The “Year-by-Year” file is another group of 3 × 5 cards listing events by year from 1886 to 1986. Most of these facts relate to popular politics and culture, but there are dates relating to business firms and the birthdates of significant businessmen. Again, there are occasional clipped ads, illustrations of persons and contemporary fashions, and world's fair data.

Files are arranged chronologically with a wide range of references to events in business and political history and in elite and popular culture, including many “firsts” for each year. This series is contained in eight file card boxes packed in two and a quarter cartons. The first file box contains a bibliography of sources used in developing the files. Includes: Catalog #13 of Montgomery, Ward & Co. (1873), microfilm of judges' comments on Sydney World's Fair (1879), cards on all companies present at the World's Columbian Exposition (1893), the Panama-Pacific Exposition (1915) and the Century of Progress (1933).