Facebook was created on February 4, 2004. This date marks the official launch of the platform, originally called "TheFacebook," by Mark Zuckerberg and his Harvard roommates Eduardo Saverin, Dustin Moskovitz, and Chris Hughes.

Origin Story

Facebook started as a simple online directory for Harvard students, inspired by printed "face books" used on campuses. Zuckerberg coded it in his dorm after his earlier site, Facemash—a hot-or-not game using student photos—got shut down for privacy violations just days after launching in 2003. Within 24 hours of going live, over 1,200 students signed up, proving instant demand among college networks.

The platform quickly expanded beyond Harvard—to Yale, Stanford, and Columbia by March 2004—fueled by word-of-mouth among elite schools. By December 2004, it hit 1 million users, dropping the "The" from its name along the way.

Key Early Milestones

  • Feb 2004 : Launched at Harvard as "thefacebook.com."
  • June 2004 : Moved headquarters to Palo Alto, CA, after Peter Thiel invested $500K.
  • Sept 2004 : Introduced the "Wall" feature for public posts on profiles.
  • May 2005 : Reached 800+ college networks; high schools followed in 2006.
  • 2006 : Opened to everyone over 13 with a valid email, skyrocketing growth.

These steps turned a dorm-room hack into a global powerhouse, now part of Meta Platforms with billions of users.

Evolution and Impact

From basic profiles and friend lists, Facebook pioneered features like the "Like" button (2009) and Messenger app. It went public in 2012, valued at $104 billion on day one. By 2021, it boasted nearly 3 billion users, reshaping how we connect online.

TL;DR : Facebook launched February 4, 2004, at Harvard, evolving from a student tool to the world's biggest social network.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.