An Apple Stock History Timeline: Every Key Event Since the IPO

The Apple stock history reflects the remarkable journey this tech giant has had.

Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) has one of the most compelling stories in Silicon Valley. Its return from near-death in the late 1990s under the leadership of tech icon Steve Jobs is the stuff of legend.

Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple had humble beginnings. Jobs sold his Volkswagen AG (OTCMKTS ADR: VLKAY) van and partner Steve Wozniak sold his programmable calculator to raise $1,350, and Jobs also took out a three-month, $5,000 loan.

That was enough capital to fulfill the company's first order for 50 Apple I computers at $500 each.

Since then, the company has gone from a market leader to irrelevance to the dominant tech titan it is today. And AAPL shareholders have been along for the ride.

Through its resurgence, Apple has become much, much bigger than it ever was in the 1980s. It pulls in almost unthinkable profits, earning more net income in a quarter than most companies make in revenue.

The introduction of the iPhone was the turning point. In the decade following the iPhone's debut, Apple stock soared 724%.

And the deeper you go into Apple stock history, the crazier the numbers get.

"Some Kind of Fruit Company"

Apple stock historyConsider the fate of a fictional investment made by the film character Forrest Gump and his business partner, Lt. Dan Taylor.

In the movie it's revealed that Lt. Dan had invested a portion of the profits from the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company in "some kind of fruit company."

Back in 2019 Cult of Mac took a stab at figuring out just how much the pair's stake in Apple would be worth. They had to make an assumption for the initial amount invested, which they pegged at $100,000.

And since the letter in the movie was dated 1975 - five years before the IPO - it's assumed that the sum was invested as venture capital.

As of the Apple IPO in 1980, they'd have owned 1,476,460 shares - worth a cool $43 million after the first day of trading.

But as of August 31, 2020, after the fifth Apple stock split, Gump and Lt. Dan would have owned 330,727,040 shares valued at about $42.68 billion. That's assuming they never sold any along the way, of course. Not a bad return on a $100,000 investment.

Now here's the full Apple stock history timeline...

An Apple Stock History Timeline: The 1980s

Dec. 12, 1980: The IPO

Apple sold 4.6 million shares to public. AAPL stock was priced at $22 a share for its IPO. Because of the five stock splits (as of 2020) the adjusted IPO price is just $0.10 (that's a direct comparison to the current AAPL stock price). By the end of the first day, shares had soared 32% to $29 (or $0.13, split-adjusted).

Jan. 28, 1984: The Mac Debuts

Apple built its reputation with the Apple II line, but the Mac showed the way to the future. At the time, many ridiculed the use of a mouse and icons to control a computer. With Mac sales slow to ramp up, the Apple II provided the bulk of company profits for the balance of the decade.

Split-adjusted AAPL stock price: $0.09

May 24, 1985: Steve Jobs Ousted

Jobs' attempt to push out CEO John Sculley backfired when the Apple board backed Sculley. Stripped of any power and consigned to a remote office, Jobs officially resigned five months later.

Split-adjusted AAPL stock price: $0.08

June 15, 1987: First Apple Stock Split

Despite Jobs' departure, Apple thrived in the late 1980s. When Apple stock climbed past $70, the company decided to do a split.

Split-adjusted AAPL stock price: $0.35

The 1990s

Oct. 2, 1991: The AIM Alliance

Looking for an edge over the growing Windows-Intel Corp. (Nasdaq: INTC) platform, Apple linked up with International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE: IBM) and Motorola to create the PowerPC, which was based on a new kind of architecture. The strategy failed, and Apple switched to Intel chips for its Macs in 2006.

Split-adjusted AAPL stock price: $0.44

Aug. 2, 1993: The Newton Debuts

After years of delays, Apple's ill-fated personal digital assistant debuted at Macworld Boston. Faulty handwriting recognition gave the Newton a bad reputation it would never shake. It was symbolic of miscues at Apple in the mid-1990s. Steve Jobs killed it upon his return in 1997.

Split-adjusted AAPL stock price: $0.25

Aug. 24, 1995: Windows 95 Debuts

The debut of Microsoft Corp.'s (Nasdaq: MSFT) Windows 95 was an existential threat to Apple as it was a near-equal to the Mac operating system. The two years that followed were Apple's darkest.

Split-adjusted AAPL stock price: $0.41

July 9, 1997: Steve Jobs Returns

In late 1996, With Apple headed for bankruptcy, the board bought NeXT Computer along with its CEO, Steve Jobs. And the company founder soon figured out how to right the ship. Jobs officially replaced Gil Amelio as CEO in July.

Split-adjusted AAPL stock price: $0.12

Aug. 15, 1998: The iMac Debuts

For Apple to survive, Jobs knew Apple needed a hit product. The first iMac was a compact, all-in-one machine designed to appeal to the masses. Its success saved the company.

Split-adjusted AAPL stock price: $0.37

Apple Stock History Timeline: The 2000s

June 21, 2000: Second Apple Stock Split

Apple's revival coincided with the dot-com boom, and Apple stock rode the wave. By June of 2000 it had breached $90, and a second 2-for-1 stock split took place.

Split-adjusted AAPL stock price: $0.99

Oct. 23, 2001: The iPod Debuts

The iPod was Apple's first major venture outside the world of traditional computers. Along with the introduction of the iTunes Store and online downloads, the iPod revolutionized how music was sold.

Split-adjusted AAPL stock price: $0.32

Feb. 18, 2005: Third Apple Stock Split

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With a thriving music business that created a "halo effect" for the Mac business, Apple stock was again ripe for a split in 2005.

Split-adjusted AAPL stock price: $1.55

June 29, 2007: The iPhone Debuts

No product has had more impact on the Apple stock price than the iPhone. With its touchscreen interface and ability to run third-party apps, it completely revolutionized the mobile phone industry.

Split-adjusted AAPL stock price: $4.36

The 2010s

April 3, 2010: The iPad Debuts

Apple opened another front in the mobile revolution with the iPad tablet in April 2010. Just days before, Apple's market cap had passed that of historic rival Microsoft.

Split-adjusted AAPL stock price:$8.52

Oct. 5, 2011: Steve Jobs Dies; Cook Takes the Helm

Apple's visionary leader finally succumbed to pancreatic cancer, but not before grooming Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook to replace him as CEO. Some questioned the company's ability to thrive without its muse, but Apple proved it could succeed without him.

Split-adjusted AAPL stock price: $13.51

Aug. 1, 2013: Apple Steals Title of Most Valuable Company

After a two-year seesaw battle, Apple finally wrested the title of world's most valuable company for good from Exxon Mobil Corp. (NYSE: XOM). It was just one of several crowns Apple would wrest from Exxon.

Split-adjusted AAPL stock price:$16.31

June 9, 2014: Fourth Apple Stock Split

The immense profitability of the iPhone worldwide drove steep earnings growth. By 2014, Apple's earnings blowouts had pushed the stock past $600. Because of the high stock price, Apple opted for a rare 7-to-1 split. That opened the door to Apple's addition to the Dow Jones Industrial Average in March of 2015.

Split-adjusted AAPL stock price: $23.42

April 24, 2015: Apple Watch Debuts

Apple moved into wearable tech with the Apple Watch, which despite some early skepticism soon came to dominate the category.

Split-adjusted AAPL stock price: $32.57

August 2, 2018:  Apple Becomes First U.S. $1 Trillion Company

Apple made it to this milestone on the strength of the growth of its Services business, such as the App Store and Apple Music.

Split-adjusted AAPL stock price: $51.85

The 2020s

August 19, 2020: Apple Becomes First U.S. $2 Trillion Company

Apple added another $1 trillion in market cap in just two years, powered by strong growth in its wearables devices, its Services segment, and  anticipation of a 5G iPhone.

Split-adjusted AAPL stock price: $115.71

August 31, 2020: Fifth Apple Stock Split

With Apple stock up more than 400% since the 2014 split, the company decided to do another. This one was a 4-to-1 split.

Split-adjusted AAPL stock price: $129.04

Editor's Note: This Apple stock history was updated Sept,. 1, 2020.

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About the Author

David Zeiler, Associate Editor for Money Morning at Money Map Press, has been a journalist for more than 35 years, including 18 spent at The Baltimore Sun. He has worked as a writer, editor, and page designer at different times in his career. He's interviewed a number of well-known personalities - ranging from punk rock icon Joey Ramone to Apple Inc. co-founder Steve Wozniak.

Over the course of his journalistic career, Dave has covered many diverse subjects. Since arriving at Money Morning in 2011, he has focused primarily on technology. He's an expert on both Apple and cryptocurrencies. He started writing about Apple for The Sun in the mid-1990s, and had an Apple blog on The Sun's web site from 2007-2009. Dave's been writing about Bitcoin since 2011 - long before most people had even heard of it. He even mined it for a short time.

Dave has a BA in English and Mass Communications from Loyola University Maryland.

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