The Penguin Publishing Group is one of the leading trade book publishers in the United States, comprised of imprints with a long and rich history dating back to the nineteenth century. Penguin Books was originally founded in the UK in 1935 by Allen Lane, who envisioned a collection of quality, attractive books affordable enough to be "bought as easily and casually as a packet of cigarettes." A United States office opened in 1939, called Penguin Books Ltd. The group merged with Putnam Berkley to become Penguin Putnam, Inc. in 1996, Penguin Group (USA) in 2003, and Penguin Publishing Group in 2014.Today, Penguin Publishing Group is the largest division of Penguin Random House, Inc.