Microsoft sets up in Ireland, eBay is founded and HP acquire Compaq. All on today’s On This Day from TEST Huddle.
1985 – Microsoft eyes an international base
Microsoft announces that the Republic of Ireland is to be the site of the company’s first foreign production facility. The facility will produce all of Microsoft’s software for the European market.
1995 – eBay Founded
eBay, the online auction site, is founded in San Jose, California by computer programmer Pierre Omidyar on this day in 1995. Originally named “AuctionWeb”, the first item to be sold on the website was a broken laser pointer for $14.83. The story goes that Omidyar was surprised by the success of the auction and contacted the winning bidder to check that he knew that the laser pointer was broken. The user responded by explaining, “I’m a collector of broken laser pointers.” It was then that Omidyar realised there was a clear market for a online auction site.
2001 – HP acquire Compaq
On this day in 2001, Hewlett-Packard announces that it acquired Compaq in a $25 billion deal. The two company’s hope that the deal will push HP to compete with the larger manufactures in the personal computer market; Dell, Gateway, and IBM and also take on IBM and Sun Microsystems in the server market. The terms of the deal result in each Compaq stockholder receiving 0.6325 shares of HP stock in addition to their current shares in Compaq stock. The merger was finalised in the early 2002, at which time original HP stockholders will amount to 64% of the new larger company.
If you would like to add anything to these events, or know of other significant technology events that happened on this day in history, feel free to comment below.
Images: Wikipedia/New York Times
