Apple is celebrating its 50th anniversary soon – and here's what it has planned
Life continues at 50 for Apple
🥳 Apple has announced plans to celebrate its 50th anniversary
💭 A letter from Tim Cook has encouraged the brand to look back to where it’s come from
🙏 Apple has said its celebrations will recognize the “creativity, innovation, and impact that people around the world have made possible with Apple technology”
🎂 The company’s official birthday is April 1, 2026, after it was founded on April 1, 1976, by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne
Apple has announced it’s going to be celebrating its 50th birthday soon, and is looking back as much as it always looks forward.
According to a press release, the big milestone provides a special moment “to reflect on the journey that has brought the company here, to celebrate the people and communities who have thought different with us, and to honor the enduring values that continue to guide our work.”
The company was founded on April 1, 1976, by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne. The official 50th birthday is therefore April 1, 2026.
Apple’s press release said that its celebrations will recognize the “creativity, innovation, and impact that people around the world have made possible with Apple technology.”
It specifically mentions innovations such as the Apple II, iPhone, iPod, Apple Vision Pro and even everything down to services such as the App Store and Apple Pay.
Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, said in a statement: “Thinking different has always been at the heart of Apple. It’s what has driven us to create products that empower people to express themselves, to connect, and to create something wonderful. As we celebrate 50 years, we are deeply grateful to everyone who has been part of this journey and who continues to inspire what comes next.”
He also shared a letter titled “50 Years of Thinking Different” that touches on the upcoming anniversary date and states that “the world is moved forward by people who think different.”
The constant reminder of “Think Different” harks back to an infamous Apple campaign in the late 1990s and early 2000s, soon after Steve Jobs rejoined Apple in 1997 after Apple purchased his NeXT business.
Cook continued, “At Apple, we’re more focused on building tomorrow than remembering yesterday. But we couldn’t let this milestone pass without thanking the millions of people who make Apple what it is today.”
Apple recently launched a more affordable MacBook, the MacBook Neo, along with updates to the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air.
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Reece Bithrey is a journalist with bylines for Trusted Reviews, Digital Foundry, PC Gamer, TechRadar and more. He also has his own blog, UNTITLED, and graduated from the University of Leeds with a degree in International History and Politics in 2023.