Amazon opened its first online bookstore in 1995 before becoming one of the world's most valuable companies.
Jeff Bezos founded Amazon in 1994, and the company began operating as an online bookstore in July 1995. Its original name was Cadabra, but Bezos changed it to Amazon, choosing a name associated with scale and the Amazon River.
The business expanded beyond books into music, video, electronics, household goods, and many other categories. Amazon Web Services, launched in 2006, became a major cloud-computing business serving companies, governments, and developers.
Amazon’s growth turned it from a specialized internet retailer into a diversified technology and commerce company. It is sometimes mistaken for a pure retail company, but its logistics, advertising, subscription services, entertainment operations, and cloud division all contribute to its business and valuation.