Apple to Host 50th Anniversary Celebrations Around the World - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

Apple to Host 50th Anniversary Celebrations Around the World

Apple today announced that it will be celebrating its upcoming 50th anniversary by hosting gatherings "around the world" throughout the month of March.

Apple 50 Logo Feature
Apple's 50th anniversary is on April 1, 2026. The company has yet to reveal exactly where and when it will be hosting additional celebrations, but possibilities include major cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, London, Paris, and Tokyo.

"Each gathering highlights human creativity and ingenuity in action, and showcases the remarkable things people can do when they have the right Apple products in their hands," said Apple, in a press release.

"Stay tuned for more updates," said Apple.

17-time Grammy Award-winning music artist and producer Alicia Keys kicked off the celebrations today with a surprise performance at Apple's Grand Central store in New York. Apple invited selected content creators to the impromptu concert, which was also open to the public for anyone who happened to be in the area at the time.

Alicia Keys Grand Central
Apple's CEO Tim Cook, hardware engineering chief John Ternus, marketing chief Greg Joswiak, retail chief Deirdre O'Brien, and others were in attendance at Grand Central.

"Thinking different has always been at the heart of Apple," said Cook. "It's what has driven us to create products that empower people to express themselves, to connect, and to create something wonderful. As we celebrate 50 years, we are deeply grateful to everyone who has been part of this journey and who continues to inspire what comes next."

Tim Cook Alicia Keys
Cook previously shared a "50 Years of Thinking Different" letter.

The letter touches on the upcoming 50th anniversary and says that "the world is moved forward by people who think different." For those unaware, "Think Different" was a famous advertising slogan used by Apple in the late 1990s to early 2000s.

"At Apple, we're more focused on building tomorrow than remembering yesterday," said Cook, in the letter. "But we couldn't let this milestone pass without thanking the millions of people who make Apple what it is today."

Popular Stories

iOS 28 AI

Apple Taking New Approach to Developing iOS 28 and macOS 28

Sunday November 8, 2026 7:42 am PST by
Apple has made a change to its development process for iOS 28, macOS 28, and corresponding software updates, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In his Power On newsletter today, he said Apple separates development of each year's new operating systems into three major stages. Typically, he said each stage consists of four weeks of coding followed by a four-week "convergence" period where...
duo aquarium

More Fun iPhone Duo Apps: 30 New Picks to Try

Friday November 6, 2026 3:27 pm PST by
When the iPhone Duo launched, we shared a list of some of the fun apps developers created for the new form factor. Two weeks out, developers are continuing to come up with fresh ideas, so we thought we'd share some of our favorites. Games Marbles Unhinged ($2.99) - Marbles Unhinged is a marble maze designed for the Duo. When you fold it, the floor turns into a ramp. If you stand the top...
apple pro tell logo

Apple Launching Five New Products Today

Thursday November 5, 2026 12:59 am PST by
Apple is launching five new products on Friday, November 6, following pre-orders that opened last week, including its first touchscreen MacBook Pro models. The following new products will be available from today: iPad mini with OLED display and A20 Pro chip iMac with M6 chip 14-inch MacBook Pro with M6 chip 14-inch MacBook Pro with OLED touchscreen 16-inch MacBook Pro with OLED...

Top Rated Comments

ThomasJL Avatar
9 months ago

Would be nice if they remember to invite The Woz.
And Ronald Wayne. Apple was founded by Jobs, Woz, and Wayne.

The 50th anniversary marks the anniversary of the founding of Apple, so therefore the two living founders, Woz and Wayne, should be invited. This is their day, so they should be the central focus of the celebration.

But considering how clueless and mediocre Tim Cook is, it wouldn’t be surprising if Wayne was neither invited nor even mentioned.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
9 months ago
Would be nice if they remember to invite The Woz.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Reason077 Avatar
9 months ago
... or even better, they could have released the first foldable iPhone as a special 50th Anniversary Phone ("FAP").
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Reason077 Avatar
9 months ago

I seem to recall that Steve absolutely hated it though. He viewed it at the time as a symbol of a dying Apple. He also despised the Newton, and wanted it killed off. Mainly for the image it held - e.g. - The Simpsons joke where "beat up Martin" was translated to "eat up Martha" due to the Newton's poor handwriting recognition. Amazing how they reinvented the market with the iPhone, then iPad.


It was a great joke, but it's a little unfair to call it bad handwriting recognition when it was the only such device with handwriting recognition at the time. It was extremely impressive technology for its time, years before the Palm Pilot came out with Graffiti (which worked very well, but was a system of simplified gestures rather than true handwriting recognition).

And of course, Apple's work on the Newton led to them investing in a little startup called ARM. Which went on to become the foundation of the chip architecture which underpins all of Apple's devices today.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
9 months ago
Pretty weird that a 50 year celebration of Apple only seems to involve inviting influencers-of-the-day who are all under the age of 25.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Reason077 Avatar
9 months ago
It's just too bad the new OLED MacBook won't be ready in time for the 50th birthday celebrations. They could have released a special edition and called it the 50th Anniversary Mac ("FAM")!
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Latest Stories
MacBook Pro With PROLED XDR Display: Details You Might Have Missed
MacBook Pro With PROLED XDR Display: Details You Might Have Missed
1 minute ago
Satechi Offers MacRumors Readers 30% Off Select Accessories in Early Black Friday Sale
Satechi Offers MacRumors Readers 30% Off Select Accessories in Early Black Friday Sale
23 minutes ago
Leaker Envisions a Shorter iPhone With a New iOS Layout
Leaker Envisions a Shorter iPhone With a New iOS Layout
50 minutes ago
Apple to Give You More Control Over When Your Mac Passwords Lock
Apple to Give You More Control Over When Your Mac Passwords Lock
2 hours ago
Siri Is Getting a Better Memory
Siri Is Getting a Better Memory
2 hours ago
iPhone 18e Could Feature Bigger Display and Battery
iPhone 18e Could Feature Bigger Display and Battery
3 hours ago
Apple's Siri Boss May Leave - Here's Who Could Take Over
Apple's Siri Boss May Leave - Here's Who Could Take Over
3 hours ago
Apple Launching Two More New Products This Friday
Apple Launching Two More New Products This Friday
3 hours ago
Apple Store Subscription Sign-Up Controversy Exposed
Apple Store Subscription Sign-Up Controversy Exposed
12 hours ago
Siri AI Rumored to Become 'More Like an Agent' as Early as Next Year
Siri AI Rumored to Become 'More Like an Agent' as Early as Next Year
22 hours ago
Apple Taking New Approach to Developing iOS 28 and macOS 28
Apple Taking New Approach to Developing iOS 28 and macOS 28
1 day ago
Early Apple Black Friday Deals on Apple Watch, MacBook Air, and More
Early Apple Black Friday Deals on Apple Watch, MacBook Air, and More
2 days ago
'Backglow' Lets You Customize New MacBook Pro's Glowing Apple Logo
'Backglow' Lets You Customize New MacBook Pro's Glowing Apple Logo
2 days ago
Top Stories: Apple Product Launches, iOS 27.3 Beta, and More
Top Stories: Apple Product Launches, iOS 27.3 Beta, and More
2 days ago
More Fun iPhone Duo Apps: 30 New Picks to Try
More Fun iPhone Duo Apps: 30 New Picks to Try
3 days ago
Hands-On With Apple's New OLED Touchscreen MacBook Pro
Hands-On With Apple's New OLED Touchscreen MacBook Pro
3 days ago
Apple Store With All-New Design Opening Soon in Southern California
Apple Store With All-New Design Opening Soon in Southern California
3 days ago
Control the Glowing Apple Logo on Your New MacBook Pro
Control the Glowing Apple Logo on Your New MacBook Pro
3 days ago
Apple Shares New 'Apple Card: Apply and Use in Minutes' Ad
Apple Shares New 'Apple Card: Apply and Use in Minutes' Ad
3 days ago
Apple Says More Than 100,000 Apps Optimized for iPhone Duo, Here's What's Still Missing
Apple Says More Than 100,000 Apps Optimized for iPhone Duo, Here's What's Still Missing
3 days ago
Early Black Friday Deals Kickoff With Steep Discounts on Apple Watch Ultras and More
Early Black Friday Deals Kickoff With Steep Discounts on Apple Watch Ultras and More
3 days ago
The MacRumors Show: iOS 27.3 Looks Like a Huge Update
The MacRumors Show: iOS 27.3 Looks Like a Huge Update
3 days ago
Best Buy's Black Friday Event Begins With Sitewide Savings on Apple, TVs, More
Best Buy's Black Friday Event Begins With Sitewide Savings on Apple, TVs, More
3 days ago
Apple Releasing Yet Another Two New Products Next Week
Apple Releasing Yet Another Two New Products Next Week
3 days ago
MacBook Air Drops to Lowest Price in Months With Amazon's $250 Discount
MacBook Air Drops to Lowest Price in Months With Amazon's $250 Discount
3 days ago
Apple Rumored to Drop the iPhone's Action Button Next Year
Apple Rumored to Drop the iPhone's Action Button Next Year
3 days ago
Apple's Extended Return Policy Now in Effect for 2026 Holiday Season
Apple's Extended Return Policy Now in Effect for 2026 Holiday Season
3 days ago
Apple Music Classical Updated With New Icon and Refreshed Design
Apple Music Classical Updated With New Icon and Refreshed Design
3 days ago
OLED iPad Mini, M6 iMac, and New MacBook Pros Available From Today
OLED iPad Mini, M6 iMac, and New MacBook Pros Available From Today
3 days ago
Apple Surveys iPhone Duo Buyers About Crease and Camera
Apple Surveys iPhone Duo Buyers About Crease and Camera
4 days ago