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Fifth Dynasty of Egypt (2498 BC – 2345 B.C.): The earliest images of geese being crammed with food date to this era, though it is not clear whether this produced foie gras as it is now known. Goose was a prized dish in the Egyptian monarchy. Circa 400 B.C. the Egyptians presented fattened geese as a gift to Agesilaus, King of Sparta.


ILLUSTRATION: LIZA LITTLEHAWK FOR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
Late second century B.C.: The Greek phrase "trypheron sykoton," which means foie gras, first appears in text by Julius Pollux, a Greek rhetorician.

Circa second century B.C.: Roman statesman Cato the Elder writes about the techniques of force-feeding geese in his book, "On Farming." The Romans used Jewish slaves to feed the geese. Later, these practices are assimilated into the Jewish aristocracy in Palestine.

Circa 77 A.D.: Philosopher Pliny the Elder writes in his "Naturalis Historia" about the Roman practice of soaking goose liver in milk and honey to increase its size. Pliny suggests that the governor of Syria (49–48 B.C.) invented the practice and delicacy.

Dark and Middle Ages: Due to dietary restrictions that forbade cooking with butter, poultry fat becomes a substitute -- and staple of the Jewish diet. After the fall of the Egyptian and Roman empires, the Jews keep alive the practice of fattening geese.

Circa 1100: Jews migrate to France and Germany, bringing with them their geese fattening traditions which included blinding the animals and nailing their feet to the floor.

1788: The governor of Alsace exchanges a pate de foie gras with King Louis XVI for a piece of land in Picardy. The king then begins offering Strasbourg foie gras throughout Europe, causing the dish's popularity to spread. (Strasbourg is the capital of the Alsace region in France.)

1800s: German immigrants filter into the midwestern U.S. Watertown, Wisconsin becomes the unofficial capital of foie gras in the U.S.

April 1912: The last dinner served on the Titanic was to include foie gras with celery. The foie gras would have been marinated, enhanced with truffles and baked en croute.

1950s - 1970s: French chefs begin to establish high-end French restaurants in Manhattan. Despite New York's reputation for sophistication, foie gras remains mostly known among German, Jewish and French immigrants. Foie gras begins to become more mainstream once it starts appearing on the menus of restaurants like Lutèce, opened in 1961.

1974: Norway's Animal Welfare Act bans force-feeding of all animals.

1991: Denmark bans forcible feeding of animals unless it's for medical purposes.

1993: Germany and the Czech Republic enact animal protection laws that outlaw force-feeding.

1996: Finland's Act on the Protection of Animals prohibits forcible feeding of animals for fattening purposes.

1999: Poland outlaws fattening geese and ducks for the purposes of harvesting their livers.

August 2000: The United Kingdom bans the production of foie gras.

January 2004: Force-feeding of birds becomes illegal in Italy.

September 2004: California bans the sale of foie gras and will end the practice of force-feeding by 2012. (Currently, only two U.S. farms -- one in New York and one in California -- produce foie gras.)

April 2005: Foie gras production becomes illegal in Israel.

April 2006: Chicago bans the sale of foie gras. The ordinance does not mention foie gras production.

February 2008: Prince Charles removes foie gras from all royal menus.

May 2008: Chicago overturns its ban on foie gras.

Sources:

"Food in the Ancient World from A to Z," by Andrew Dalby, 2003.
"Stuffed Animals," by Jeffrey Steingarten, compiled in "Best Food Writing 2006," editor Holly Hughes, 2006.
"History of Food," by Maguelonne Toussaint-Samat, translated by Anthea Bell, 1992.
"Last Dinner on the Titanic: Menus and Recipes from the Great Liner," by Rick Archbold and Dana McCauley, 1997.
"Accounting for Taste: The Triumph of French Cuisine," by Priscilla Parkhurst Ferguson, 2004.
"The Steward's Handbook and Guide to Party Catering," by Jessup Whitehead, 1903.
"French Gastronomy: The History and Geography of a Passion," by Jean-Robert Pitte and Jody Gladding, 2002.
News reports.