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History
Aviva can trace its heritage back over 300 years.
The group was formed as CGNU in 2000 following the merger of CGU and Norwich
Union. CGU was itself the result of an earlier
merger, between Commercial Union and General Accident in 1998.
Key dates in the company history are as follows:
1696
The Hand-in-Hand was formed at Tom's coffee house, in London. It is the oldest of the many
companies that have been absorbed into
what is now Aviva.
1797
Norwich Union was founded as a mutual fire insurance society by Thomas Bignold in Norwich,
Norfolk.
1808
A particularly severe winter involving widespread suffering and loss of life prompted Thomas
Bignold to establish the Norwich Union Life Insurance Society, again on the mutual
principle.
1816
The first Norwich Union office opened in Ireland.
1824
Norwich Union's first overseas agency was opened, in Portugal. Eventually the Norwich Union
name spread across mainland Europe to the Middle East, Africa, India, the Far East, Australia, New
Zealand, the United States, Canada and South America.
1861
Commercial Union was formed by a group of merchants in protest at the action of existing
insurance companies, who raised premiums following a two-day fire in a London hemp warehouse. By
December, the company had an agency in Germany.
1862
Commercial Union established a life insurance business.
1863
Commercial Union continued its overseas expansion and within two years had agencies in
India, South Africa, the Caribbean.
1866
Norwich Union acquired the Amicable Society, established in 1706 and the world's oldest
mutual life office.
1869
Commercial Union appointed its first American agent in San Francisco to conduct fire
insurance business.
1877
Commercial Union established its first Australian agency. Norwich Cathedral first appeared
as a Norwich Union company trademark, and the spire was an inspiration for part of the current
Aviva logo.
1885
General Accident was founded in Perth, Scotland, by a group of local businessmen. Commercial
Union was registered as a limited company.
1902
General Accident moved into Asia by appointing agents in India. By the outbreak of the
Second World War it was also represented in France, Belgium, Holland, Egypt, South Africa,
Australia, China,
Japan, Hong Kong, the USA, Canada and Argentina.
1906
General Accident started a life business.
1957
Norwich Union opened a life business in Australia.
1973
Commercial Union acquired Dutch insurer Delta Lloyd.
1990
Norwich Union acquired Plus Ultra in Spain.
1994
Commercial Union acquired French asset manager Groupe Victoire.
1997
In the year of its bicentenary, Norwich Union demutualised and floated as a public limited
company.
1998
Commercial Union and General Accident merged to form CGU, Norwich Union acquires UK general
insurer London & Edinburgh.
1999
Morley Fund Management launched as CGU's London-based asset management division. Delta Lloyd
confirms its merger with Dutch insurer Nuts Ohra. CGU acquired the Hibernian Group in
Ireland.
2000
CGU and Norwich Union merged to create CGNU.
2001
CGNU completed the sale of its US general insurance business.
2002
CGNU renamed as Aviva and sells general insurance businesses in Portugal, Spain, Pakistan,
Australia and New Zealand and CGU Courtage in France.
2004
Aviva sells its general insurance businesses in Asia, its Your Move estate agency and e.surv
surveying businesses in the UK. It also acquires HPI Group Holdings Ltd, the UK’s leading provider
of vehicle status checks for used-car purchasers, and closes UK broker subsidiary Hill House
Hammond.
2005
Aviva brings together Norwich Union Insurance and RAC in the UK for about £1.1 billion.
Aviva appoints new chairman. In Ireland, Hibernian enters a bancassurance joint venture with AIB.
2006
Aviva announces changes to group organisation to create Aviva UK and Aviva International.
Aviva partners with Centurion Bank of Punjab in India and announces an acquistion and bancassurance
deal in Sri Lanka. Aviva receives a licence in Russia and acquires AmerUs in the US.
2009
Aviva Australia is acquired by National Australia Bank (NAB), one of Australia’s major banks.
Together with Aviva, MLC and NAB Wealth (the wealth management division of the NAB) will have the
largest combined life insurance book in Australia with market leading individual and group
insurance offers and will be the largest investment platform provider in Australia.