1931:  Chester Gould’s detective strip Dick Tracy debuts


1944:  First appearances of Gravel Gertie and Vitamin Flintheart


1945:  First appearance of B.O. Plenty.  He and Gravel Gertie are wed the same year.


1946:  Debut of Diet Smith, Tracy’s wealthy industrialist friend who provides Dick with his newest technical innovations, beginning with the two-way wrist radio.


1947:  B.O. and Gravel’s daughter, Sparkle Plenty, is born Tracy conducts the first closed-circuit TV police line up.


1948:  Dick Tracy employs the Telegard, a portable, antennaless television burglar alarm Sam Catchem debuts as Tracy’s sidekick, replacing Pat Patton, who has become Chief of Police.


1948:  Tracy operates the first battery-powered TV camera.


1949:  Tess Truehart and Dick finally marry.