On what date did LinkedIn officially launch?

LinkedIn officially launched on May 5, 2003. The professional networking service grew out of an idea Reid Hoffman and his founding team developed in 2002 to help people maintain professional relationships online.

The early company operated from Hoffman’s living room in California. Its first month was modest by today’s social-network standards: LinkedIn had about 4,500 members. The platform initially focused on professional identity and connections rather than entertainment or personal-status updates.

A common mix-up is confusing LinkedIn’s founding period with its launch date. The company was founded in December 2002, but the public service officially launched several months later, on May 5, 2003. Other important milestones followed: LinkedIn introduced Jobs and Subscriptions in 2005, reached profitability in 2006, and went public in 2011.