History of Yahoo
Yahoo was founded in January 1994 by Jerry Yang and David Filo, two graduate students at Stanford University. Initially, it started as 'Jerry and David’s Guide to the World Wide Web,' a simple directory of websites categorized by topics. As the internet rapidly grew, they transformed their project into Yahoo Inc. in 1995. The company quickly became one of the most popular web portals, offering search, news, email, and other online services. By the late 1990s and early 2000s, Yahoo was a dominant force in the internet industry, competing with companies like Google and Microsoft.
Despite its early success, Yahoo struggled to keep up with evolving digital trends, particularly in search and advertising. It missed opportunities to acquire companies like Google and Facebook, which later dominated the online space. Over the years, Yahoo underwent several leadership changes, attempted multiple restructuring efforts, and was eventually acquired by Verizon Communications in 2017 for $4.48 billion. Today, Yahoo continues to operate as a web services provider, but its influence has significantly diminished compared to its peak years.