The 50 Greatest Moments in Apple History

Complex looks back on the evolution of our generation's most innovative company.

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Complex Original

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Is Apple the greatest computer company ever? That's debatable. What's not up for discussion, however, is the fact that Apple is one of the most adored and obsessed-over companies—computer or otherwise—in history. No other company has managed to repeatedly captivate the masses—geeks, artists, and casual users alike—with each product it has developed. With every release, Apple has delivered exactly what the game was missing, whether it was a computer our grandmothers could set up, or a phone that simplified the most arduous of tasks. It has defined markets, set product trends, and made companies reevaluate their entire game plans. 

All of that has lead to the development of a cult-like following that makes Lady Gaga's army of "monsters" seem like a septuagenarian bridge club. In its 37 years, the company that Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak founded in a garage in Palo Alto, California has grown to be a worldwide force, one that has eclipsed its rivals.

Despite selling more and more of its industrially beautiful products, many still wonder if the brand, now under the leadership of former COO Tim Cook, can continue to wow fans and critics. Only time can tell. Before that happens, we decided it would be a good time to look back at the 50 Greatest Moments in Apple's History. Here's to the future. And the crazy ones.

50. Apple Announces Plans to Bring U.S. Production to the U.S.

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49. Apple Sells 5 Million iPhone 5s in Three Days

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48. Apple Introduces New Internet Strategy

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47. Apple Moves to Cupertino Headquarters

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46. Apple Miniaturizes the iPod

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45. The Beatles Come to iTunes

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44. Apple Does Away With Floppy Disks

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43. The Simpsons (Hilariously) Mock Apple

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42. Apple Becomes World's Most Valuable Company

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41. iLife Puts Power in Consumers' Hands

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40. Apple Shuts Down the Mac Clones

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39. The New PowerMac Line is Released

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38. Pirates of Silicon Valley Hits The Small Screen

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37. The iBook is Introduced

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36. Apple Sells 10 Billion Songs Through iTunes Music Store

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35. Apple Wins Emmy for Technology

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34. VisiCalc Comes to the Apple II

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33. Apple Kills OS 9

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32. Apple Unveils Siri

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31. The First PowerBook Is Released

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30. iTunes Comes to Windows

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29. Apple's Market Value Tops Microsoft's

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28. Apple Logo Is Designed by Rob Janoff

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27. Apple Teams Up With IBM

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26. Apple Partners With Intel

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25. Microsoft Invests $150 Million Into Apple

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24. Apple App Store Opens

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23. Apple's "Think Different" Ad Campaign Kicks Off

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22. Mac Appears in Seinfeld for the First Time

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21. Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak Awarded National Medal of Technology

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20. Apple Releases Mac Operating System 7

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19. Desktop Publishing Takes Off With Mac Plus and LaserWriter

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18. Apple Introduces World's First 17-inch Laptop

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17. Steve Jobs Returns to Apple

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16. Apple Opens Its First Retail Store

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15. Jonathan Ive Joins Apple

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14. Steve Jobs Returns to Apple After Surgery

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13. Apple Goes Public

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12. iTunes Music Store Launches

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11. Apple Works with Fair Labor Association to Better Work Conditions at Foxconn

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10. Apple Introduces MacBook Air

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9. Apple I is Released

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8. Apple Introduces the iPad

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7. Mac OS X Is Released

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6. "1984" Ad Airs During Super Bowl

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5. The iMac Is Released

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4. Apple Introduces the iPhone

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3. The Macintosh Is Introduced

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2. Apple Computer Is Founded

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1. The iPod Is Released

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