The Evolution of Meta: A Journey from Harvard to the Metaverse

Introduction

Twenty-one years ago, on February 4, 2004, Mark Zuckerberg, then a student at Harvard University, launched "Thefacebook" from his dorm room. This small project has since grown into Meta, a tech giant that has redefined social interaction, media consumption, and digital communication globally. Here's an interactive timeline of Meta's journey, showcasing key events, transformations, and the challenges it has faced along the way.

2004 - The Birth of a Social Network

• February 4: Mark Zuckerberg, with his roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Moskovitz, and Chris Hughes, launch "Thefacebook" at Harvard. Initially exclusive to Harvard students, it quickly expands to other Ivy League colleges and beyond.

2005 - 2006: Expansion and Evolution

• September 2005: Opens to high school students.

• September 2006: Becomes available to anyone aged 13 and over with a valid email address, marking a pivotal shift towards a global user base.

2007 - 2010: From Social Network to Public Company

• 2007: Launch of the platform feature, allowing external developers to create applications for use on the platform.

• May 2012: Initial Public Offering (IPO) at $38 per share, valuing the company at $104 billion, making it one of the largest tech IPOs at the time.

2011 - 2015: Acquisitions and Controversies

• February 2014: Acquires WhatsApp for $19 billion, aiming to expand its reach in mobile messaging.

• April 2015: Adds GIF support, enhancing user interaction on the platform.

• 2015: Zuckerberg donates 18 million shares to the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, showcasing a commitment to philanthropy.

2016 - 2019: Facing the Music

• April 2016: Introduces "Facebook Live", competing in the live streaming space.

• 2018: The Cambridge Analytica scandal breaks, revealing massive data privacy breaches, leading to a $725 million settlement in 2023.

• March 2019: Zuckerberg addresses privacy and data misuse in a public hearing in Congress.

2020 - 2022: Navigating Global Crises

• June 2020: Controversy over not removing controversial political posts, spotlighting the platform's role in moderating political speech.

• October 2021: A significant global outage affects all Meta services, raising questions about infrastructure reliability.

• October 2021: Rebrands to "Meta" to reflect a focus on building the "metaverse", a virtual reality space.

2023 - 2025: The Metaverse and Beyond

• 2023: Settles the Cambridge Analytica lawsuit, but the focus shifts towards VR and AR with investments in Reality Labs.

• 2024: Mark Zuckerberg's vision for Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) becomes a key talking point, alongside ongoing metaverse development.

• 2025: As we stand today, Meta's market cap hovers around $1.7 trillion, with Zuckerberg still at the helm, steering towards an AI and metaverse-integrated future.

Conclusion

From a college project to a global tech empire, Meta's journey under Mark Zuckerberg's leadership has been one of innovation, controversy, and adaptation. As it pushes forward into areas like AI and the metaverse, Meta continues to shape not only how we connect but also how we perceive and interact with digital spaces. This timeline not only reflects major corporate milestones but also the broader impact on society, privacy, and technology.

Source: timepath.org