Apple Logo Meaning and History of Apple Emblem

Apple is one of the world’s largest corporations. Being the company responsible for the widely popular iPhone mobile handsets and iPad tablet computers, it has established a direct connection with consumers in most global markets. The history and references to key personalities associated with the Apple logo meaning make for an interesting story.

Apple Logo PNG

Apple Inc Information

Apple Logo History: Newton and his apple

Apple was established as a business partnership in April 1976 by three friends. Although Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak are widely recognized as the faces behind the company, it’s not as commonly known that Ronald Wayne was also a 10% partner in the venture. However, due to his past business setbacks, he was extremely risk-averse and ultimately sold his share in the venture to Jobs and Wozniak within just 12 days.

At the age of 41, it was Ronald Wayne who drafted the company’s partnership agreement and created the manual for the Apple I, which was the company’s inaugural product. Wayne also deserves credit for designing the company’s original logo, which depicted Sir Isaac Newton sitting under a tree with an apple about to fall on his head. The logo featured a flowing ribbon containing the company’s name – “Apple Computer Company.” Surrounding the image were the words: “Newton…A Mind Forever Voyaging Through Strange Seas of Thought…Alone.”

Apple Logo History: Move to a modern look

A year later, the partnership transitioned into the incorporation of the company, and the logo underwent a significant transformation with a simpler design crafted by Rob Janoff. Janoff’s concept featured a series of monochromatic apples, each with a bite taken out of it. Steve Jobs approved of the idea but also emphasized the importance of adding color to “humanize the company.” This directive led to the creation of the iconic “rainbow Apple” logo, which served as the company’s emblem from 1977 to 1998. The rainbow color scheme was also a nod to the color processing capabilities of the Apple II.

Apple Logo Meaning: Is the bite a reference to Alan Turing?

The internet abounds with articles that associate the bite in the Apple logo with Alan Turing, the renowned mathematician who invented the codebreaking machine and played a pivotal role in World War II. However, Turing’s life took a tragic turn as he faced a conviction for homosexuality, which was a criminal offense in the UK at the time. This episode deeply affected him, leaving him despondent. On June 8, 1954, Turing was discovered deceased with a partially eaten apple by his bedside, and the cause of death was determined to be cyanide poisoning.

Turing’s conviction, although consistent with the prevailing laws of the time, has been viewed negatively in the years that followed. Some theories have proposed that the bite in Apple’s logo directly references Alan Turing. However, this notion is far from accurate, as both Steve Jobs and Rob Janoff clarified in later years. They explained that the bite was included in the logo simply to distinguish the apple from a cherry, not as a reference to Turing.

Apple Logo Evolution: Changes in subsequent years

Apple eventually said goodbye to the rainbow scheme in 1998 and adopted a monochromatic color scheme, effectively returning to the original design proposed by Janoff. This transition coincided with the introduction of iMac computers. In the years that followed, the logo underwent several alterations, primarily related to colors, while maintaining its original shape and overarching identity. Among the most noteworthy changes were the aqua-themed and glass-themed versions.