- 1895 William G. Morgan, an instructor at the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) in Holyoke, Mass., decided to blend elements of basketball, baseball, tennis, and handball to create a game for his classes of businessmen which would demand less physical contact than basketball. He created the game of Volleyball (at that time called mintonette). Morgan borrowed the net from tennis, and raised it 6 feet 6 inches above the floor, just above the average man's head. During a demonstration game, someone remarked to Morgan that the players seemed to be volleying the ball back and forth over the net, and perhaps "volleyball" would be a more descriptive name for the sport. On July 7, 1896 at Springfield College the first game of "volleyball" was played.
- 1900 A specific ball was designed for the sport.
- 1916 In the Philippines, an offensive style of passing the ball in a high trajectory to be struck by another player (the set and spike) were introduced.
- 1917 The game was changed from 21 to 15 points.
- 1920 Three hits per side and back row attack rules were instituted.
- 1922 The first YMCA national championships were held in Brooklyn, NY. 27 teams from 11 states were represented.
- 1928 The United States Volleyball Association (USVBA, now USA Volleyball) was formed. The first U.S. Open was staged, as the field was open to non-YMCA squads.
- 1930 The first two-man beach game was played.
- 1934 The approval and recognition of national volleyball referees.
- 1937 At the AAU convention in Boston, action was taken to recognize the U.S. Volleyball Association as the official national governing body in the U.S.A
- 1947 The International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) was founded.
- 1948 The first two-man beach tournament was held.
- 1949 The first World Championships were held in Prague, Czechoslovakia.
- 1964 Volleyball was introduced to the Olympic Games in Tokyo.
- 1965 The California Beach Volleyball Association (CBVA) was formed.
- 1974 The World Championships in Mexico were telecast throughout Japan.
- 1983 The Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) was formed.
- 1986 The Women's Professional Volleyball Association (WPVA) was formed
- 1987 The FIVB added a Beach Volleyball World Championship Series.
- 1989 The FIVB Sports Aid Program was created.
- 1990 The World League was created.
- 1992 The Four Person Pro Beach League was started in the United States.
- 1995 The sport of Volleyball was 100 years old!
- 1996 Two-person beach volleyball was added to the Olympics.
