Apple celebrates the Mac’s 30th birthday

For any longtime Apple fans, it’s amazing to think that today marks 30 years since the January 22, 1984 airing of the Nineteen Eighty Four-inspired Macintosh commercial, directed by Ridley Scott. Not only did the commercial usher in Apple’s most famous desktop computer brand, but it also served as a perfect articulation of the Apple identity: an identity that continues along the same lines three decades later.

Apple changed the computing world forever 30 years ago today when it launched the first Macintosh. To commemorate the anniversary, the company posted to its website a video and interactive timeline chronicling not only the machine’s history, but its effect on the world. As of Friday, visitors to Apple’s official website are met with a new splash page wishing Mac a happy birthday. After a short intro, users are directed to the “Mac 30” mini site, essentially an interactive animated timeline crafted to tell the Mac story from its beginning in 1984.