From the GMO Answers explore the basics section:
The Flavr Savr tomato was the first GM food crop to be available commercially in the United States in 1994. It was created to be less perishable. Weak harvests and costly shipping methods combined to create an unprofitable tomato. As a result, the Flavr Savr tomato was commercialized for only three years.
Additional information regarding the history of GMOs is available on our site here and in this answer: http://gmoanswers.com/ask/when-did-your-company-or-any-company-or-individual-connected-monsanto-begin-practice-genetic.
The International Food Information Council Foundation also provides a thorough timeline which shows the progression of food biotechnology, Available here: http://www.foodinsight.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=PxuyvFzzqCE%3d&tabid=1476.
You may also be interested in a video GMO Answers posted which describes how GMOs are created: http://gmoanswers.com/explore?carouselid=0&slideindex=4.