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Jeff Bezos leaves his job on Wall Street and founds Amazon in Seattle, starting the company in his garage with the dream of building the world’s biggest online retailer. -
Amazon.com officially goes live as an online bookstore. Within weeks, the site is generating tens of thousands of dollars in weekly sales. -
Amazon launches its IPO on NASDAQ at $18 per share, raising $54 million. The company is valued at $438 million. -
Amazon introduces Prime, a subscription service offering fast, free shipping. It marks the start of long-term customer loyalty programs. -
Amazon launches AWS, beginning with cloud storage and computing services. This move will eventually become Amazon’s most profitable business line. -
Amazon releases the first Kindle e-reader, changing the way people read and buy books. It sells out within hours of launch. -
Amazon launches Alexa, its AI voice assistant, along with Echo smart speakers—setting the stage for a major push into smart home technology. -
Amazon buys Whole Foods Market for $13.7 billion, entering the physical grocery market and expanding its logistics capabilities. -
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Amazon reports record revenue of $386 billion, as demand for online shopping and home delivery explodes. -
Jeff Bezos announces his resignation as CEO. Andy Jassy, the head of AWS, takes over as the new CEO. Bezos becomes Executive Chairman. -
Amazon begins shutting down some physical stores to focus more on automation, digital services, and healthcare innovation. -
AWS accelerates its investments in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and next-generation cloud infrastructure. -
Amazon expands drone delivery and the rollout of its Just Walk Out technology in Amazon Go stores. Amazon Pharmacy and telehealth offerings also grow. -
Andy Jassy faces mounting regulatory pressure in the U.S. and Europe. At the same time, Amazon pilots new AI-driven healthcare services and explores deeper integration of Alexa with wearable devices.