Here's a series of related projects/threads/lists which could make one train of thought / chapter:

Started out with the goal of:
Restorations / Recreations / DeSpecialized Versions
aka picking and choosing best sources to recreate the 1977 experience
but maybe this is better as
'Special Edition to DeSpecialized'

-+- The Change -+-

1997.01
Star Wars Special Editions

+Find several quotes of Film historians critical of the SEs+
+there's a couple quotes from 1997 which eloquently attempted to alert the public of this revisionism+

-+- Identifying the Changes -+-

1997.??
Red5.net.au Special Edition page
http://web.archive.org/web/19970624035356/http://www.red5.net.au/special/

1997.08
Paul Ens' Star Wars Special Edition Annotations - started in rec.arts.sf.starwars.misc (usenet)
http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Set/6251
http://www.theforce.net/swse/index.html (1998.01)

1997.??
StarWars.com Special Edition changes article
http://www.starwars.com/???????

1999.11
dvdfile.com article "Star Wars changes we weren't told about"
https://groups.google.com/group/alt.movies/browse_thread/thread/1aa38db7cc6cf00d/d11fd08ab90a35e3?hl=en&lnk=gst&q=special+edition+changes#d11fd08ab90a35e3

+Could touch upon the continuous edit wars over the wikipedia SW changes page+

-+- The Changes Continue -+-

2004.09
Star Wars Trilogy DVD set
First time original trilogy in DVD format.

2004.10
Star Wars: The Changes by DVDactive.com
http://www.dvdactive.com/editorial/articles/star-wars-the-changes-part-one.html

+at this point maybe point out the Episode addition and other changes made during the early days+

-+- We can 'Unlearn' -+-

2004.10
Using the '04 version to restore teh original
http://originaltrilogy.com/forum/topic.cfm/Using-the-04-version-to-restore-teh-original/topic/1168/page/1/

2004.10
Star Wars Legacy Version 1
http://originaltrilogy.com/forum/topic.cfm/Using-the-04-version-to-restore-teh-original/post/69143/#TopicPost69143
http://www.starwarslegacy.com

2004.??
StarWars.com 2004 Changes article

2004.11
Thought on de-SE'ing the DVD by ADigitalMan
http://originaltrilogy.com/forum/topic.cfm/Thought-on-de-SE-ing-the-DVD/topic/1532/

2005.01
Any Interest In A Corrected 2004 DVD? by Neil S. Bulk
http://originaltrilogy.com/forum/topic.cfm/Any-Interest-In-A-Corrected-2004-DVD/topic/1711/

2005.01
Prototype Mono Pre-ANH "XP77:4EB" Edit by Molly
http://originaltrilogy.com/forum/topic.cfm/Prototype-Mono-Pre-ANH-XP77-4EB-Edit/topic/1757/
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/russdawson/gtf/dvd/OT/molly.html
Sources : Mysterious Mysteries (EditDroid) LD with ITV mono mix audio

2005.01
Wookie Groomer Split Screen by Wookie Groomer
http://originaltrilogy.com/forum/topic.cfm/Greetings-from-Wookie-Groomer-Split-Screen-News/topic/1773/
Would have implications a few years later.

2005.05
Star Wars: Classic Edition [V1 and V2] by ocpmovie
http://originaltrilogy.com/forum/topic.cfm/Star-Wars-Classic-Edition-by-Ocpmovie/topic/2270/

2005.05
70mm ESB Differences
http://originaltrilogy.com/forum/topic.cfm/70-mm-print-of-the-Empire-Strikes-Back-Differences/topic/2321/

2005.06
Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (Darth Editous Edition) - v1 thru v5?
http://originaltrilogy.com/forum/topic.cfm/The-Darth-Editous-Episode-IV-DVD-Info-and-Feedback-Thread-a-partially-de-specialed-DVD/topic/2425/

-+- Identifying the Changes - Audio -+-

2005.??
Starkiller's Guide to the Mono Sound Mix
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/russdawson/mono/

2005.12
The "Darth Editous / ADigitalMan" Hybrid Edition
http://originaltrilogy.com/forum/topic.cfm/The-Darth-Editous-ADigitalMan-Hybrid-Edition-Info-and-Feedback-Thread/topic/3923/

2006.??
"We want you to be aware that we have no plans—now or in the future—to restore the earlier versions."
http://originaltrilogy.com/Lucasfilm_PR_response.cfm

2007.03
The Empire Strikes Back - The Vintage Edit by PaulisDead2221
http://originaltrilogy.com/forum/topic.cfm/The-Empire-Strikes-Back-The-Vintage-Edit/topic/7634/

+slight detour but helps explain the years that pass as this topic went semi-dormant+ [well according to this list, probably missing... a great many things]

2006.07
Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope 'Revisited'
http://originaltrilogy.com/forum/topic.cfm/STAR-WARS-EP-IV-2004-REVISITED-ADYWAN-720p-HD-version-coming-after-ROTJ-R/topic/5942/

2008.04
Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope 'Revisited' PURIST Edition
http://www.originaltrilogy.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=9&threadid=5942

2009.07
The Phantom Menace Theatrical Version by Adywan
http://originaltrilogy.com/forum/topic.cfm/The-Phantom-Menace-Theatrical-Version-NTSC-DVD-ADYWAN-NOW-AVAILABLE/topic/10615/

+return to main topic+

2010.05
Star Wars Trilogy "Partly Despecialized Edition" by Harmy
http://originaltrilogy.com/forum/topic.cfm/Harmys-STAR-WARS-TRILOGY-Partly-Despecialized-Edition-HD-These-version-are-now-obsolete-Look-for-Despecialized-Editions-instead/topic/11587/

-+- Identifying the Changes - Revisited -+-

2010.09
doubleofive's SE Visual Changes thread:
http://originaltrilogy.com/forum/topic.cfm/Complete-Comparison-of-Special-Edition-Visual-Changes/topic/11927/

2011.04
Star Wars - Despecialized Edition v1 by Harmy
http://originaltrilogy.com/forum/topic.cfm/Harmys-STAR-WARS-Despecialized-Edition-HD-REMASTERED-v21-AVCHD-is-now-out/topic/12713/

2011.09
Star Wars released in Blu-ray

2011.??
Star Wars - Despecialized Edition v2 by Harmy
http://originaltrilogy.com/forum/topic.cfm/Harmys-STAR-WARS-Despecialized-Edition-HD-REMASTERED-v21-AVCHD-is-now-out/topic/12713/

Would love to be able to find the first mentioning of despecializing.