id <- c("a", "b", "c", "d")
in05 <- c(1, 0, 0, 1)
in06 <- c(0, 0, 0, 1)
in07 <- c(1, 1, 0, 1)
in08 <- c(0, 1, 1, 1)
in09 <- c(0, 0, 0, 1)
df <- data.frame(id, in05, in06, in07, in08, in09)

df$firstyear <- ifelse(df$in05==1,2005,
    ifelse(df$in06==1,2006,
        ifelse(df$in07==1, 2007,
            ifelse(df$in08==1, 2008,
                ifelse(df$in09==1, 2009,
                    0)))))

indx <- names(df)[max.col(df[-1], ties.method = "first") + 1L]
df$firstyear <- as.numeric(sub("in", "20", indx))
df
#   id in05 in06 in07 in08 in09 firstyear
# 1  a    1    0    1    0    0      2005
# 2  b    0    0    1    1    0      2007
# 3  c    0    0    0    1    0      2008
# 4  d    1    1    1    1    1      2005

df$FirstYear <- gsub('in', '20', names(df))[apply(df, 1, match, x=1)]
df
  id in05 in06 in07 in08 in09 FirstYear
1  a    1    0    1    0    0      2005
2  b    0    0    1    1    0      2007
3  c    0    0    0    1    0      2008
4  d    1    1    1    1    1      2005

x = 5; set.seed(199); tab = sample(1e6)
identical(match(x, tab), which.max(x == tab))
#[1] TRUE
microbenchmark::microbenchmark(match(x, tab), which.max(x == tab), times = 25)
#Unit: milliseconds
#                expr       min        lq    median        uq       max neval
#       match(x, tab) 142.22327 142.50103 142.79737 143.19547 145.37669    25
# which.max(x == tab)  18.91427  18.93728  18.96225  19.58932  38.34253    25

ff = function(x)
{
    x = as.list(x)
    ans = as.integer(x[[1]])
    for(i in 2:length(x)) {
        inds = ans == 0L
        if(!any(inds)) return(ans)
        ans[inds] = i * (x[[i]][inds] == 1)
    }
    return(ans)
}

david = function(x) max.col(x, "first")
plafort = function(x) apply(x, 1, match, x = 1)

ff(df[-1])
#[1] 1 3 4 1
david(df[-1])
#[1] 1 3 4 1
plafort(df[-1])
#[1] 1 3 4 1

set.seed(007)
DF = data.frame(id = seq_len(1e6),
                "colnames<-"(matrix(sample(0:1, 1e7, T, c(0.25, 0.75)), 1e6),
                             paste("in", 11:20, sep = "")))
identical(ff(DF[-1]), david(DF[-1]))
#[1] TRUE
identical(ff(DF[-1]), plafort(DF[-1]))
#[1] TRUE
microbenchmark::microbenchmark(ff(DF[-1]), david(DF[-1]), as.matrix(DF[-1]), times = 30)
#Unit: milliseconds
#              expr       min        lq    median        uq       max neval
#        ff(DF[-1])  64.83577  65.45432  67.87486  70.32073  86.72838    30
#     david(DF[-1]) 112.74108 115.12361 120.16118 132.04803 145.45819    30
# as.matrix(DF[-1])  20.87947  22.01819  27.52460  32.60509  45.84561    30

system.time(plafort(DF[-1]))
#   user  system elapsed
#  4.117   0.000   4.125

years <- as.integer(substr(names(df[-1]), 3, 4)) + 2000L
cbind(df, yr=do.call(pmin.int, Map(`/`, years, df[-1])))

id in05 in06 in07 in08 in09   yr
1  a    1    0    1    0    0 2005
2  b    0    0    1    1    0 2007
3  c    0    0    0    1    0 2008
4  d    1    1    1    1    1 2005

Unit: milliseconds
                                       expr       min       lq   median       uq      max neval
 do.call(pmin.int, Map(`/`, 11:20, DF[-1])) 178.46993 194.3760 219.8898 229.1597 307.1120    10
                                 ff(DF[-1]) 416.07297 434.0792 439.1970 452.8345 496.2048    10
                   max.col(DF[-1], "first")  99.71936 138.2285 175.2334 207.6365 239.6519    10

ff2 = function(x) {
  ans = as.integer(x[[1]])
  for(i in 2:length(x)) {
      inds = which(ans == 0L)
      if(!length(inds)) return(ans)
      ans[inds] = i * (x[[i]][inds] == 1)
  }
  return(ans)
}

Unit: milliseconds
        expr       min        lq    median        uq      max neval
  ff(DF[-1]) 407.92699 415.11716 421.18274 428.02092 462.2474    10
 ff2(DF[-1])  64.20484  72.74729  79.85748  81.29153 148.6439    10

# Tidy
df <- df %>%
  gather(year, present.or.not, -id)

# Create df of first instances
first.df <- df %>%
  group_by(id, present.or.not) %>%
  mutate(ranky = rank(cumsum(present.or.not)),
         first.year = year) %>%
  filter(ranky == 1)

# Prepare for join
first.df <- first.df[,c('id', 'first.year')]

# Join with original
df <- left_join(df,first.df)

# Spread
spread(df, year, present.or.not)

df %>%
  gather(year, present_or_not, -id) %>%
  filter(present_or_not==1) %>%
  group_by(id) %>%
  arrange(id, year) %>%
  slice(1) %>%
  mutate(year = str_replace(year, "in", "20")) %>%
  select(1:2) %>%
  right_join(df)`

# Using version 0.5.0.
# Dev version may work without `with()`.
df %>%
      mutate(., firstyear = with(., case_when(
        in05 == 1 ~ 2005,
        in06 == 1 ~ 2006,
        in07 == 1 ~ 2007,
        in08 == 1 ~ 2008,
        in09 == 1 ~ 2009,
        TRUE ~ 0
)))

library(tidyr)
library(sqldf)
    newdf <- gather(df, year, code, -id)
    df$firstyear <- sqldf('SELECT min(rowid) rowid, id, year as firstyear
                            FROM newdf
                            WHERE code = 1
                            GROUP BY id')[3]

library(tidyr)
df2 <- gather(df, year, code, -id)
df2 <- df2[df2$code == 1, 1:2]
df2 <- df2[!duplicated(df2$id), ]
merge(df, df2)

library(tidyr)
library(dplyr)
    newdf <- gather(df, year, code, -id)
    df$firstyear <- (newdf %>%
                      filter(code==1) %>%
                      select(id, year) %>%
                      group_by(id) %>%
                      summarise(first = first(year)))[2]

id in05 in06 in07 in08 in09 year
1  a    1    0    1    0    0 in05
2  b    0    0    1    1    0 in07
3  c    0    0    0    1    0 in08
4  d    1    1    1    1    1 in05

names(df) <- c("id", 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009)
df$firstyear <- names(df[-1])[apply(df[-1], 1, which.max)]

  id 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 firstyear
1  a    1    0    1    0    0      2005
2  b    0    0    1    1    0      2007
3  c    0    0    0    1    0      2008
4  d    1    1    1    1    1      2005

df$firstYear <- gsub('in', '20', names(df[-1]))[apply(df[-1], 1, which.max)]

  id in05 in06 in07 in08 in09 firstYear
1  a    1    0    1    0    0      2005
2  b    0    0    1    1    0      2007
3  c    0    0    0    1    0      2008
4  d    1    1    1    1    1      2005