| 1956 | | Los Angeles Suicide Prevention Center opens with first suicide hotline |
| 1957 | | Ed Shneidman and Norman Faberow publish Clues to Suicide |
| 1967 | | Center for Studies of Suicide Prevention established within the National Institute of Mental Health |
| 1968 | | First National Conference on Suicidology held in Chicago, IL; American Association of Suicidology (AAS) Founded |
| 1970 | | NIMH sponsors Task Force meeting in Phoenix culminating in publication of landmark document: Suicide Prevention in the ‘70’s |
| 1971 | | Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior publishes Volume 1, Issue 1. |
| 1976 | | AAS establishes crisis center certification program and certifies its first crisis center |
| 1978 | | Survivors of Suicide formed |
| 1982 | | Iris Bolton publishes My Son…My Son…: A Guide to Healing After a Suicide in the Family |
| 1986 | | Department of Health and Human Services convenes Task Force on Youth Suicide which publishes (in 1989) the four-volume Report of the Secretary’s Task Force on Youth Suicide. |
| 1987 | | American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) Founded |
| 1988 | | Suicide Awareness Voices of Education (SAVE) holds first national suicide awareness memorial at the State Capitol in St. Paul, MN |
| 1989 | | SAVE is incorporated in Minneapolis, MN |
| | | First Healing After Suicide Conference |
| 1993 | | World Health Organization (WHO) International conference on suicide in Calgary, Canada |
| 1994 | | Yellow Ribbon Suicide Prevention Program founded |
| 1995 | | Life Keepers Foundation starts memory quilt project |
| | | Washington was the first state to launch a plan to prevent suicide |
| | | Suicide Awareness and Prevention Week becomes nationally recognized |
| 1996 | | United Nation Guidelines for National Strategies published |
| | | Suicide Prevention Action Network (SPAN) Founded |
| 1997 | | S. Res. 84 and H. Res. 212 recognizing suicide as a national problem and its prevention a national priority |
| | | The Jason Foundation was founded – suicide prevention among youth |
| 1998 | | Reno National Conference |
| | | Trevor Project Founded offering a toll-free hotline to gay teens |
| | | The National Organization for People of Color Against Suicide (NOPCAS) is formed |
| 1999 | | Surgeon General’s Call to action to Prevent Suicide |
| | | The National Council of Suicide Prevention (NCSP) is established |
| | | First National Survivors of Suicide Day |
| 2000 | | $9 million Federal grant funds national crisis line |
| | | Jed Foundation Founded -- suicide prevention for college students |
| 2001 | | National Strategy for Suicide Prevention published |
| | | Reporting on Suicide: Recommendations for the Media published |
| 2002 | | Institute of Medicine releases Reducing Suicide: A National Imperative |
| | | $9 million Federal funding for national Suicide Prevention Resource Center |
| | | Centers for Disease Control and Prevention starts the National Violent Death Reporting System and helps track suicide death data |
| 2003 | | Final Report from President’s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health |
| 2004 | | $9 million Federal grant for National Suicide Prevention Lifeline |
| | | Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act signed as first significant Federal grant program directed specifically at suicide prevention |
| | | Efforts to assemble a Best Practice Registry for suicide prevention begin |
| 2005 | | Federal Mental Health Action Agenda |
| | | Congress reauthorizes funding for national Suicide Prevention Resource Center |
| | | First grants awarded under Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act |
| | | Thomas Joiner publishes Why People Die by Suicide |
| 2006 | | Suicide prevention is included for the first time ever in SAMHSA Priority Matrix |
| | | Federal Work Group on Suicide Prevention formed |
| 2007 | | Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act signed |
| | | $14.5 million Federal grant for National Suicide Prevention Lifeline |
| | | Veterans Administration designates suicide prevention coordinators and Veterans’ hotline launched |
| 2008 | | Federal Mental Health Parity signed |
| | | Blue Ribbon Work Group on Suicide Prevention in Veterans Population established |
| 2009 | | AFSP and SPAN Merge |
| | | Formation of Department of Defense Task Force on Suicide Prevention |
| | | First New Media/Suicide Prevention Summit |
| | | First National Suicide Prevention 24/7 chat established (for Veterans) |
| | | Defense Authorization Act of 2009 includes provision for training in community healing/response to suicide for Guard and Reserves |
| 2010 | | $50 million from Department of Defense to build the Military Suicide Research Consortium |
| | | NCSP working with the American Psychological Association (APA) to include suicide in the DSM-V |
| | | Army Stand Down for Suicide Prevention |
| | | National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention established |
