Both old and new Amazon Prime users are gearing up for the much-anticipated Amazon Prime Day deals launching Monday night.
As you take advantage of the biggest bargains from the multi-million dollar company’s sale of the year, take a look back at its humble beginnings.
Here are five things you probably didn’t know about Amazon:
1. It began in a garage.
Like many big companies and hit bands that once started in a college dorm room or basement, Amazon’s humble beginnings originated in the garage of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos.
2. It was originally called “Cadabra.”
Yes, as in “Abracadabra.” But as soon as people began confusing “Cadabra” with “cadaver,” that name went out the window.
Bezos instead chose "Amazon.com," to suggest something of a large scale.
3. When it went live, it only sold books.
Amazon.com wasn’t always “Amazonian.” When it went live, it actually only sold books. But now, Amazon.com sells everything from electronics to apparel to groceries.
4. Every time a purchase was made, a bell would ring in the company office.
This humble tradition of the most popular online store in the U.S. is no longer.
5. In 2012, a web services crash cost the company millions of dollars.
Amazon’s web services went down for an hour in October 2012, mainly affecting eastern states. This cost the company millions of dollars.
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Credit: David McNew
Credit: David McNew
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