Facebook Launches at Harvard University

The site was founded by Mark Zuckerberg along with fellow Harvard students Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Moskovitz, and Chris Hughes. Originally named “Thefacebook,” the platform was initially limited to Harvard students with valid university email addresses. Within 24 hours of launch, more than 1,000 students had registered accounts, according to later accounts by Zuckerberg. The platform allowed users to create personal profiles, upload photos, list interests, and connect with classmates. It expanded to other Ivy League universities within weeks and gradually opened to additional colleges and universities across the United States and Canada during 2004. In 2005, the company dropped “The” from its name after acquiring the domain facebook.com. Facebook’s early growth was driven by its real-name policy and structured campus-based network model, distinguishing it from other social networking sites at the time. In 2006, Facebook opened registration to anyone aged 13 and older with a valid email address. The company later went public in 2012 and became one of the largest social media platforms globally. The 04/02/2004 launch at Harvard marked the beginning of Facebook’s expansion from a campus network to a global social networking service. #Facebook #SocialMediaHistory #MarkZuckerberg #Harvard #InternetHistory