3rd September 1995
Pierre Omidyar founds eBay

Originally called AuctionWeb, eBay was created by computer programmer Pierre Omidyar on Labor Day weekend in 1995. AuctionWeb was an area on his personal website created as a marketplace to connect buyers and sellers.

Omidyar himself wrote about his aspirations for the site in February 1996:

I launched eBay's AuctionWeb on Labor Day, 1995. Since then, the site has become more popular than I ever expected, and I began to realize that this was indeed a grand experiment in Internet commerce. By creating an open market that encourages honest dealings, I hope to make it easier to conduct business with strangers over the net.

The first item sold on the site was Omidyar's broken laser pointer. The buyer was Canadian Mark Fraser, who bought the laser pointer for $14.83.

Related information:

• eBay: Our History
• eBay: Meet the Buyer of the Broken Laser Pointer

Image:

• eBay website in 1999
  Credit: eBay & Web Design Museum. Images remain the copyright of the original copyright holder. Used under fair use policy for educational purposes only.