Apple Celebrates 50 Years of Innovation with Global Events
Apple is embarking on a month-long celebration of its 50th anniversary, kicking off with a surprise performance by Alicia Keys at Apple Grand Central in New York City on March 13, 2026. The company, founded in April 1976, will host gatherings “around the world” to commemorate the milestone, recognizing the creativity and impact of its technology and user base.
Alicia Keys Launches Anniversary Festivities
The celebrations began with a special performance by 17-time Grammy Award-winning artist Alicia Keys at Apple Grand Central. The event, attended by Apple executives including CEO Tim Cook, hardware engineering chief John Ternus, marketing chief Greg Joswiak, and retail chief Deirdre O’Brien, was open to the public and invited content creators. Keys performed on a bright pink Yamaha grand piano [CNET]. Apple has a longstanding relationship with Keys, who was the first artist to release her catalog in Spatial Audio on Apple Music and headlined an Apple Music Live performance. She also featured in an Apple Immersive experience for Apple Vision Pro [Apple Newsroom].
A Look Back at “Thinking Different”
The anniversary celebrations coincide with the re-emergence of Apple’s iconic “Think Different” slogan, first used in the late 1990s and early 2000s. CEO Tim Cook shared a “50 Years of Thinking Different” letter, emphasizing the importance of innovation and gratitude to those who have contributed to Apple’s success [MacRumors]. Cook stated, “The world is moved forward by people who think different.”
What’s Next for Apple’s 50th Anniversary?
While Apple has not yet revealed the full schedule of events, celebrations are expected to take place in major cities globally, including potential locations like San Francisco, Los Angeles, London, Paris, and Tokyo [MacRumors]. The company’s official anniversary date is April 1, 2026. Apple has launched a new “Hello Apple” Instagram account to share updates and stories related to the anniversary [MacRumors]. A new book chronicling Apple’s history over the past 50 years, written by journalist David Pogue, has also been released.
Recent Product Launches
The anniversary celebrations follow a busy period for Apple, which recently released seven new products, including the MacBook Neo, iPhone 17 Pro, iPad Air, and MacBook Air and Pro models [MacRumors] and [CNET].
Stay tuned for more updates as Apple continues to celebrate its 50th anniversary.