Apple’s 50-year journey from garage to tech titan

In early 1976 in California, Steve Wozniak had just completed the design of a computer circuit board he intended to share with fellow hobbyists at a prominent local club. His friend Steve Jobs ​also saw a business opportunity to manufacture and sell the boards, and thus Apple (AAPL.O) was born.

The company turns 50 on ‌Wednesday. Its rise has shaped both the technology industry and popular culture by making first desktop computers and then smartphones mainstream, popularizing mobile...