Apple Computer — 50th Anniversary

What this countdown tracks

The 50th anniversary of the founding of Apple Computer Company — Wednesday, April 1, 2026. On that date in 1976, Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne signed the partnership agreement that established Apple, in the garage of Jobs's parents' house at 11161 Crist Drive in Los Altos, California.

About this anniversary

The Apple Computer Company partnership agreement was a three-page document drawn up by Wayne, an Atari engineer 13 years older than the other two, who took 10% of the new company in exchange for moderating disagreements between Jobs (who handled business and design) and Wozniak (who handled engineering). Twelve days later, on April 12, 1976, Wayne sold his stake back for $800 — a stake that, kept to the present, would have been worth more than $300 billion at Apple's all-time-high valuation. The Apple I computer kit went on sale at the Byte Shop in Mountain View in July 1976; the Apple II launched at the West Coast Computer Faire in April 1977; the Macintosh launched in January 1984; the iPhone launched in June 2007. By 2026 Apple is the world's most valuable company and one of the most consequential commercial enterprises in history.

The 50th anniversary in 2026 falls during the Tim Cook era of Apple — Cook succeeded Steve Jobs as CEO in August 2011 and has been in the role for almost three times as long as Jobs's own second tenure. Of the founding trio, Wozniak (born 1950) is the only one alive in 2026; Jobs died in 2011 and Wayne (born 1934) had been long retired from active engagement with Apple. Cook turns 66 in November 2026 and the company has been in succession-planning conversations for several years; the 50th-anniversary year is widely expected to coincide with major leadership and product announcements.

Apple has historically marked major anniversaries with restraint — there were no major public events at the 25th anniversary in 2001 — but the 50th is expected to break that pattern. Apple Park, the company's Norman Foster–designed headquarters in Cupertino opened in 2017, includes the Steve Jobs Theater and a visitor centre; the company has a substantial archive of historical artefacts at the Apple Park Visitor Center. The 50th-anniversary year is likely to feature exhibitions, archival releases, employee-only events at Apple Park, and a coordinated marketing campaign.

What to expect

Apple's 50th-anniversary plans, if executed in line with historical patterns, would centre on three threads. First, a flagship product announcement timed to the anniversary year — likely the foldable iPhone (expected late 2026 or 2027), continued Apple Vision Pro evolution, and possible new product categories (autonomous vehicles, AI-first hardware). Second, archival and exhibition projects — likely a public version of the Apple Park archive, a major book or documentary, or a partnership with the Computer History Museum in Mountain View. Third, employee and partner programmes — recognition of long-serving employees, retiree gatherings, and possibly a 50th-anniversary edition Mac or iPhone.

The April 1 date is itself awkward — April Fool's Day — and the 1976 partnership signing was on April 1 deliberately by Jobs, who considered the date amusing for a business venture. Apple has historically not made major announcements on April 1, and the 50th-anniversary observance is more likely to be spread across the year and centred on either the WWDC keynote (June 8, 2026) or the autumn iPhone event (September 2026).

Past Apple milestones

• January 9, 2007 — 30th-anniversary year; the original iPhone unveiled at Macworld
• April 1, 2001 — 25th anniversary; Mac OS X launched in March 2001 just before
• January 24, 1984 — Macintosh launch; "Bicycle for the mind" Super Bowl commercial
• April 11, 1976 — first Apple I computer sold at the Byte Shop
• April 12, 1976 — Ronald Wayne sells his 10% stake for $800
• January 3, 1977 — Apple Computer Inc. incorporated, with Mike Markkula as employee no. 3

How to follow

Apple's newsroom (apple.com/newsroom) publishes corporate-anniversary communications. The Apple Park Visitor Center publishes exhibition schedules. The Computer History Museum in Mountain View hosts ongoing Apple-related programmes. Major Apple-focused publications — 9to5Mac, MacRumors, AppleInsider, Daring Fireball, Six Colors, The Verge, Bloomberg's Apple coverage — provide deep coverage. The Walter Isaacson biography Steve Jobs and the Tim Cook biographies remain standard references.

Related countdowns

The Apple 50th anniversary aligns with the broader 2026 tech-anniversary cycle including the iPhone 20th anniversary 2027 and Apple's annual product cadence: Apple WWDC 2026, Apple September event 2026, and Apple WWDC 2027.

FAQ

When is Apple's 50th anniversary? Wednesday, April 1, 2026. Where was Apple founded? In the garage of Steve Jobs's parents' house at 11161 Crist Drive in Los Altos, California. Who were the three founders? Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne. Wayne sold his 10% stake for $800 just 12 days after the founding. Will Apple do something big for the 50th? Apple has historically been restrained on anniversaries, but the 50th is widely expected to coincide with major product, archival, and exhibition projects across 2026.