History of Mark Zuckerberg in Timeline
Mark Zuckerberg is an American businessman best known as the co-founder, chairman, CEO, and controlling shareholder of Meta Platforms (formerly Facebook). He launched Facebook, a prominent social media service, and has since overseen its growth and evolution. Zuckerberg's career has been marked by both significant success and controversies, including lawsuits related to the platform's creation and concerns surrounding user privacy. He remains a central figure in the tech industry and a subject of public and critical attention.
1934: Communications Act
In 1934, the Communications Act was passed, and in 2020, the US Senate Commerce Committee issued subpoenas to CEOs of tech firms, including Zuckerberg, to testify about the legal immunity the law affords tech platforms under Section 230.
May 14, 1984: Mark Zuckerberg Born
On May 14, 1984, Mark Elliot Zuckerberg was born. He is an American businessman and co-founder of Facebook and Meta Platforms.
1984: Hackers Book
In 1984 Steven Levy wrote the book 'Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution'.
2002: Started Harvard Classes
By the time Zuckerberg began classes at Harvard in 2002, he had already achieved a "reputation as a programming prodigy".
2002: Zuckerberg registered to vote in Westchester County, New York
In 2002, Zuckerberg registered to vote in Westchester County, New York, where he grew up.
April 28, 2003: Contract signed with Paul Ceglia (disputed)
On April 28, 2003, Paul Ceglia claimed he and Zuckerberg signed a contract where an initial fee of $1,000 entitled Ceglia to 50% of the website's revenue, as well as an additional 1% interest in the business per day after January 1, 2004, until website completion. Zuckerberg was developing other projects at the time, among which was Facemash, the predecessor to Facebook.
2003: Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan began dating
Zuckerberg met fellow Harvard student Priscilla Chan at a frat party and began dating in 2003.
January 1, 2004: thefacebook.com domain registered
On January 1, 2004, Mark Zuckerberg registered the domain name thefacebook.com.
January 2004: Started Writing Code for Thefacebook
In January 2004, Zuckerberg began writing code for a new website.
February 4, 2004: Launched Thefacebook
On February 4, 2004, Zuckerberg launched "Thefacebook", originally located at thefacebook.com, in partnership with his roommates.
February 2004: Launch of i2hub
A month after Zuckerberg launched Facebook in February 2004, i2hub, another campus-only service, created by Wayne Chang and focusing on peer-to-peer file sharing, was launched.
February 2004: Facebook Launched
In February 2004, Mark Zuckerberg launched Facebook with his roommates at Harvard College: Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Moskovitz, and Chris Hughes.
August 2004: Launch of Wirehog
In August 2004, Zuckerberg, Andrew McCollum, Adam D'Angelo, and Sean Parker launched a competing peer-to-peer file sharing service called Wirehog.
2004: Filed Lawsuit
In 2004, Harvard students Cameron Winklevoss, Tyler Winklevoss, and Divya Narendra accused Zuckerberg of intentionally making them believe he would help them build a social network called HarvardConnection.com (later called ConnectU). They filed a lawsuit.
2004: Moved to Palo Alto
In 2004, Zuckerberg dropped out of Harvard and moved to Palo Alto, California with his co-founders and met Peter Thiel, who invested in his company.
2005: Lawsuit filed by Eduardo Saverin
In 2005, Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin filed a lawsuit against Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook, alleging Zuckerberg illegally spent Saverin's money on personal expenses. The suit was settled out of court, with Saverin retaining his co-founder title and agreeing to stop speaking to the press.
March 28, 2007: Lawsuit Dismissed
On March 28, 2007, the lawsuit filed by the Winklevoss twins was dismissed on a technicality.
November 2007: Confidential Documents Posted Online
In November 2007, confidential court documents, including Zuckerberg's Social Security number, were posted on the website of 02138, a magazine that catered to Harvard alumni.
2007: Remarks at Startup School
In 2007, Zuckerberg made a controversial assertion at Y Combinator's Startup School course at Stanford University that "young people are just smarter" and that other entrepreneurs should bias towards hiring young people.
2007: Named a Top Innovator
In 2007, Zuckerberg was added to MIT Technology Review's TR35 list as one of the top 35 innovators in the world under the age of 35.
2007: Facebook Platform Applications Launched
Wirehog was a precursor to Facebook Platform applications, which was launched in 2007.
June 25, 2008: Case Settled
On June 25, 2008, the lawsuit case settled, Facebook agreed to transfer over 1.2 million common shares and pay $20 million in cash.
November 2008: Zuckerberg cast his first ballot in November 2008
In November 2008, Zuckerberg cast his first ballot after registering to vote in 2002.
2008: Becomes World's Youngest Self-Made Billionaire
In 2008, at the age of 23, Zuckerberg became the world's youngest self-made billionaire.
2008: Zuckerberg named one of Time's most influential people
Time named Zuckerberg one of the most influential people in the world in 2008.
April 2009: Sought Advice from Peter Currie
In April 2009, Zuckerberg sought the advice of former Netscape CFO Peter Currie regarding financing strategies for Facebook.
2009: Ranked on Vanity Fair 100 List
In 2009, Zuckerberg ranked number 23 on the Vanity Fair 100 list.
June 2010: Criminal investigation launched in Pakistan
In June 2010, Pakistani Deputy Attorney General Muhammad Azhar Sidiqque initiated a criminal investigation into Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook co-founders Dustin Moskovitz and Chris Hughes after a "Draw Muhammad" contest was hosted on Facebook, also naming the contest's creator. Sidiqque requested police contact Interpol to arrest Zuckerberg and the others for blasphemy and asked its UN representative to raise the issue with the United Nations General Assembly.
June 2010: Paul Ceglia files suit claiming Facebook ownership
In June 2010, Paul Ceglia filed a lawsuit against Zuckerberg, claiming 84% ownership of Facebook and seeking monetary damages. Ceglia alleged a 2003 contract entitled him to 50% of the website's revenue plus 1% interest per day after January 1, 2004.
July 21, 2010: Facebook Reaches 500 Million Users
On July 21, 2010, Zuckerberg reported that Facebook had reached the 500-million-user mark.
September 2010: Priscilla Chan moved into Zuckerberg's house
In September 2010, Chan, who was a medical student at the University of California, San Francisco at the time, moved into his rented house in Palo Alto, California.
September 2010: $100 million donation to Newark Public Schools
In September 2010, Zuckerberg donated $100 million to Newark Public Schools, which led to criticism due to the timing of the release of "The Social Network".
September 2010: Zuckerberg pledged US$100 million to Newark Public Schools with Booker's support
In September 2010, with the support of Governor Chris Christie, Booker obtained a US$100 million pledge from Zuckerberg to Newark Public Schools.
October 1, 2010: Release of "The Social Network"
On October 1, 2010, the movie "The Social Network", based on Zuckerberg and the founding of Facebook, was released, starring Jesse Eisenberg as Zuckerberg.
October 3, 2010: Voice appearance on The Simpsons
On October 3, 2010, Zuckerberg voiced himself on an episode of The Simpsons titled "Loan-a Lisa", where he tells Lisa Simpson that she does not need to graduate from college to be wildly successful, referencing Bill Gates and Richard Branson.
October 9, 2010: Saturday Night Live lampoons Zuckerberg
On October 9, 2010, Saturday Night Live lampooned Zuckerberg and Facebook. Andy Samberg portrayed the role of Zuckerberg, and Zuckerberg was reported to have been amused.
October 30, 2010: Awarded a "Medal of Fear" by Stephen Colbert
On October 30, 2010, Stephen Colbert awarded a "Medal of Fear" to Zuckerberg at the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear because "he values his privacy much more than he values yours".
2010: Identifies as Hacker
In 2010, Steven Levy wrote that Zuckerberg "clearly thinks of himself as a hacker". Zuckerberg said that "it's OK to break things" "to make them better".
2010: The Social Network Released
In 2010, The Social Network, a film depicting Zuckerberg's early career, legal troubles, and success with Facebook, was released and won multiple Academy Awards.
2010: Most Influential Person of the Information Age
In 2010, Vanity Fair magazine named Zuckerberg number 1 on its list of the Top 100 "most influential people of the Information Age".
2010: Zuckerberg named Time Person of the Year
In 2010, Zuckerberg was named the Time Person of the Year, the same year when Facebook eclipsed more than half a billion users.
2010: Signs The Giving Pledge
In 2010, Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, and Warren Buffett signed The Giving Pledge, committing to donate at least half of their wealth to charity.
January 2011: Guest appearance on Saturday Night Live
In January 2011, Zuckerberg made a surprise guest appearance on Saturday Night Live, hosted by Jesse Eisenberg. It was the first time they met and Zuckerberg said the movie "The Social Network" was interesting.
January 16, 2011: "The Social Network" wins Golden Globe Award
On January 16, 2011, upon winning the Golden Globe Award for Best Picture, producer Scott Rudin thanked Facebook and Zuckerberg for allowing them to use his life and work as a metaphor, and Aaron Sorkin, who won for Best Screenplay, retracted some of the impressions given in his script.
2011: Facebook first participated in the San Francisco Pride Celebration with 70 employees
In 2011, Facebook first participated in the annual San Francisco Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Celebration with 70 employees.
2011: "The Facebook Effect" published
In 2011, according to David Kirkpatrick, the book "The Facebook Effect: The Inside Story of the Company that is Connecting the World" was published. Kirkpatrick stated that the movie "The Social Network" is only 40% true and gives a false overall impression of Zuckerberg, whose primary motivation was to create a new way to share information on the Internet.
2011: Talks about Jobs' Advice
In a 2011 interview with PBS shortly after the death of Steve Jobs, Zuckerberg said that Jobs had advised him on how to create a management team at Facebook.
2011: Zuckerberg named one of Time's most influential people
Time named Zuckerberg one of the most influential people in the world in 2011.
May 2012: Facebook Goes Public
In May 2012, Zuckerberg took Facebook public with majority shares.
May 19, 2012: Zuckerberg married Priscilla Chan
On May 19, 2012, Zuckerberg married Priscilla Chan in the grounds of his mansion in an event that also celebrated her graduation from medical school.
October 26, 2012: Paul Ceglia arrested for fraud
On October 26, 2012, federal authorities arrested Paul Ceglia for mail and wire fraud, accusing him of tampering with evidence to defraud Zuckerberg of billions regarding Facebook ownership.
December 2012: Pledge to donate majority of wealth
In December 2012, Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan pledged to give the majority of their wealth to "advancing human potential and promoting equality", in the spirit of The Giving Pledge.
December 2012: Zuckerberg donated 18 million shares to the Silicon Valley Community Foundation
In December 2012, Zuckerberg donated 18 million shares to the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, a community organization that includes education in its list of grant-making areas.
2012: Zuckerberg voted in the 2012 general election
In 2012, Zuckerberg voted in at least two of the past three general elections, including the one held in 2012.
February 2013: Zuckerberg hosted fundraising event for Chris Christie
In February 2013, Zuckerberg hosted his first fundraising event for then New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, focusing on education reform.
April 6, 2013: Home Promotional Campaign
On April 6, 2013, Rebecca Van Dyck reported that 85 million American Facebook users were exposed to the first day of the Home promotional campaign.
April 11, 2013: Zuckerberg led the launch of FWD.us
On April 11, 2013, Zuckerberg led the launch of a 501(c)(4) lobbying group called FWD.us, which was comprised of Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and investors. The goals of the group include immigration reform, improving the state of education, and enabling more technological breakthroughs, yet it has also been criticized for financing ads advocating for oil and gas development initiatives.
June 2013: Zuckerberg joined Facebook employees in San Francisco Pride Celebration
In June 2013, Zuckerberg joined Facebook employees in a company float as part of the annual San Francisco Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Celebration, marking an increase in participation from 70 employees in 2011 to 700 in 2013.
June 20, 2013: Zuckerberg engaged with Facebook users on his profile page after FWD.us video release
On June 20, 2013, Zuckerberg actively engaged with Facebook users on his own profile page after the online publication of a FWD.us video, responding to claims about the organization's goals.
August 19, 2013: Facebook Profile Hacked
On August 19, 2013, The Washington Post reported that Zuckerberg's Facebook profile was hacked by an unemployed web developer.
September 2013: TechCrunch Disrupt Conference
At the 2013 TechCrunch Disrupt conference held in September, Zuckerberg raised the goal of expanding Internet coverage into developing countries.
September 2013: Zuckerberg commented on the PRISM scandal at TechCrunch Disrupt conference
In September 2013, Zuckerberg commented on the mid-2013 PRISM scandal at the TechCrunch Disrupt conference, stating that the U.S. government "blew it" in protecting citizens' freedoms and companies.
December 2013: Donation of Facebook shares to Silicon Valley Community Foundation
In December 2013, Zuckerberg announced a donation of 18 million Facebook shares to the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, totaling $990 million and recognized as the largest charitable gift on public record for that year.
2013: Appearance in documentary film
In 2013, Zuckerberg appeared in the climax of the documentary film "Terms and Conditions May Apply".
2013: Launched Internet.org
In 2013, Zuckerberg launched Internet.org, an initiative to provide Internet access to the five billion people without it as of the launch date.
October 2014: $25 million donation to combat Ebola
In October 2014, Zuckerberg and his wife donated $25 million to combat the Ebola virus disease, specifically the West African Ebola virus epidemic.
October 23, 2014: Q&A Session at Tsinghua University
On October 23, 2014, Zuckerberg participated in a Q&A session at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China, where he conversed in Mandarin Chinese.
December 11, 2014: Live Q&A Session at Facebook HQ
On December 11, 2014, Zuckerberg fielded questions during a live Q&A session at Facebook's headquarters in Menlo Park.
2014: Land purchase in Kauaʻi
In 2014, Zuckerberg purchased 700 acres of land on the Hawaiian island of Kauaʻi.
February 2015: $75 million donation to San Francisco General Hospital
In February 2015, the couple endowed the foundation of the San Francisco General Hospital with $75 million, which was the biggest individual donation to a U.S. public hospital, and the hospital was renamed The Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center.
July 2015: Zuckerberg announced that he and Chan were expecting a baby girl
In July 2015, Zuckerberg revealed that he and Chan were expecting a baby girl and that Chan had previously experienced three miscarriages.
November 2015: Paris attacks
The November 2015 Paris attacks were mentioned in Zuckerberg's statement on December 9, 2015, in response to the attacks and the 2015 San Bernardino attack.
December 1, 2015: Pledge to transfer 99% of Facebook shares to CZI
On December 1, 2015, Zuckerberg and his wife pledged to transfer 99% of their Facebook shares, then valued at $45 billion, to the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) over the course of their lives.
December 9, 2015: Zuckerberg posted statement supporting Muslims on Facebook
On December 9, 2015, Zuckerberg posted a statement on his Facebook wall supporting Muslims in response to the aftermath of the November 2015 Paris attacks and the 2015 San Bernardino attack, emphasizing that Muslims are "always welcome" on Facebook.
December 2015: Zuckerberg's first daughter was born
In December 2015, Zuckerberg's and Chan's first daughter was born.
2015: Zuckerberg spoke at Mother Emanuel
In 2017, Zuckerberg spoke at Mother Emanuel, where a shooting took place in 2015.
February 24, 2016: Zuckerberg rebuked employees for overwriting 'Black Lives Matter' phrases
On February 24, 2016, Zuckerberg sent out a company-wide memo formally rebuking employees who had crossed out 'Black Lives Matter' phrases on company walls and had written 'All Lives Matter' in their place, considering this practice disrespectful and malicious. He also launched investigations into the incidents.
June 2016: Named Top Business Visionary
In June 2016, Business Insider named Zuckerberg one of the "Top 10 Business Visionaries Creating Value for the World".
2016: Co-founded Breakthrough Starshot
In 2016, Zuckerberg co-founded the solar sail spacecraft development project Breakthrough Starshot with Yuri Milner and Stephen Hawking.
2016: Zuckerberg said that he believes religion is very important
In 2016, Zuckerberg said that he believes religion is very important, after having previously identified as an atheist.
2016: CZI donation to create Chan Zuckerberg Biohub
In 2016, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) donated $600 million to create the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, a collaborative research space in San Francisco to foster collaboration between scientists at UCSF, UC Berkeley, and Stanford University. Biohub would jointly own intellectual property, and unlike other foundations, retained the right to commercialize any research it funds. CZ Biohub required investigators to publish manuscripts on preprints servers such as bioRxiv. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Zuckerberg also announced $25 million in grants to support local journalism and $75 million in advertisement purchases in local newspapers by Facebook, Inc.
2016: Zuckerberg named one of Time's most influential people
Time named Zuckerberg one of the most influential people in the world in 2016.
January 2017: Zuckerberg criticized Trump's executive order on immigration
In January 2017, Zuckerberg criticized Donald Trump's executive order to severely limit immigrants and refugees from some countries.
January 2017: "Quiet title and partition" lawsuits filed in Hawaii
In January 2017, Zuckerberg filed eight "quiet title and partition" lawsuits against hundreds of native Hawaiians to claim small tracts of land they owned within his acreage. He later dropped the lawsuits.
May 25, 2017: Received Honorary Degree from Harvard
On May 25, 2017, Zuckerberg received an honorary degree from Harvard after giving a commencement speech.
August 2017: Zuckerberg's second daughter was born
In August 2017, Zuckerberg's and Chan's second daughter was born.
2017: Zuckerberg and Chan began a nationwide tour
In 2017, Zuckerberg and his wife began a nationwide tour "to visit every state in the union and learn more about a sliver of the nearly two billion people who regularly use the social network".
2017: Zuckerberg called for action against global warming at Harvard commencement speech
In 2017, Zuckerberg called for action to stop global warming in a commencement speech at Harvard University.
2018: Testimony before US Senate Committee
In 2018, on April 10 and 11, Zuckerberg testified before the United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation regarding the usage of personal data by Facebook in relation to the Facebook–Cambridge Analytica data scandal. He called the whole affair a breach of trust between Aleksandr Kogan, Cambridge Analytica, and Facebook.
2019: Zuckerberg named one of Time's most influential people
Time named Zuckerberg one of the most influential people in the world in 2019.
October 1, 2020: Subpoena issued by US Senate Committee
On October 1, 2020, the US Senate Commerce Committee unanimously voted to issue subpoenas to the CEOs of three top tech firms, including Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook, Sundar Pichai of Google, and Jack Dorsey of Twitter, to testify about the legal immunity afforded to tech platforms under Section 230 of the Communications Act.
2020: Zuckerberg funded ballot initiative to alter California's Proposition 13
In 2020, Zuckerberg funded a state-level ballot initiative for the 2020 general election that would raise taxes by altering California's Proposition 13 to require the tax assessment of commercial and industrial properties in the state at market rate.
2020: Measure condemning hospital renaming
In 2020, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed a measure condemning the renaming of San Francisco General Hospital after Zuckerberg and Chan, citing concerns about Facebook endangering public health and spreading misinformation.
January 6, 2021: Attack on the US Capitol Building
On January 6, 2021, the attack on the US Capitol Building was an event that lead to Zuckerberg being questioned on March 25, 2021, before the House Energy and Commerce Committee regarding Facebook's role in the spread of misinformation and hate speech related to the attack.
March 25, 2021: Testimony before House Energy and Commerce Committee
On March 25, 2021, Zuckerberg testified before the House Energy and Commerce Committee regarding Facebook's role in the spread of misinformation and hate speech.
2022: Zuckerberg Starts MMA and BJJ Training
In 2022, Mark Zuckerberg began training in mixed martial arts (MMA) and Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ), openly expressing his enthusiasm for these sports.
March 2023: Zuckerberg and Chan welcomed their third daughter
In March 2023, Zuckerberg and Chan welcomed their third daughter and announced the news across his social media pages.
May 6, 2023: Zuckerberg Wins Medals in BJJ Tournament
On May 6, 2023, Mark Zuckerberg competed in a BJJ tournament and secured both a silver and a gold medal while competing at the white belt level in both gi and no gi.
July 2023: Zuckerberg Promoted to Blue Belt in BJJ
In July 2023, Dave Camarillo promoted Mark Zuckerberg to blue belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
2023: Zuckerberg ranked eighth wealthiest American on Forbes 400
In the Forbes 400 list of wealthiest Americans in 2023, Zuckerberg was ranked eighth with a personal wealth of $106 billion.
January 2024: Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on child safety
In January 2024, Zuckerberg testified at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on child safety and social media platforms and apologized to the families of children who were victims of online abuse and harm.
August 2024: Zuckerberg expressed regret over COVID-19 censorship pressure
In an August 2024 letter to the House Judiciary Committee, Zuckerberg stated he regretted not doing more to resist pressure from the Biden administration to censor content related to COVID-19. He also noted he no longer intends to donate towards election infrastructure.
September 2024: Trump mentioned Zuckerberg in 'Save America'
In September 2024, Donald Trump's book 'Save America' mentioned Zuckerberg's visits to the White House and warned him against illegal activities in the 2024 Presidential Election.
October 2024: Zuckerberg became the second richest person in the world
In October 2024, Zuckerberg became the second richest person in the world.
December 2024: Zuckerberg's net worth estimated at $219 billion by Forbes
As of December 2024, Zuckerberg's net worth was estimated at $219 billion by Forbes, making him the fourth richest person in the world.
2024: Zuckerberg commissioned sculpture of Priscilla Chan
In 2024, Zuckerberg commissioned visual artist Daniel Arsham to build a 7-foot-tall sculpture of his wife, Priscilla Chan, which was unveiled this year.
2024: Zuckerberg changed his style
In 2024, Zuckerberg shifted his style, wearing gold chains and trendier streetwear, which was described by Vanity Fair as a "MAGA rebrand."
January 2025: Zuckerberg commented on the new U.S. administration
In January 2025, Zuckerberg commented positively on the new U.S. administration, stating they prioritize American technology and will defend American values and interests abroad.
March 2025: Second Richest Person
According to Forbes, as of March 2025, Zuckerberg's estimated net worth was $214.1 billion, making him the second richest person in the world.
March 2025: Zuckerberg attempted to leverage relationship with Trump for FTC settlement
In March 2025, Zuckerberg attempted to leverage his relationship with the Trump administration to get a favorable settlement in an antitrust case where the FTC was asking for $30 billion.
2025: Zuckerberg named one of Time's most influential people
Time named Zuckerberg one of the most influential people in the world in 2025.
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