The historic rise of Facebook in photos — from a Harvard dorm room to one of the world's biggest companies

Sarah JacksonJun 5, 2024, 18:09 IST

Facebook, helmed by Mark Zuckerberg, turned 20 this year. Here's a look at where it's been and where it's headed.BI

This is a big year for Meta: Facebook turned 20 in February.
The company's meteoric rise is one of Silicon Valley's biggest success stories.

Facebook is a classic Silicon Valley success story: It's gone from an idea hatched in a Harvard dorm to one of the most powerful and influential companies in the world.

Mark Zuckerberg, its CEO and cofounder, has an estimated net worth of $170 billion. These days, Meta has more than 2 billion people using its social network monthly and is one of the world's biggest companies.

Here's the story behind Facebook's insane rise from February 2004 through to this year, its 20th anniversary:

Facebook's origin story is famous by now.

Harvard University's Kirkland House is seen on October 10, 2003 in Cambridge, Massachusetts.William B. Plowman/Getty Images

In 2003, Zuckerberg, then a sophomore at Harvard, built a website called Facemash.

A young Mark Zuckerberg in 2004.Rick Friedman

Undeterred by the Facemash debacle, Zuckerberg launched "Thefacebook" on February 4, 2004.

Thefacebook would become simply Facebook later.Facebook

Six days after the launch, three Harvard seniors claimed Zuckerberg reneged on an agreement to build a site for them and used their ideas to create what eventually became Facebook.

Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, along with fellow Harvard student Divya Narendra, claimed Zuckerberg agreed to work on a website for them before using their ideas to create Thefacebook.REUTERS/Brian Snyder

Six days after the launch, three Harvard seniors claimed Zuckerberg reneged on an agreement to build a site for them and used their ideas to create what eventually became Facebook.

Within a month, half of Harvard's students were members of Thefacebook.

Thefacebook quickly grew in popularity on Harvard's campus.Scott Eisen

At this point, Zuckerberg was still running Facebook out of his dorm room, but it was time to get serious.

Mark Zuckerberg in the early days of Facebook's founding.@zuck via Threads

In 2004, Facebook brought on its first president.

Sean Parker cofounded Napster before joining Facebook.Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters

In June 2004, Facebook set up shop in a tiny office in downtown Palo Alto, California.

Facebook cofounder Dustin Moskovitz is seen here doing a keg stand in Facebook's first office.YouTube

The same month it moved into its Palo Alto office, Facebook got its first outside funding.

Peter Thiel (left) and Elon Musk (right) pose for a 1999 story about their company PayPal.AP

By this point, Facebook was starting its rapid ascent toward cultural superstardom.

The early Facebook team pushes the button to launch the News Feed into the site.Mark Zuckerberg

In late 2007, Zuckerberg met a Google executive named Sheryl Sandberg at a Christmas party.

Sandberg became Facebook's COO in 2008.Justin Sullivan/Getty

In 2009, Facebook moved into a slightly larger Palo Alto office in the Stanford Research Park.

Stanford Research Park was created in the 1950s through a partnership between Stanford University, pictured here, and the City of Palo Alto.David Butow/Corbis via Getty Images)

That year, Facebook would introduce one of the most defining features of the platform and our broader social media landscape.

The like button revolutionized the attention economy.Screenshot

The Stanford Research Park space wouldn't hold Facebook for long. In 2011, the social network moved again.

Zuckerberg famously espoused a "move fast and break things" mantra.Daniel Goodman/Business Insider

By this point, Facebook was showing that its social network could play a major role in global politics.

Egyptian youth Mariam Aboghazi, 20, updates a Facebook page with information about protesters in Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt, on February 7, 2011.Ed Ou

Zuckerberg himself was also getting more involved in the political scene.

Mark Zuckerberg and former president Barack Obama.Facebook

The social network was becoming unstoppable.

Facebook went public in 2012.AP

Over the years, the company has snapped up a bunch of hot startups, including photo-sharing hit Instagram.

Facebook bought Instagram in 2012.Anadolu

It also bought virtual-reality headset maker Oculus.

Someone uses an Oculus Rift headset during the E3 2016 gaming conference.Getty

And it purchased mobile-messaging company WhatsApp — for $19 billion.

WhatsApp mobile app displayed on phone with WhatsApp on screen.Getty Images

By the time Facebook turned 10 in 2014, over 1.23 billion people were visiting the social network every month.

Facebook turned 10 in 2014.Nur Photo/ Getty Images

To support all that growth, Facebook had to move to a bigger office — again.

Facebook's headquarters are in Menlo Park, California.REUTERS/Robert Galbraith

For better or for worse, Zuckerberg has an iron grip on the company's voting shares.

Zuckerberg has huge voting power at Facebook.Mark Zuckerberg / Facebook / MSQRD

Facebook had a rocky 2017, and a rockier 2018, culminating in Zuckerberg testifying in front of the United States Congress.

Facebook co-founder, Chairman and CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies before a combined Senate Judiciary and Commerce committee hearing in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill April 10, 2018 in Washington, DC.Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

That year, Zuckerberg announced the company would create an Oversight Board that could overrule Facebook's own content management policies and even Zuck himself.

The announcement of the Oversight Board came amid much scrutiny for Facebook.JOSH EDELSON

In October 2021, Facebook rebranded.

Facebook is now Meta.JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty Images)

In 2022, the company lost one of its highest-ranking execs.

Sandberg was Facebook's COO for 14 years.Lino Mirgeler/picture alliance via Getty Images

The company also suffered another blow that year.

Facebook saw a drop in daily active users at the end of 2021.Drew Angerer/Getty Images

And the hits kept coming: The company announced the biggest job cuts in its history in November 2022.

Meta announced a 13% workforce reduction in 2022.Alex Wong/Getty Images

Rounding out 2022, the company agreed to pay a $725 million settlement to settle claims it shared users' data with third parties without their consent.

Facebook agreed to the settlement in December 2022.Getty/Yuichiro Chino

The cuts continued in 2023, which Zuckerberg vowed would be a "year of efficiency."

Zuckerberg proclaimed 2023 a "year of efficiency" for Meta.Matt McClain/Getty Images

In July 2023, Meta launched the social networking app Threads.

Meta launched its Twitter rival Threads in 2023.Jaap Arriens/Getty

Facebook hit a big milestone this year.

Mark Zuckerberg in the early days of Facebook's founding (left) and Mark Zuckerberg today (right).@zuck via Threads

Now, the company has its eyes on AI.

Meta AI's new integration gives you search suggestions.Business Insider

The rise of Huawei, the controversial Chinese tech giant that rivals Apple and is seen as a US national security threat

Cookies on the Business Insider India website

The historic rise of Facebook in photos &mdash; from a Harvard dorm room to one of the world's biggest companies

Facebook's origin story is famous by now.

In 2003, Zuckerberg, then a sophomore at Harvard, built a website called Facemash.

Undeterred by the Facemash debacle, Zuckerberg launched "Thefacebook" on February 4, 2004.

Six days after the launch, three Harvard seniors claimed Zuckerberg reneged on an agreement to build a site for them and used their ideas to create what eventually became Facebook.

Within a month, half of Harvard's students were members of Thefacebook.

At this point, Zuckerberg was still running Facebook out of his dorm room, but it was time to get serious.

In 2004, Facebook brought on its first president.

In June 2004, Facebook set up shop in a tiny office in downtown Palo Alto, California.

The same month it moved into its Palo Alto office, Facebook got its first outside funding.

By this point, Facebook was starting its rapid ascent toward cultural superstardom.

In late 2007, Zuckerberg met a Google executive named Sheryl Sandberg at a Christmas party.

In 2009, Facebook moved into a slightly larger Palo Alto office in the Stanford Research Park.

That year, Facebook would introduce one of the most defining features of the platform and our broader social media landscape.

The Stanford Research Park space wouldn't hold Facebook for long. In 2011, the social network moved again.

By this point, Facebook was showing that its social network could play a major role in global politics.

Zuckerberg himself was also getting more involved in the political scene.

The social network was becoming unstoppable.

Over the years, the company has snapped up a bunch of hot startups, including photo-sharing hit Instagram.

It also bought virtual-reality headset maker Oculus.

And it purchased mobile-messaging company WhatsApp — for $19 billion.

By the time Facebook turned 10 in 2014, over 1.23 billion people were visiting the social network every month.

To support all that growth, Facebook had to move to a bigger office — again.

For better or for worse, Zuckerberg has an iron grip on the company's voting shares.

Facebook had a rocky 2017, and a rockier 2018, culminating in Zuckerberg testifying in front of the United States Congress.

That year, Zuckerberg announced the company would create an Oversight Board that could overrule Facebook's own content management policies and even Zuck himself.

In October 2021, Facebook rebranded.

In 2022, the company lost one of its highest-ranking execs.

The company also suffered another blow that year.

And the hits kept coming: The company announced the biggest job cuts in its history in November 2022.

Rounding out 2022, the company agreed to pay a $725 million settlement to settle claims it shared users' data with third parties without their consent.

The cuts continued in 2023, which Zuckerberg vowed would be a "year of efficiency."

In July 2023, Meta launched the social networking app Threads.

Facebook hit a big milestone this year.

Now, the company has its eyes on AI.

The historic rise of Facebook in photos — from a Harvard dorm room to one of the world's biggest companies