Samsung is 38 years and 1 month older than Apple.
Samsung was founded as a grocery store on March 1, 1938, by Lee Byung-Chull.
Apple Founders Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak created Apple Computer Inc. on April 1, 1976.
Samsung’s beginnings are quite different from the tech giant it is today. Here’s a glimpse into its early days:
- 1938: Founded by Lee Byung-chul as a trading company named Samsung Sanghoe (Samsung translates to “three stars” in Korean) in Taegu, South Korea. They started by trading groceries and other locally produced goods, even exporting them to China.
- Focus on Growth: Lee Byung-chul aimed to help Korea rebuild after the war. The company expanded into various industries like textiles, becoming the biggest woolen mill owner in Korea.
- Shifting Gears: In the late 1960s, Samsung saw an opportunity in electronics and established dedicated electronics divisions. Their initial products were black-and-white televisions.
It’s interesting to note that Samsung wasn’t always an electronics company. It started small and diversified strategically, eventually venturing into the electronics sector which became its main focus.
Apple’s beginnings have a strong association with innovation and a garage, although it’s not quite as simple as that! Here’s the story:
- 1976: The birth of Apple is generally credited to Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak in 1976. There’s a popular notion that they started tinkering in Steve Jobs’ parents’ garage in Los Altos, California. While they did move some operations to the garage later, Wozniak clarifies it was more of a bedroom venture initially.
- The Apple I: Their first creation was the Apple I computer. It was essentially a circuit board with basic processing power but lacked a monitor, keyboard, or case. They introduced it at a Homebrew Computer Club meeting in July 1976 and sold around 200 units.
- A Name and a Partner: The now-iconic name “Apple” was Steve Jobs’ suggestion, inspired by an apple orchard he visited. They also brought in Ronald Wayne as a co-founder initially, but he left the company shortly after for a buy-out.
- Apple II: The real breakthrough came with the Apple II in 1977. Designed by Wozniak, it was a more user-friendly personal computer with a keyboard, color graphics, and a sleek case. This launched Apple to success, making it a major player in the personal computer revolution.
So, while the garage image is a bit romanticized, Apple’s beginnings were marked by the ingenuity of Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, their focus on user-friendliness, and the hugely successful Apple II computer.
#FunFacts #Samsung
