The company’s journey to the top of the technology industry was a difficult one, as Jobs (pictured right in 1976) left the company in the mid-1980s after his favorite project, the first Macintosh computer, struggled and he tried to evict the company. CEO John Sculley. Wozniak is on the left in the photo
1976: Founders Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne founded the company on April 1, 1976 when they began selling computer kits to hobbyists, each built by Wozniak.
The first product was the Apple I.
1977: Apple released the Apple II, the first mass-market PC, in June.
1981: Jobs becomes chairman.
1984: The Macintosh was introduced during a Super Bowl commercial break and later officially unveiled at a launch event. It was discontinued a year later and Jobs left the company.
1987: Apple releases the Macintosh II, the first color Mac.
1997: Apple announces it will acquire NeXT software in a $400 million deal, with Jobs returning to Apple as interim CEO. He officially took over the role in 2000.
2001: Apple introduced iTunes, OS X and the first generation iPod.
The first iPod MP3 music player was released on October 23, 2001 at an event in Cupertino and could contain up to 1,000 songs.
Steve Jobs unveils Apple Computer Corporation’s new Macintosh on February 6, 1984 in California.
Apple’s then chief executive officer, Steve Jobs, with the iPhone
2007: Apple unveils the iPhone.
2010: The first iPad was unveiled.
2011: Jobs resigned due to illness in 2011 and passed the title of CEO to Tim Cook. Job died of pancreatic cancer in October.
2014: Apple unveiled the Apple Watch. It also unveiled its first larger iPhones – the 6 and 6 Plus.
2015: After purchasing Beats from Dr Dre, Apple launched Apple Music to compete with Spotify and other music streaming services.
Apple CEO Steve Jobs speaks at an Apple event at Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino, California.
2016: Apple returned to its roots and announced the 4-inch iPhone SE. Meanwhile, the company is embroiled in a legal battle with the FBI, with the agency demanding access to the locked phone used by Syed Farook, who died in a gunfight after a deadly December attack in San Bernardino, California with his wife. The court order was revoked on March 28 after the FBI said a third party could unlock the device.
2017: Apple introduces the iPhone X, which removes the home button to make way for a futuristic edge-to-edge screen design and a new FaceID system that uses advanced sensors and lasers to unlock phones using only the owner’s face .
2018: As a first for the company, Apple introduces new features in its latest operating system, iOS 12, that encourage users to manage their devices and spend less time. The move stemmed from a strongly worded letter from shareholders urging the company to address the growing problem of smartphone addiction among children and teens.
2019: In January, Apple reports its first revenue and profit decline in ten years. CEO Tim Cook partly blamed sharp declines in sales from China.
2020: In March, Apple will close all of its physical stores outside of China in response to the coronavirus.