Today Marks the 44th Anniversary of Apple's Founding

44 years ago today, on April 1, 1976, Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne signed a contract founding the Apple Computer Company.

Days later, Ronald Wayne bowed out and received $800, leaving Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak to launch the Apple I that led to Apple revolutionizing the personal computer industry before moving on to other markets and becoming one of the most successful companies in modern history.

Steve Wozniak left Apple in 1985, leaving Steve Jobs at the helm. Under Jobs' leadership, and after weathering a few hiccups like Jobs' time at NeXT, Apple launched iconic products like the iMac G3, the MacBook, the iPod, the original iPhone, and the iPad, along with services like the App Store and iTunes.

After Steve Jobs passed away in 2011, Tim Cook took over and kept Jobs' legacy alive, launching new iPhones and iPads and new product lines, such as the Apple Watch, HomePod, and AirPods. Cook also oversaw Apple's deep foray into services with the launches of Apple News+, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, and Apple Music.

Today Apple is weathering a storm and has temporarily shuttered its stores outside of China, and device sales are seeing a drastic dip as a result. It will take Apple some time to recover, but there are many innovative products on the horizon, such as the 5G iPhones, Macs with Apple designed Arm-based processors, AR glasses, and more, some of which will come this year and some of which are slated to launch over the course of the next few years. As it has in the past, Apple will bounce back.

April 1st, in addition to being the day Apple was founded, is also April Fools' Day. Given the current situation, MacRumors will not be sharing the April Fools' pranks that typically circulate, and many companies, such as Google, have bowed out of jokes this year. We wanted MacRumors readers to be aware of the date to avoid falling for any ill-timed pranks or joke products.