What historical figure appeared in Apple’s original 1976 logo?

Isaac Newton appeared in Apple’s original 1976 logo.

The first Apple logo showed Newton sitting beneath an apple tree, accompanied by a quotation from William Wordsworth. Ron Wayne, one of Apple’s early co-founders, designed the elaborate emblem shortly before the company adopted a much simpler mark.

Apple replaced the Newton illustration in 1977 with Rob Janoff’s rainbow apple silhouette. The new design was easier to reproduce and immediately more recognizable at small sizes. It also used colored bands, partly to emphasize that Apple’s computers could display color graphics.

The original logo is often confused with Apple’s famous bitten apple, but the two are separate designs from different stages of the company’s history. Newton’s presence connected the brand to discovery and insight, while the later apple silhouette created the enduring corporate identity now associated with Apple products.