Apple hosts multiple events every year, including the company’s Worldwide Developers Conference. These events are usually where new Apple products are announced, as well as product updates and keynote addresses from company leadership.
Apple’s WWDC24 event will be held at Apple’s headquarters — known as Apple Park — in Cupertino, California, on June 10, at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET. The event is invite-only, and those who wish to attend must apply directly to Apple well in advance.
The 2024 event is expected to unveil a major operating system upgrade with iOS 18, and most likely some new AI features.
Invitation applications are already closed for WWDC24, but you can still watch the keynote. Apple livestreams it on its website, YouTube channel, the Apple Developer app, and the Apple TV app.
Here’s a timeline of some of Apple’s most iconic events:
1983: Lisa debuts
The first WWDC was held in 1983. At the time, it was called the Apple Independent Software Developers Conference. Attendees got a glimpse of the first personal desktop computer with a graphics interface, called Lisa, named for co-founder Steve Jobs’ daughter.
1984: The Mac debut
Apple debuted the Macintosh computer at an event in 1984. The Mac featured a graphical user interface, known as GUI, and a navigational mouse.
1997: Jobs returns
When Steve Jobs returned to Apple in 1997, he walked on stage during a keynote to a roaring applause. He co-founded the company two decades earlier but was fired by the company’s board in 1985. His return spurred a turnaround for Apple, which was facing bankruptcy at the time.
1998: First iMac introduced
Apple’s introduction of the first iMac in 1998 was a hit with event attendees. With its colorful design and user-friendliness, the iMac was the first computer that “seemed cool and wasn’t focused on the enterprise.”
1999: Wi-Fi demo
At a 1999 event, Jobs made a show of demonstrating the iBook’s Wi-Fi capabilities. He picked up the laptop and walked around while browsing the web.
2011: iPod revealed
During a 2001 intimate event, Apple CEO Jobs revealed the iPod. The pocket-sized product moved people away from CD players to MP3 players, and then to the music streaming that’s ubiquitous today.
2007: Going ‘ballistic’ for the iPhone
When Jobs unveiled the iPhone in 2007 and described it as “an iPod, a phone, and an internet communicator” in one device, conference attendees “went ballistic.” The iPhone remains Apple’s best-selling product.
2010: The unveiling of the iPad
Apple unveiled the iPad in 2010, and the audience at the keynote address was surprised to learn that it only cost $499, about half as much as many people expected.
Also, at an event that year, Jobs demonstrated FaceTime for the first time.
2011: Cook takeover
Tim Cook took over as Apple CEO in 2011, following Steve Jobs’ death. At an event that year, Cook introduced the Apple Watch, a new product category for the company. Cook used Jobs’ iconic catchphrase, “one more thing,” during the announcement.
2016: AirPods debuted
Apple unveiled its wireless AirPods in 2016 after the company had announced plans to remove the headphone jack from its iPhones.
2023: Mixed-reality headset
At its 2023 WWDC in June, Cook revealed the Vision Pro, the company’s first mixed-reality headset. It was Apple’s first major product release since the Apple Watch. The headset was released in the US in early 2024 with a $3,499 price tag.
