Apple celebrates 50th anniversary: A homemade idea that revolutionized the tech industry

For a business or a brand to become a benchmark in its sector requires a lot of effort, practicality and intelligence, not to mention luck. Throughout history, many companies or products have fallen into obsolescence or, directly, have disappeared. But others have managed to establish themselves, maintain their position, overcome obstacles and grow. One of them is Apple.

On April 1, Apple turns 50. It does so by being one of the leaders in its sector, widely considered one of the five tech giants, along with Amazon, Alphabet (Google), Meta Platforms (Facebook, Instagram) and its main rival, Microsoft.

An idea born in a California garage

Half a century ago, on April 1, 1976, three people met in a garage located in Los Altos, Calif., and signed a contract to found a small computer company called Apple. Those three were Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne. The first stood out for his commercial ambition; the second, for his technical knowledge; and, the third, for his mastery with documentation.

Eleven days later, Wayne decided he didn't want to be part of the evolution of that company, because he didn't trust its growth. Therefore, he resigned from being recognized as the founder of Apple, and Jobs and Wozniak, who had been friends for years and were then 21 and 26 years old, were left alone. They created their first computer, the Apple I.

The success of the Macintosh 128K and the fall of Apple

Some time later, those young men launched the Apple II. It was a resounding success. Apple was starting to take off. But the company's first major milestone came eight years later, when Jobs and Wozniak introduced the Macintosh 128K, with which Apple conveyed to the world that technology had to be more visual, intuitive and creative. Its inconic commercial during Super Bowl XVIII on Jan. 22, 1984, helped the product achieve greater visibility and renown.

After that, Apple went into a tailspin. Jobs was fired in 1985 by John Sculley, who had previously taken the reins of the company.

The company remained adrift for 12 years, until, in 1997, it bought NeXT, a company Jobs himself founded, which allowed him to return as interim CEO.

Apple's resurgence and golden age

With the return of its co-founder, Apple launched the "Think Different" campaign (1997) that would later become its slogan. "Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers," ran the message Jobs conveyed through the campaign.

Subsequently came another of Apple's finest moments, the result of the company's diversification. First with the launch of the iMac. In the new millennium, in 2001, came the iPod, an MP3 player that, over the years, evolved into a touch device. Anyone who bought one had all the music they wanted.

Six years later, in 2007, came another of Apple's great inventions: the iPhone. The device revolutionized the cell phone market and has sold more than 3.1 billion units worldwide since then. In 2010 came the iPad, which defined a new technological category that was positioned between cell phones and computers. Both products have been growing to have, to date, different models. In between, the MacBook Pro and the MacBook Air appeared. In addition, the company moved to Apple Park, located in Cupertino, Calif.

Jobs' death and the emergence of Tim Cook

In 2003, Jobs was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. The illness led him to be absent for periods. Meanwhile, Apple's, by then, Chief Sales and Operations Officer Tim Cook assumed his role.

After eight years battling cancer, Jobs passed away at his California home on Oct. 5, 2011, at age 56. "We are deeply saddened to announce that Steve Jobs passed away today. Steve’s brilliance, passion and energy were the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives. The world is immeasurably better because of Steve," the company reported.

Cook took over as Apple's CEO after Jobs' death. And, with him, the company has diversified even further.

In the more contemporary era, Apple went further and broke into other sectors, with items such as the Apple Watch, AirPods, Apple Silicon, Apple TV, AirTag and Apple Vision Pro.