Apple was founded on April 1, 1976, which means this year marks the company’s 50th anniversary. In a recent all-hands meeting with employees, Apple CEO Tim Cook teased that Apple is planning a celebration for this historic milestone.
Tim Cook has said in multiple interviews that Apple isn’t the type of company that likes to look back and live in the past. This 50th anniversary milestone, however, is a big enough occasion that it’s prompted some reflection.
As reported by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, here’s what Cook said about Apple’s upcoming 50th anniversary during the all-hands meeting last week:
“I’ve been unusually reflective lately about Apple because we have been working on what do we do to mark this moment — 50 years. It’s an extraordinary accomplishment. We’ve been going back through old archives, old photographs. We’ve been going back through the products, the services, the people, and I am struck by how much Apple has changed things, how much Apple has changed the world, how much Apple has given to the world.
Are we going to celebrate it? You better believe it. We’re not ready to say exactly how yet, so stay tuned. Yes. We’re not a culture that looks back. So the group of people working on this have had to kind of build a different muscle for this, as our muscle is always about what’s next. We’ve really had to work hard on this to get in a reflective state, but when you really stop and pause and think about the last 50 years, it makes your heart sing. It really does. I promise some celebration.”
Apple rarely celebrates anniversaries like this, but in 2014 it did roll out a campaign in celebration of 30 years of the Mac. This included Apple executive interviews, a special Apple website homepage tribute, and more.
How do you want Apple to celebrate its 50th anniversary? Do you think the celebration will be just for Apple employees, or will Apple commemorate the occasion publicly? Let us know down in the comments.
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