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Apple Turns 50 With Global Events, Cook’s Letter and a Nostalgic Homepage

Apple favored live events over special-sale gear to stress a future-facing mission.

Overview

  • Apple, which updated its homepage Wednesday with an animated product rewind, marked its 50th year as Tim Cook shared a public thank-you note and a short video.
  • Surprise concerts over recent weeks featured Alicia Keys at Apple Grand Central in New York and Mumford & Sons by the UK HQ in London, and senior leaders rang the Nasdaq opening bell at Apple Park on Tuesday.
  • At Apple Park, installations showcased iMac designs from 1998 to 2021, employees received a commemorative t‑shirt, poster and “50” pin, and staff heard Paul McCartney perform under the rainbow arches.
  • A Wall Street Journal video posted Wednesday showed Cook touring Apple’s archives to see early patents and prototypes, with the CEO noting some items were new to him.
  • Apple has not released special consumer anniversary products, and Cook cited about 2.5 billion active devices as the company pushes services, AI features and spatial computing.