Apple’s 50th Anniversary: Party at Apple Park & Global Celebrations

Apple is planning an elaborate 50th-anniversary celebration at its Apple Park headquarters in Cupertino, California, with hardware engineering chief John Ternus expected to take center stage, according to a report by Bloomberg News.

The event, intended to mark the company’s milestone on April 1, will likely take place under the rainbow arches in the middle of Apple Park, though details remain scarce. It’s currently unclear whether the celebration will be limited to Apple employees or if a public component involving the Apple Park Visitor Center is planned. Apple has not responded to requests for comment regarding potential press access.

The celebration follows a series of smaller events Apple has hosted globally to commemorate its 50th anniversary. Earlier this month, the company surprised attendees at its Grand Central store in Fresh York City with a performance by Alicia Keys. Similar events have since been held in China, South Korea, and Thailand, with additional celebrations planned in Australia, Canada, France, and the UK.

MacRumors has been invited to attend the London celebration this week, but is withholding specific details to preserve Apple’s planned surprises.

Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering, reports directly to CEO Tim Cook and leads all hardware engineering teams, including those responsible for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, AirPods, and Apple Vision Pro. He joined Apple in 2001, initially working on the Apple Cinema Display, and was appointed vice president of hardware engineering in 2013, overseeing the development of AirPods, Mac, and iPad. In 2020, his responsibilities expanded to include iPhone hardware, previously managed by Dan Riccio. He succeeded Riccio as senior vice president of hardware engineering in 2021 and added Apple Watch hardware to his portfolio in late 2022.

A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in mechanical engineering, Ternus has become a frequent presenter at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) and other product reveal events. Bloomberg News has reported that Ternus is the youngest member of Apple’s executive team and has been widely discussed in the media as a potential successor to Tim Cook.

Apple has recently unveiled a flurry of new products this March, including the iPhone 17e, updated iPad Air and MacBook Air models featuring the M4 and M5 chips respectively, new MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, the MacBook Neo, updated Studio Displays, AirPods Max 2, and the Nike Powerbeats Pro 2.

The company has too released iOS 26.4, which includes a new AI-powered playlist generator within Apple Music and updated emoji characters.