1944 – In one of the first known instances of a tattoo entanglement with the law, Charlie Wagner is fined by the city of New York for not sterilizing his needles.
1976 – The National Tattoo Assocciation is formed and followed by the first National Convention of tattoo artists.
1977 – Artist Don Ed Hardy opens Tattoo City in San Francisco, the first custom-only studio in the U.S.
1984 – Inventor Keith Relyea, working with 3M, develops and patents a temporary tattoo that lasts longer and looks better than previous food-coloring-based versions.
1985 – The word “micropigmentation” is coined by Drs. Zwerling and Christensen to describe a technique whereby pigment is placed in the skin utilizing a microscope for precise placement.
1992 – The Alliance of Professional Tattooists, a nonprofit founded to address the tattoo industry’s health and safety issues, is established. The American Academy of Micropigmentation (“AAM”) is also formed as a nonprofit organization promoting excellence in the field through a voluntary examination process.
1994 – The first AAM board examinations are administered.
1995 – The prestigious non-profit art institution the Drawing Center presents “Pierced Hearts and True Love: A Century of Drawings for Tattoos.” This exhibition marks the first major New York City tattoo exhibition under the distinguished heading of art.
1997 – New York passes a bill legalizing tattooing by a vote of 38 to 7. Officials estimate that 50 tattooists had been operating illegally in the previous few years. Later that year, New York holds its first tattoo convention.
1999 – Toymaker Mattel enters the tattoo world when it releases Butterfly Art Barbie, a doll with washable body art.
2000 – Inventor Carson Hill creates the lightweight pneumatic tattoo machine. The machine is extremely easy to sanitize design and increases the accessibility and safety of tattoos.
2004 – The Ed Hardy Vintage Tattoo Wear clothing line is launched featuring the artwork of the famed tattooist himself.
2006 – Paul Booth, the first tattooist to be invited to join the National Arts Club, opens a high-end tattoo studio in Chelsea.
2006 – Oklahoma becomes the last state to officially legalize tattoos.
2006 – The Pew Research Center and the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology found that 24 percent of Americans between the ages of 18 and 50 have tattoos.
2007 – Brad Pitt brings the tattooing world full circle by getting a tattoo of Otzi the Iceman.
– New Yorker Samuel O’Reilly patents the first electric tattoo machine, a modification of Thomas Edison’s perforating pen.
1891 – The first electric tattoo machine is invented by Samuel O’Reilly. This invention revolutionized tattooing in the U.S. overnight.
1897 – Gambler Bolton publishes an article entitled “Pictures in the Human Skin” in The Strand magazine. This article provides an overview of the tattoo culture in the late 1800’s, which aids in the expanding acceptance of tattoos.
1899 – Inventor Alfred Smith creates the modern two-coil electromagnetic tattoo machine, which is the design and appearance that tattoo machines have kept since.
1930 – Famed tattoo artist George Burchett develops cosmetic tattooing with such techniques as permanently darkening eyebrows.
1944 – In one of the first known instances of a tattoo entanglement with the law, Charlie Wagner is fined by the city of New York for not sterilizing his needles.
1976 – The National Tattoo Association is formed, and, three years later, organizes the first National Convention of tattoo artists and fans in Denver, Colorado.
1977 – Artist Don Ed Hardy opens Tattoo City in San Francisco, the first custom-only studio in the U.S.
1984 – Inventor Keith Relyea, working with 3M, develops and patents a temporary tattoo that lasts longer and looks better than previous food-coloring-based versions.
1985 – The word “micropigmentation” is coined by Drs. Zwerling and Christensen to describe a technique whereby pigment is placed in the skin utilizing a microscope for precise placement.
1992 – The Alliance of Professional Tattooists, a nonprofit founded to address the tattoo industry’s health and safety issues, is established. The American Academy of Micropigmentation (“AAM”) is also formed as a nonprofit organization promoting excellence in the field through a voluntary examination process.
1994 – The first AAM board examinations are administered.
1995 – The prestigious nonprofit art institution the Drawing Center presents “Pierced Hearts and True Love: A Century of Drawings for Tattoos.” This exhibition marks the first major New York City tattoo exhibition under the distinguished heading of art.
1997 – New York passes a bill legalizing tattooing by a vote of 38 to 7. Officials estimate that 50 tattooists had been operating illegally in the previous few years. Later that year, New York holds its first tattoo convention.
1999 – Toymaker Mattel enters the tattoo world when it releases Butterfly Art Barbie, a doll with washable body art.
2000 – Inventor Carson Hill creates the lightweight pneumatic tattoo machine. The machine is extremely easy to sanitize design and increases the accessibility and safety of tattoos.
2004 – The Ed Hardy Vintage Tattoo Wear clothing line is launched featuring the artwork of the famed tattooist himself.
2006 – Paul Booth, the first tattooist to be invited to join the National Arts Club, opens a high-end tattoo studio in Chelsea.
2006 – Oklahoma becomes the last state to officially legalize tattoos.
2006 – The Pew Research Center and the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology found that 24 percent of Americans between the ages of 18 and 50 have tattoos.
2007 – Brad Pitt brings the tattooing world full circle by getting a tattoo of Otzi the Iceman.
