Amazon.com began operations as an online bookstore in 1995.
Jeff Bezos founded the company in Bellevue, Washington, in 1994 under the name Cadabra, Inc. It was later renamed Amazon, referencing the enormous South American river. The website officially opened for business in July 1995, initially selling books through the internet.
Amazon’s early bookstore model gave customers access to a much larger catalog than a typical physical shop could stock. The company later expanded into music, electronics, household goods, digital media, cloud computing, advertising, and logistics.
The 1994 founding year and 1995 operating launch are often confused. Amazon was incorporated and prepared during 1994, but its online bookstore began serving customers in 1995. That expansion helped transform it from an internet retailer into one of the world’s largest companies by market capitalization.