There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom
This transcript of the talk given by Richard Feynman on December 29th 1959 is widely regarded as the beginning of the field of nanotechnology.

Scanning Tunneling Microscope - STM
1981 - IBM scientists in Zurich build the first scanning tunneling microscope.

Discovery of Buckminsterfullerene
In 1985 Harry Kroto et al. discover buckyballs.

Engines of Creation - The Coming Era of Nanotechnology
Credited with coining the term nanotechnology, K Eric Drexler published his science-fiction book in 1986: 'Engines of Creation - The Coming Era of Nanotechnology' where tiny, self-replicating nanobots reduce the world to a 'grey goo'.

2 Researchers Spell 'I.B.M.' Atom by Atom
Late 1989 - 2 scientists move 35 individual xenon atoms to spell IBM.

Who should be given the Credit for the Discovery of Carbon Nanotubes?
The discovery of nanotubes is a contentious issue but is widely attributed to Sumio Iijima in 1991.