Apple's 50th anniversary will be celebrated next month on April 1, and CEO Tim Cook, marking this significant milestone, has released a new letter.

Apple CEO Tim Cook wrote a letter celebrating the company's 50th anniversary

It is not often that Apple takes time to look back. Historically, the company has stated that it prefers to look towards the future.

However, for the upcoming 50th anniversary, CEO Tim Cook expressed that he is particularly thoughtful.

Cook had previously informed employees that there would be an internal celebration for this milestone, and this was further emphasized today.

Today, on Apple's website, Cook's new letter titled '50 Years of Thinking Different' is available.

April 1 marks Apple's 50th anniversary. Thank you to everyone who has been part of our journey. #Apple50 pic.twitter.com/7cXA0rnM9X

— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) March 12, 2026

You can read the letter on Apple's website or find the full text below.

Full text of Tim Cook's letter

Fifty years ago, a big idea was born in a small garage. Apple was founded on the simple belief that technology should be personal, and that belief — radical at the time — changed everything.

April 1 marks Apple's 50th anniversary. From the first Apple computer to the Mac, from the iPod to the iPhone, from the iPad to the Apple Watch and AirPods, we have provided people with powerful tools by rethinking what is possible over the decades — services we use every day — the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, iCloud, and Apple TV. There is an idea that has guided us in every breakthrough — the belief that the world is advanced by people who think differently.

Because progress always begins with someone — an inventor or scientist, a student or storyteller — imagining a better way, a new idea, a different path. This spirit has guided Apple from the very beginning. But this spirit has not been ours alone.

Every invention we have brought to the world is just the beginning of a story. The most meaningful chapters are written by you, who use our technology to work, learn, dream, and explore. You have made breakthroughs and started businesses. You have cheered up your loved ones in the hospital and recorded your children's first steps. You have participated in marathons, written books, and rekindled friendships. You have chased your curiosity, discovered your new favorite song, and shared stories that connect us all.

The tools in your hands have improved lives and sometimes even saved them. And that is what inspires us — not what technology can do alone, but what you can do with it.

At Apple, we focus more on building tomorrow than on remembering yesterday. However, we cannot pass this milestone without thanking the millions of people who have brought Apple to where it is today — our amazing teams around the world, our developer community, and every customer who has joined us on this journey. Your ideas inspire our work. Your trust guides us to be better. Your stories remind us of what we can achieve when we think differently.

If you have taught us anything, it is that those who believe they can change the world are the ones who do.

So here’s to the crazy ones.

To the misfits.
To the rebels.
To the troublemakers.
To the round pegs in square holes.
To the ones who see things differently.

This is for you.

Tim Cook

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