On This Day

Facebook blocks users in Australia from accessing news sites in response to proposed new laws for tech companies to pay

Facebook blocks users in Australia from accessing news sites in response to proposed new laws for tech companies to pay to show news content

The history of Facebook traces its growth from a college networking site to a global social networking service. It was launched as TheFacebook in 2004, and renamed Facebook in 2005.

Founded by Mark Zuckerberg and his college roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Moskovitz, and Chris Hughes at Harvard University, it was initially limited to Harvard students. It expanded to other colleges in the Boston area, the Ivy League, and gradually most universities in the United States and Canada, corporations, and by 2006 to everyone with a valid email address along with an age requirement of being 13 or older. Facebook introduced key features like the News Feed in 2006, which became central to user engagement.

Historical Significance

The history of Facebook traces its growth from a college networking site to a global social networking service.

Events Before

  1. Pro-Iranian protesters end siege of US Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq

    Pro-Iranian protesters end siege of US Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq

  2. Scotland's Peter Wright beats Dutch defending champion Michael Van Gerwen 7-3 with a 102.79 average, 34 x 140s, 11 maxim

    Scotland's Peter Wright beats Dutch defending champion Michael Van Gerwen 7-3 with a 102.79 average, 34 x 140s, 11 maximums, and 53% on doubles to seal his first PDC World Darts Championship in London

  3. Australian actor Liam Hemsworth and American singer Miley Cyrus divorce after 1 year of marriage

    Miley Ray Cyrus ( MY-lee SY-rəs, born Destiny Hope Cyrus; November 23, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress.

  4. China locks down the city of Wuhan and its 9 million people in a belated but ultimately successful effort to control the

    China locks down the city of Wuhan and its 9 million people in a belated but ultimately successful effort to control the city's COVID-19 outbreak

  5. American actress and TV host Niecy Nash (50) divorces American electrical engineer Jay Tucker after over 8 years of marr

    American actress and TV host Niecy Nash (50) divorces American electrical engineer Jay Tucker after over 8 years of marriage

Events After

  1. Chicago Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan becomes the first player in NBA history to hit buzzer-beaters on consecutive days; h

    Chicago Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan becomes the first player in NBA history to hit buzzer-beaters on consecutive days; he hits 3-pointers to beat the Washington Wizards 120-119 and the previous night the Indiana Pacers 108-106

  2. Actors Lisa Bonet and Jason Momoa divorce after four years of marriage

    Actors Lisa Bonet and Jason Momoa divorce after four years of marriage

  3. Russia launches a full-scale pre-dawn and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine by land, air, and sea, with bombings in several

    Russia launches a full-scale pre-dawn and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine by land, air, and sea, with bombings in several cities. Moments later, Vladimir Putin announces the start of a three-day “special military operation” in Ukraine to "demilitarize" the country. [1]

  4. In a major victory for Ukraine, Russia announces it is withdrawing its badly mauled forces from around Ukraine's capital

    In a major victory for Ukraine, Russia announces it is withdrawing its badly mauled forces from around Ukraine's capital, Kyiv

  5. "Top Gun Maverick" the sequel starring Tom Cruise, Miles Teller and Jennifer Connelly is released 36 years after the ori

    "Top Gun Maverick" the sequel starring Tom Cruise, Miles Teller and Jennifer Connelly is released 36 years after the original film

More from the 2020s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on February 18, 2021?
The history of Facebook traces its growth from a college networking site to a global social networking service. It was launched as TheFacebook in 2004, and renamed Facebook in 2005. Founded by Mark Zuckerberg and his college roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Moskovitz, and Chris Hughes at Harvard University, it was initially limited to Harvard students.
Why is Facebook blocks users in Australia from accessing news sites in response to p... significant?
The history of Facebook traces its growth from a college networking site to a global social networking service.

Explore More