1978: Jim Ward opens the first piercing studio, Gauntlet, on Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood.
1983: Australian company Ryebuck releases a publication about the cultural practices common to native peoples in Papua, New Guinea, including excerpts from the field notes of David Fitzpatrick concerning ritual piercing.
1989: Erl piercing is born when famous personality Erl Van Aken has his nose bridge pierced by an artist at Gauntlet.
Circa 1990: Film star Madison Stone popularizes surface piercing of the skin above the collar bone, lending the piercing not only her persona, but also her first name.
1992: Piercer Erik Dakota performs the first Daith piercing.
1993: Popular rock band Aerosmith debuts a music video for their soon to be smash hit “Cryin,” featuring footage of actress Alicia Silverstone receiving a navel piercing from master piercer Paul King.
1994: Owners and employees from Gauntlet Inc, Body Manipulations, Primeval Body, and Nomad found the Association of Professional Piercers and begin publishing their newsletter, “The Point.”
2004: Janet Jackson "accidentally" exposes her nipple piercing due to wardrobe malfunction during the half-time show at Super Bowl XXXVIII.
2004 – 2008: Studies and surveys are conducted in England, Australia, and the United States, hoping to determine a set of valid 21st century statistics concerning body modification.
2009: “The Piercing Bible” is published.
2011: Most pierced person in the world, Elaine Davidson of the UK, breaks the seven thousand mark in number of permanent piercings.
