When was the first image of an exoplanet around a normal star taken?

Direct imaging of exoplanets is extremely difficult because stars outshine their planets by huge amounts. One of the earliest widely accepted direct images was taken in 2004 of 2M1207b, a planet-like companion around a brown dwarf; later, direct imaging of planets around ordinary stars also advanced rapidly. The first confirmed exoplanets were discovered earlier in 1992, but those were found through pulsar timing rather than images. Direct images became an important new tool for studying atmospheres and planetary systems.