Apple turns 40: From failed Macintosh to 1bn devices in use

Apple celebrates its 40th birthday today having risen from a three-man project in a California garage to the most valuable company in the world, estimated to be worth over $700bn (€615bn).

Founders Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne created the company on April 1, 1976, as they set about selling computer kits to hobbyists, each of which was hand-built by Wozniak.

Today the company has more than 480 retail stores in 18 countries worldwide and reported income of over $18bn (€15.8bn) for the first quarter of this year.