Be part of history.

For 120 years, Rotarians have served their communities and shaped the world. Their stories live here. Join the Fellowship that preserves them.

Become a member → Enter the library

822Historical entries

120Years preserved

75+Contributing historians

Founding Era · Room 711 · 1905Chicago, Illinois

Support the work

Rotary's history is preserved by Rotarians who care.

Every membership supports the work of preserving 120 years of Rotary's global story — the people, the places, and the milestones that built the world's largest service organization.

$5/month

or $50 / year

Includes

Read every article, biography and organization record
Search & filter all entries

Compare Tiers

Just curious? Try a Day Pass.

A minimum one-time donation of $7.11 unlocks 24 hours of access to articles, people and organizations. No subscription, no recurring billing.

Donate & unlock →

The 711 Club

The Paul Harris 711 Club is a supporting group of Rotarians who voluntarily joined and contributed funds to lease, maintain, and preserve Room 711—the historic birthplace of Rotary International.

Coming Soon

Browse by era · Always free

Twelve decades of service

All eras →

Free for all visitors

The complete Rotary timeline

From 1905 to today — every founding, every convention, every milestone. Browse 120 years of Rotary history visually, filtered by era and theme.

Always free · No membership required

Explore the timeline →

Featured

Curated this month

Browse the library

Place

Free

Guayaquil, Ecuador

Home of the Rotary Club of Guayaquil, the first Rotary club in Ecuador, chartered 13 July 1927.

Place

Free

Duarte, California

Home of the Rotary Club of Duarte, where Sylvia Whitlock became the first woman president of a Rotary club in 1987.

Place

Free

Madrid, Spain

Home of the Rotary Club of Madrid, the first Rotary club in continental Europe, chartered in 1921.