25 Years of Animal Magnetism

What animal first appeared on an O'Reilly cover? Where did Larry Wall and Tim Bunce first meet? Who put the first advertisement on the web? What did Linus say as he arrived, late, to the second Open Source Summit? What O'Reilly book warned against the dangers of the "technological Djinn?" The answers are all embedded in the story of O'Reilly's first 25 years.

Since 1978, O'Reilly has been searching out cool, useful, and paradigm-shattering technology, and spreading the word about it through our books, web sites, and conferences. You've been there with us all along the way, pointing us towards interesting new technology, telling us what you need, and making sure we know when we make mistakes.

We'll be celebrating our 25th anniversary throughout the year, and you're invited to come along for the fun. Share your stories, laugh at old photos, and look forward with us to the next 25 years of technology that will change the world.

Reflections on Our First 25 Years -- Tim O'Reilly writes about O'Reilly's "big hairy audacious goal:" To change the world by capturing and transmitting the knowledge of innovators. Read about how O'Reilly began, where it's headed, and your role in it all.

25th Anniversary Time Line -- From Tim O'Reilly's introduction to Unix to the debut of Global Network Navigator (GNN) to the first Open Source Summit, here's a time line that plots significant moments in O'Reilly's history.