Nov. 25 (Bloomberg) -- The following is a timeline of the history of BHP Billiton Ltd., the world’s largest mining company, and Rio Tinto Group, the third largest. BHP today scrapped its hostile, all-share bid for Rio.

1872: Rio Tinto Company formed to mine ancient copper workings at Rio Tinto (Spanish for red river) in Southern Spain.

1883: Broken Hill Mining Company established. It discovers base metals at Broken Hill, Australia.

1885: The Broken Hill Proprietary Company Ltd. incorporated in Victoria state, Australia. It begins mining the silver, lead and zinc deposits at Broken Hill in New South Wales.

1891: The Broken Hill Proprietary Company makes its first export - selling lead to Fuzhou, China.

1905: Rio Tinto establishes Consolidated Zinc Corporation to treat zinc bearing mine waste at Broken Hill, New South Wales.

1962: Rio Tinto Company Ltd. and Consolidated Zinc Corporation Ltd. merge and form two new companies Rio Tinto-Zinc Corporation Ltd., to hold the international mining assets and Conzinc Riotinto of Australia Ltd., to hold the Australian assets. Rio Tinto-Zinc held a majority interest in Conzinc Riotinto, which later shortened its name to CRA Ltd., before reducing its holding. Rio Tinto Zinc Corporation later shortened its name to RTZ Plc.

1966: Conzinc Rio Tinto begins mining iron ore at the Mount Tom Price deposit in the Pilbara, which still produces ore.

1967: The Broken Hill Proprietary Company begins mining iron ore at Mount Whaleback in the Pilbara. The mine still produces ore and is forecast to for another 20 years.

1983: Robert Holmes A Court’s Bell Resources makes a takeover bid for The Broken Hill Proprietary Co. Ltd. It valued the company at A$4.13 billion ($2.6 billion). The bid failed, though Holmes A Court built up a 28 percent stake before agreeing to sell it in 1986.

1986: The Broken Hill Proprietary Co. Ltd. becomes first Australian company to declare A$1 billion profit

1990: Production begins at Escondida in Chile, the world’s largest copper mine. The Broken Hill Proprietary Co. Ltd. owns 57.5 percent of the mine and RTZ Corp. owns 30 percent.

1995: RTZ Corp. Plc and CRA Ltd. unify to form RTZ-CRA Plc and RTZ-CRA Ltd., an Anglo-Australian group that trades on the London Stock Exchange and Australian Stock Exchange. The group changes its name to Rio Tinto Group.

1999: Rio Tinto and The Broken Hill Proprietary Co. Ltd. consider forming an Australian iron ore joint venture, but Rio Tinto breaks off negotiations

2000: Rio Tinto buys North Ltd., Australia’s third-biggest iron- ore producer, for A$2.99 billion, beating a rival bid from Anglo American Plc, and becomes the world’s second-biggest iron ore producer.

2000: The Broken Hill Proprietary Co. Ltd. changes name to BHP Ltd. and spins out OneSteel Ltd., an Australian steelmaker. Rio Tinto buys the shares in aluminum producer Comalco Ltd. it doesn’t own, valuing the company at A$1.47 billion.

2001: BHP Ltd.’s merger with Billiton Plc approved, BHP Billiton Ltd. and BHP Billiton Plc form dual-listed structure that trades on the London Stock Exchange and Australian Stock Exchange.

2002: China’s economy begins expanding and its demand for metals used to help modernize the country increases. The prices for commodities rise and BHP and Rio begin increasing production of many metals to meet the demand from China.

2005: BHP Billiton pays A$9.2 billion for WMC Resources Ltd., which owns the Olympic Dam deposit, potentially the world’s largest uranium mine. BHP’s market capitalization breaks through $100 billion in February and Rio follows in December.

2006: Rio Tinto appoints Tom Albanese to replace retiring chief executive officer Leigh Clifford. Albanese was the director of group resources and joined the company in 1993.

April 2007: BHP approaches Rio with a nil-premium merger proposal which Rio rejects, according to a Southern Cross Equities research report dated Dec. 4.

May 2007: Rio shares rise 11 percent to a then-record on speculation of an approach from BHP. Rio denied the speculation.

May 31 2007: BHP appoints Marius Kloppers to replace Charles “Chip” Goodyear as chief executive officer. Kloppers, previously head of metals at BHP, oversaw BHP’s acquisition of WMC Resources.

June 2007: BHP’s market value breaks through $200 billion.

July 2007: Rio Tinto buys Alcan for $38.1 billion to become the world’s biggest aluminum maker.

Nov. 8, 2007: BHP Billiton confirms it put forward a takeover proposal to Rio Tinto, which rejects it saying it significantly undervalues the company and its prospects.

Nov. 12, 2007: BHP Billiton says it offered three shares for one to Rio. BHP Billiton outlines $3.7 billion cost saving synergies and says it will buy back $30 billion of shares should it win control of Rio. Rio’s Australian shares surge 18 percent, taking its market value through $200 billion.

Dec. 21, 2007: U.K.’s Takeovers Panel ruled BHP Billiton must make a formal takeover bid for Rio Tinto by Feb. 6 or give up its offer.

Feb. 1, 2008: Aluminum Corp. of China and Alcoa Inc. buy 9 percent stake in Rio Tinto for 7.2 billion pounds ($10.9 billion).

Feb. 6, 2008 - BHP makes a formal takeover bid for Rio, offering 3.4 shares for each share of Rio. Rio rejects the offer saying it “significantly” undervalues it.

May 30, 2008: BHP notifies European Union regulators of its plan to buy Rio, triggering an antitrust review of the takeover.

June 6, 2008: BHP makes submission to Australian competition regulator seeking approval for the hostile bid.

July 3, 2008: U.S. antitrust regulators give partial approval for BHP’s proposed takeover of Rio.

July 4, 2008: EU regulators extend probe into bid, citing “serious doubts” concerning antitrust regulations.

July 23, 2008: BHP forecasts iron ore production would rise 23 percent to 137 million tons in the year to June 30, 2009, on demand driven by China.

Aug. 1, 2008: The China Iron and Steel Association says the Chinese government should reject BHP’s proposed takeover of Rio as it would breach fair-trade practice.

Aug. 4, 2008: Rio Chief Executive Officer Sam Walsh says bid fails to recognize value of its assets and prospects.

Aug. 18, 2008: BHP says profit rose 30 percent in second-half; Kloppers says China exports have come “under pressure.”

Aug. 22, 2008: The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission says its seeking “further information on certain competition issues” regarding the takeover.

Aug. 25, 2008: BHP subpoenaed by South African antitrust regulator to provide information it declined to give relating to the takeover; BHP agrees to provide documents on Aug. 29.

Sept. 2, 2008: It is revealed European Union regulators asked BHP Billiton Ltd. for more information about its takeover and have put their review of the proposed hostile takeover on hold.

Sept. 24, 2008: Kloppers says BHP may have to rethink takeover should European regulators demand significant asset disposals.

Oct. 1, 2008: BHP wins approval from Australia’s competition regulator for bid.

Oct. 23, 2008: European Union regulators told lawyers for BHP its hostile bid for Rio may break antitrust rules, two people close to the case said; South African regulators approve bid.

Nov. 4, 2008: European regulators move a step closer to blocking hostile offer by sending a formal complaint outlining antitrust objections to the deal.

Nov. 21, 2008: European regulators tell BHP its push to change the way prices are set for iron ore is one of the issues that may jeopardize its bid for Rio, according to two people familiar with the matter.

Nov. 25, 2008: BHP withdraws bid for Rio.

To contact the reporters on this story: Rebecca Keenan in Melbourne at rkeenan5@bloomberg.net; Jason Scott in Perth at Jscott14@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: November 25, 2008 04:40 EST