Fifty Years of Thinking Different
On March 13, 2026, Apple opened its 50th anniversary celebrations with a live performance by Alicia Keys at Apple Grand Central in New York City, the first event in a month-long series of gatherings across Apple retail locations around the world.1
Founded on April 1, 1976, by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne, Apple is using the milestone to anchor a brand statement around the idea Tim Cook has placed at the center of the company's identity: "Thinking different has always been at the heart of Apple."2, 3
The choice of venue and artist was deliberate. Keys, a 17-time Grammy Award-winning musician and long-time Apple collaborator, performed her catalog live from the iconic steps of Grand Central.1 iPhone 17 Pro documented the event.1 Cook joined her onstage.1
Alongside the celebrations, Apple published a dedicated anniversary page at apple.com/50-years-of-thinking-different and a letter from Cook reflecting on the company's history, products, and values.2, 4 The program frames Apple's next chapter around continued investment in Apple Intelligence, privacy, accessibility, and environmental responsibility, marking the milestone as both a look back and a strategic declaration of intent.2
Written with AI assistance, edited by a human. Find out more about our Use of AI.
1. Apple Newsroom, "Apple hosts 50th anniversary celebrations around the world", 1 April 2026, for the celebrations opening on 13 March 2026 with a performance by Alicia Keys at Apple Grand Central in New York City, for the celebrations continuing throughout the month in cities around the world, for Keys as a 17-time Grammy Award winning artist and producer who performed her songs from the venue's iconic steps, for iPhone 17 Pro capturing the event, and for Tim Cook appearing with Keys in New York, which the page carries only as the image caption "Tim Cook and Alicia Keys greet the audience at Apple's 50th anniversary celebration in New York City". https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2026/03/apple-hosts-50th-anniversary-celebrations-around-the-world/
2. Apple Newsroom, "Apple to celebrate 50 years of thinking different", 12 March 2026, for the founding date of 1 April 1976, for the Tim Cook quotation carried in the body, which the announcement gives in full as "Thinking different has always been at the heart of Apple. 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.", for the letter Cook shared on apple.com reflecting on the company's history and values, and for the next chapter being framed around "advancing Apple Intelligence, to creating products and services designed with privacy at their core, built for accessibility and created with the planet in mind". https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2026/03/apple-to-celebrate-50-years-of-thinking-different/
3. Wikipedia, "Apple Inc.", accessed 17 September 2026, for the three founders named in the body, Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne, and for the wording "Apple Computer Company was founded as a partnership on April 1, 1976, by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne". Apple's own announcement gives the founding date but names no founders. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Inc.
4. Apple, "50 years of thinking different", accessed 17 September 2026, for the dedicated anniversary page at apple.com/50-years-of-thinking-different and the commemorative message it carries, which includes the line "If you've taught us anything, it's that the people crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do." and which the page presents without a visible byline. https://www.apple.com/50-years-of-thinking-different/
