AIESEC was started in 1948 in the aftermath of World War II. A group of students got together and devised a plan to help the world never see another war as devastating as World War II was. The Stockholm Congress of 1949 defined the organization and 89 traineeships were facilitated that year, and the notion of exchange became AIESEC's primary focus.

As the years progressed, more and more countries joined AIESEC's mission and the organization grew from a European entity to a global entity. Exchange numbers also grew, and AIESEC became a world leader not only in human resources, but human development.

The 1990s into the new millennium saw the emergence of IT's key role in AIESEC. Also, the organization grew to every continent except Antarctica and grew to facilitate over over 3,500 exchanges each year.

AIESEC Timeline
1949	AIESEC Gains Official Statutes at Stockholm Congress
1953	Cooperation Established with the International Chamber of Commerce and UNESCO
1955	Over 1000 Traineeships
1957	United States Joins as First Non-European Country
1958	South Africa Joins as First African Nation; Venezuela Joins as First South American Nation
1963	AIESEC Established in Asia in Korea and Japan
1965	Australia Joins, AIESEC is Present in All Continents; Czechoslovakia Joins as First Communist Nation
1969	First Time a Computer is Used to Exchange Students
1973	AIESEC at Indiana University is Founded