7 Facts About Facebook and Its History
Fact-checked on
In this article
Facebook has changed considerably since its launch. These facts focus on documented milestones rather than old user totals, unsupported demographic claims or rankings that quickly become outdated.
1. Facebook launched in 2004
Meta’s company history dates Facebook’s launch to 2004. That makes its early history much older than many newer social platforms.
2. The Like button came later
The familiar Like button was introduced in 2009. It was not part of Facebook from its first year.
3. Reactions expanded the ways to respond
Facebook introduced five additional Reactions in 2016: Love, Haha, Wow, Sad and Angry. They extended the original Like response.
4. Instagram joined the company in 2012
The company’s published history records the Instagram acquisition in 2012. Instagram and Facebook remain distinct services within the same wider corporate group.
5. WhatsApp joined in 2014
WhatsApp’s acquisition is another milestone in the group’s expansion. It should not be confused with the creation of Facebook itself.
6. The parent company adopted the Meta name in 2021
The corporate rebrand brought the company’s apps and technologies under the Meta brand. It did not rename the Facebook app to Meta.
7. Messenger is one of the group’s separate apps
Meta lists Messenger alongside Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp in its company history. A statistic about one service should not automatically be described as a statistic about all of them.
Tip: When comparing social-media statistics, check the reporting date and whether the number refers to accounts, people, daily users or monthly users.
