On what date did Facebook announce the acquisition of WhatsApp?

Facebook announced its agreement to acquire WhatsApp on February 19, 2014.

The announcement described a deal worth approximately $16 billion at the time: $4 billion in cash and about $12 billion in Facebook shares. It also included an additional $3 billion in restricted stock units for WhatsApp’s founders and employees, which is why later coverage commonly rounded the transaction’s potential value to $19 billion.

The deal did not immediately turn WhatsApp into Facebook Messenger. Facebook said WhatsApp would continue operating independently and retain its brand, while co-founder and CEO Jan Koum would join Facebook’s board. The acquisition formally closed on October 6, 2014.

A frequent source of confusion is the difference between the announcement date and the closing date. February 19 is when Facebook publicly announced the proposed acquisition; October 6 is when the transaction was completed. WhatsApp had been founded in 2009 by Jan Koum and Brian Acton and had grown into one of the world’s largest mobile messaging services before the deal.