Many of companies that shape our daily lives have been around for decades, founded before widespread use of the internet, smartphones and social media thrust us into the era of digital connectivity.
This year marks the 50th anniversaries of Intel, Imax and the day the first Boeing 747 rolled off the production line. (The jet airliner retired this year.) It’s also the 35th anniversary of the founding of AOL (then Control Video Corporation) and the 60th anniversary of Visa and consumer credit cards.
Looking back 100 years, 1918 was a momentous year: World War I ended and the Spanish Flu pandemic broke out. Meanwhile, Panasonic was founded and the grocery bag was invented. And 115 years ago, the Wright Brothers took the first airplane flight.
Related: Why These 10 Companies Turning 100 or Older in 2017 Still Matter
By comparison, a number of startups and innovations have emerged in the past five, 10, 15 and even 20 years (“Gen Z”-aged, if you will) that are now approaching the same level of household-name status. Some are still in the startup phase, while others have been acquired (or have acquired others) and continue to grow.
Many of the internet companies whose products we use today had to either survive the dot-com bubble at the turn of the millennium or rise from the ashes afterwards. Then, of course, there are some that have arguably already reached and passed their prime in the 21st century alone, as technology has evolved further.
While this is by no means a comprehensive list, click through the slides to see which businesses are celebrating milestones in 2018.