When Did Facebook Start: From Dorm Room to Global Phenomenon

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When did Facebook start? This question has been on the minds of many, as the social media giant has become an integral part of our daily lives. But the origins of Facebook are shrouded in mystery and speculation. What was the spark that ignited the creation of one of the world’s most powerful and influential companies?

Facebook, as we know it today, is a platform that connects billions of people worldwide. It has changed the way we communicate and interact with one another, and it has become an integral part of our daily lives. It has a microblogging feature as well as an instant messaging feature along with Dating and a tool for selling Facebook Marketplace. But how did it get to where it is today?

As you read further in this article, you will discover the secrets and unknown facts of one of the most popular social media platforms. The journey of Facebook from its humble beginnings to a global phenomenon is an interesting story to read. So, when did Facebook start? Read on to find out.

When Did Facebook Start? Uncovering the Origins

When Did Facebook Start

When did Facebook start? In 2004, the social media behemoth began in a dorm room at a top university. Mark Zuckerberg and his undergraduate companions Andrew McCollum, Chris Hughes, and Eduardo Saverin devised the concept of a website that would link students and allow them to exchange knowledge and engage with one another. This early version of Facebook was known as “Thefacebook,” and it was initially restricted to students at that university.

By 2005, Facebook had extended to additional Ivy League universities; by 2006, it was available to anybody over the age of 13 with a valid email account. Facebook proceeded to add more features, such as the ability to post images in 2005, join groups in 2006, and plan events in 2007, transforming it from a simple website for interacting with friends into something more. It quickly became a strong instrument for communication and social interaction, and it quickly became one of the world’s most popular websites.

Facebook evolved and expanded throughout time, adding new features and reaching new heights of popularity. Facebook went public and became a publicly listed business in 2012. In the years afterward, Facebook bought additional firms such as WhatsApp and Instagram, increasing its reach and capabilities even more.

A Look at the Evolution of the Social Media Giant

As we know when did Facebook start, it is the right time to know about its evolution. Facebook continued to expand and evolve, introducing new features and tools to improve the user experience and address concerns about user privacy and the spread of misinformation. Some notable developments include:

Facebook Evolution: When Did Facebook Start

2003 — Mark Zuckerberg creates “Facemash” while attending Harvard University, which is later shut down by the school’s administration.

2004 — Zuckerberg launches “TheFacebook” at Harvard University, which eventually expands to other Ivy League colleges and universities in the US and Canada. It is the milestone answer to your query, “when did Facebook start” by the way.

2005 — Facebook drops “the” from its name, receives investments from Accel Partners and Jim Breyer, and expands to include high-school students and employees of certain companies.

2006 — Facebook hires its first intern, Julie Zhuo. Microsoft purchases a 1.6% share of Facebook for $240 million.

2007 — Facebook Developer Platform is launched, with 33,000 apps and 400,000 registered developers by 2008.

2008 — Facebook redesigns its user interface, introducing “Facebook Beta” and migrating users to the new version. Facebook announces international headquarters will be located in Dublin, Ireland.

2009 — Facebook achieves positive cash flow for the first time and is ranked the most used social networking service by worldwide monthly active users. China blocks Facebook following Ürümqi riots.

2010 — Facebook wins the Crunchie “Best Overall Startup Or Product” award and reaches 500 million users.

2011 — Facebook acquires domain name fb.com from American Farm Bureau Federation for $8.5 million and announces plans to move headquarters to Menlo Park, California. Facebook removes 20,000 profiles daily for violations such as spam, graphic content, and underage use.

2012 — Facebook goes public with an initial public offering, raising $16 billion. Facebook reaches one billion active users. Facebook announces App Center, a store for apps that operate via the website.

2013 — Facebook goes public in the largest technology IPO in history, raising $16 billion. The company faces lawsuits regarding its IPO and is accused of insider trading.

Facebook Evolution: When Did Facebook Start

2014 — Facebook acquires WhatsApp for $19 billion and Oculus VR for $2 billion. The company reaches 1.23 billion monthly active users and 757 million daily active users.

2015 — Facebook revises its algorithm to filter out false or misleading content and introduces paternity leave of 4 months.

2016 — Zuckerberg outlines his 10-year vision for Facebook, focusing on AI, global connectivity, and VR/AR. Facebook is sued for $1 billion, alleging that it allowed Hamas to use it to perform attacks.

2017 — Facebook opens Station F, a startup incubator campus in Paris, launches Facebook Spaces, a VR version of Facebook for Oculus VR goggles, and announces it will spend up to $1 billion on original shows for its Facebook Watch platform.

2018 — Facebook announces dating service and is charged £500,000 by UK watchdogs for failing to respond to data erasure requests. The company establishes a subsidiary in China, Lianshu Science & Technology, with $30 million in capital.

2019 — Facebook introduced a new feature called “Facebook Dating” that allows users to connect with potential partners through the platform. Facebook is also under fire for failing to take action against misleading political advertisements.

2020 — Facebook is criticized for its handling of misinformation and hate speech related to the COVID-19 pandemic and the US Presidential election. The company announces a ban on political ads in the week leading up to the election and introduces new rules for political ads. Facebook also announces a $1 billion investment in news organizations over the next three years.

2021 — Facebook is sued by the FTC and a coalition of states for illegal monopolization and antitrust, but the suit is dismissed by a federal judge. Facebook blocks Australian users from sharing or viewing news content on its platform due to a proposed bill in the Australian Parliament.

2022 — For the first time in its 18-year history, Facebook’s daily active users decline, and the corporation warns that revenue growth will stall owing to competition from TikTok and YouTube, as well as advertisers pulling back on spending. Analysts expect that Facebook’s stock will enter a “death spiral” as users depart and ad impressions rise. Facebook announces a temporary relaxation of standards in order to enable violent rhetoric against “Russian invaders,” prompting Russia to block all Meta services, including Instagram.

Facebook Userbase Overview

After the query of “when did Facebook start,” you may be wondering about the user base as it shows the real success of a platform. When Facebook initially became available, its user base grew rapidly and continued to increase until 2018. In 2008, the site had 100 million registered users; by 2010, it had 500 million. By October 2012, Facebook had over one billion monthly active users, with 600 million of those using mobile devices to access the site. In June 2017, the site has 2 billion visitors.

However, between 2017 and 2019, the number of US adults over the age of 12 who use Facebook fell from 67% to 61%. The loss has been particularly noticeable among younger Americans, with the percentage of 12 to 34-year-olds using it falling from 58% in 2015 to 29% in 2019. This fall corresponded with an increase in the popularity of Instagram, which Meta also owns.

For the first time in its 18-year history, Facebook’s daily active users fell in November 2021. Revenue growth will decrease owing to competition from TikTok and YouTube, as well as advertisers cutting back on spending, according to the business.

Wrapping Up

I hope you now know when did Facebook start. Facebook was founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg while he was a student at Harvard University. The platform was initially launched as “TheFacebook” and has come a long way since its early days as a small social network for college students. Today, it has grown to become a global phenomenon with billions of users worldwide. If you want to learn more interesting facts, guides, and fixes of Facebook, visit Path of EX.

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