Short answers, pulled from the story.
Robert Kaye launched MusicBrainz in 1999 as a direct response to the restrictive licensing model of the Compact Disc Database. The project was created to provide a collaborative database where anyone could contribute and edit information without paying a toll.
The Cover Art Archive launched in 2012 as a joint project between MusicBrainz and the Internet Archive. This initiative allowed the community to host over six million images and manage metadata through a public web interface and API.
MusicBrainz replaced TRM technology with MusicDNS in May 2006 after partnering with MusicIP. By November 2008, TRMs were completely phased out to allow the database to scale indefinitely.
Robert Kaye turned over the MusicBrainz project to the MetaBrainz Foundation in December 2004. The non-profit group is based in San Luis Obispo, California, and operates the database under the Creative Commons Zero 1.0 Universal legal tool.
The BBC announced that it had licensed MusicBrainz's live data feed on the 28th of June 2007. The beta of the new BBC Music site launched on the 28th of July 2008, publishing a page for each MusicBrainz artist.
Lukáš Lalinský developed the Chromaprint algorithm in February 2010. This open-source technology formed the basis for the AcoustID identification service and secured the future of free identification services.