Travelers History

Travelers’ success in the insurance industry reflects more than 160 years of experience and is underpinned by an ability to adapt to changing times, while always remaining committed to you, our customers.

Since our modest beginnings in the American Midwest, we’ve grown to become a group with assets totalling $105 billion and high independent credit ratings indicative of our financial strength and ability to pay claims.

The company has strived to provide innovative insurance products – from the first ever private motor policy in the US in 1897 to providing cover for the Apollo mission to the moon in 1969. Our specialist underwriting skills, expert knowledge of our customers’ risks and an in-house team of claims professionals help us to achieve our aim of a first-class service in everything we do.

Key Milestones in Travelers History:

1853 Alexander Wilkin and 16 fellow businessmen found the St Paul Fire & Marine Insurance Company to deal with the increasing threat of fire in the city of St Paul, Minnesota, US.

1865 J.G. Batterson and nine others form The Travelers Insurance Company “for the purpose of insuring travellers against loss of life or personal injury while journeying by railway or steamboat”.

1897 Travelers issue the first ever private automobile insurance policy in the US.

1904 The company creates the first US organisation of safety engineers.

1942 St Paul Fire and Marine offers marine insurance on ships and other vessels.

1955 Travelers introduces its homeowners policy which provides fire, theft and other coverage.

1961 St Paul Fire & Marine becomes the first carrier to introduce a new cover for electronic data processing.

1968 St Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Company forms The St Paul Companies, Inc.

1969 Travelers issues the first accident policy for space flight and lunar exploration which provides cover for the Apollo astronauts.

1971 Travelers is the first insurance company to open an office of Consumer Information with a free telephone number to answer questions about insurance.

1980 Travelers becomes the first insurance company to install an interactive company/agency computer system.

1991 The St Paul International Insurance Company Limited becomes a free-standing underwriter in London.

1995 Travelers launches in Ireland.

1997 Travelers launches the first insurance policy to protect individuals using personal computers for online banking as well as the first automated fraud detection system to guard against insurance fraud.

2004 The St Paul and Travelers merge to form The St Paul Travelers Companies Inc.

2007 The company changes its name to The Travelers Companies, Inc. and re-acquires the red umbrella.

2008 The company rebrands as Travelers in the UK and Ireland.

2009 Travelers is chosen as the only insurer to be listed among a select 30 stocks on the US Dow Jones Industrial Average.