| Year | Detail |
| 1948 |
Heihachiro Horiuchi founded Tokai Electronics Laboratory, and their 1st project was launched for developing photoelectric devices. |
| 1951 |
Tokai Electronics developed the PV26 phototubes for automatic on or off-street light switching. |
| 1953 |
Established Hamamatsu TV Co. Ltd. with the linking optical technology and started production of G5E phototubes for fax transmissions. |
| 1956 |
Hamamatsu introduced selenium photocathode vidicons on the market. |
| 1958 |
Developed CdS cells, which were Hamamatsu's first semiconductor products, and started the first mass-production line. |
| 1959 |
The company succeeded in developing photomultiplier tubes, which are still Hamamatsu's main products. |
| 1963 |
Hamamatsu launched infrared video cameras on the market. |
| 1966 |
Opened a New York office, and Experimental production of hollow cathode lamps and deuterium lamps began. |
| 1967 |
Hamamatsu started participating in space development projects after successfully developing an automatic rocket tracking system called the X-Y Tracker. |
| 1969 |
Established an affiliated company in the U.S. and expanded into medical fields. Developed an eye pupil area measurement system using a video camera. |
| 1972 |
Developed silicon photodiodes based on the technical expertise accumulated through the development and manufacture of electron tubes. |
| 1973 |
Hamamatsu opened its Toyooka Factory and established a joint venture company in Germany. |
| 1977 |
Placed streak camera systems on the market. Developed vidicon cameras for computers. Opening up new borders through connections with computers. |
| 1978 |
A space-borne TV camera we developed helped us succeed in capturing aurora images from outer space for the first time in the world. |
| 1980 |
Hamamatsu's first private exhibition, the Photon Fair, was held to introduce and demonstrate wide-ranging photonics technology and products. |
| 1983 |
Changed company name to Hamamatsu Photonics K.K. and introduced Photonic microscope systems (video camera systems for microscopes) on the market. |
| 1985 |
Opened headquarters business office in Sunayama-cho, Hamamatsu City and established an affiliated company in France in the same year. |
| 1988 |
Established affiliated companies in the U.K. and Sweden and a joint venture company (manufacturing subsidiary company) in China. |
| 1994 |
Opened Hamamatsu Miyakoda Factory and introduced micro-focus X-ray sources on the market. |
| 1998 |
The company's stock is registered on the first section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange. |
| 2003 |
Hamamatsu Medical Photonics Foundation was established to facilitate the early detection of cancer and dementia. |
| 2005 |
The company opened the Graduate School for the Creation of New Photonics Industries with the intention of creating new photonics industries. |
| 2010 |
Hamamatsu established a European headquarters to streamline business activities among European sales subsidiaries. |
| 2017 |
Hamamatsu acquired Energetiq Technology Inc., which manufactures and sells light sources for semiconductor testing equipment. |