Celebrating its 20th anniversary on February 4, Facebook, initially launched by Mark Zuckerberg in 2004 from his Harvard dormitory as 'thefacebook.com,' continues to be a global phenomenon. The platform has evolved into a ubiquitous space connecting individuals worldwide. As of 2023, Facebook boasts a monthly user base exceeding 3 billion people, marking a three per cent increase from the previous year.
On the occasion of this milestone, the 39-year-old tech mogul, who now heads Meta, the parent company of Facebook, took to Instagram to share a captivating montage video featuring images and videos spanning the last two decades. In a reflective post, Zuckerberg expressed gratitude for the incredible journey, stating, "20 years ago I launched a thing. Along the way, lots of amazing people joined, and we built some more awesome things. We're still at it, and the best is yet to come."
The montage, set to the soundtrack of Aerosmith's "Dream On," includes glimpses of Zuckerberg's early collaborators, notably Eduardo Saverin, a co-founder of Facebook, with whom he had a well-documented falling out.
Present in the footage are also Zuckerberg's wife, Priscilla Chan, and former Meta Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg, who stepped down in 2022. The clips provide a retrospective look at the evolution of both the platform and Zuckerberg's personal and professional life over the past two decades.
In a series of posts on his account, Zuckerberg shared then-and-now pictures, showcasing the transformation of technology over the 20-year span. One of the images captures him seated at a desk, comparing two vastly different computers from different eras.
It's worth noting that Facebook underwent a significant transformation in late 2021, rebranding its parent company as "Meta." This shift was driven by Zuckerberg's vision of the "metaverse" as the next major computing platform, emphasising immersive virtual worlds.
Looking ahead, Meta Platforms, led by Zuckerberg, is set to distribute its first-ever dividend, with the tech mogul poised to receive an annual payout of approximately $700 million from the social media giant. This move signifies a notable financial development for Meta and its stakeholders.