Apple Celebrates 50 Years: Tim Cook's Open Letter Praises Users for Thinking Differently

On April 1, 2026, Apple will celebrate its 50th anniversary, and the company is preparing a series of activities and big announcements for the occasion.

Apple CEO Tim Cook did not wait for the cherished date and published an open letter on the company's website addressing everyone who uses the gadgets and services of the American giant.

The letter is called “50 years of thinking different” and this title refers to Apple's famous advertising slogan — Think Different. Tim Cook states that all this time the brand followed this rule and does not intend to abandon it.

Fifty years ago, a big idea was born in a small garage. The essence of Apple has always been a simple thought: technology should be personal. And this conviction — then considered radical — changed everything.

On April 1, Apple turns 50 years old. From the first Apple computer to Mac, from iPod to iPhone, from iPad to Apple Watch and AirPods, as well as the services we use every day — App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, iCloud, and Apple TV — for five decades we've been redefining the boundaries of what's possible and putting powerful tools in people's hands. Each breakthrough was guided by one idea — the world moves forward because people think differently.

Progress always begins with someone — an inventor or a scientist, a student or a storyteller — someone who sees a better path, a new idea, a different direction. This spirit has guided Apple from the start. But it never belonged only to us.

Every invention of ours is just the beginning of a story. The most important chapters are written by you — people using our technology for work, study, dreams, and discoveries. You make breakthroughs and build companies. You support loved ones in hospitals and capture your child's first steps. You run marathons, write books, and reconnect with old friends. You follow your curiosity, discover a new favorite song, and share stories that unite us.

In your hands, the tools we created have improved people's lives and sometimes even saved them. And this is what inspires us — not what technology can do on its own, but everything you can do with its help.

At Apple, we are more focused on creating the future than on memories of the past. But we could not let this significant event pass without thanking the millions of people with whom Apple became what it is today: our incredible teams worldwide, the developer community, and every customer who traveled this path with us. Your ideas inspire our work. Your trust makes us better. Your stories remind us of what can be achieved when you think differently.

If you have taught us anything, it is that the world is changed by those who are crazy enough to believe in their ability to change the world.

So here's to the crazy ones.

To the misfits.

To the rebels.

To the troublemakers.

To the round pegs in square holes.

To those who see the world differently.

To you.

Tim Cook.

Source: Apple Newsroom