From Harvard dorm to global giant - the story of Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook in pictures

Who could possibly have predicted that one man, messing about on a computer in a Harvard dormitory in 2004, could change the world in such a profound way?

But now, in a world immersed in, and undoubtedly affected by, social media, Facebook, created and still led by Mark Zuckerberg, stands dominant, with an astonishing 2 billion monthly users.

However, despite its phenomenal rate of growth, it didn’t happen overnight.

Take a look at this series of fascinating images to see the Facebook story as it progressed.

Harvard's Kirkland House dormitory, where Facebook began

Mark Zuckerberg in his Harvard dorm, where he originally built Facemash, which became thefacebook.com

thefacebook in 2004

Six days after thefacebook launched, the Winklevoss twins claimed that Zuckerberg went back on an agreement to build a site for them, and claimed he stole their idea

By March 2004, Zuckerberg had enlisted fellow graduates to help him grow the site, including Dustin Moskovitz

And Eduardo Saverin, pictured here in 2017

In mid-2004, Zuckerberg hired Sean Parker to be Facebook's first President (pictured here in The Social Network, played by Justin Timberlake)

The first Facebook office, in Palo Alto, California (No. 471)

Peter Thiel, pictured in 2006, invested in Facebook in 2004, eventually turning his initial $500,000 into $1 billion

thefacebook in 2005

2005 Facebook photo of Mark Zuckerberg

Launch of the then-controversial newsfeed on Facebook in September 2006

Facebook in 2006

Facebook in 2007

Facebook in 2008

The former Google executive Sheryl Sandberg becomes Facebook CEO in early 2008

Facebook in 2009

In 2009, Facebook moves to larger offices in the Stanford Research Park in Palo Alto

Facebook in 2010

The poster for The Social Network, the 2010 film directed by David Fincher and written by Aaron Sorkin which told the story of Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook

Still from The Social Network, with Mark Zuckerberg played by Jesse Eisenberg

Facebook in 2011

By 2011, Facebook was incredibly powerful, playing a part in the 'Arab Spring' early in that year

Demonstrating his influence, Mark Zuckerberg was an attendee at the 2011 G8 summit

Facebook in 2012

Facebook pays $1 billion to buy Instagram in April 2012. Zuckerberg pictured with its co-founder Kevin Systrom

Facebook goes public on 18 May 2012, with huge success

The following day, Mark Zuckerberg marries his long-term girlfriend Priscilla Chan

Mark Zuckerberg, at the 2013 San Francisco Pride. He has always been a supporter of LGBTQ rights

Facebook buys WhatsApp for $19 billion in Feb 2014. Co-founder Jan Koum is pictured here with King Felipe VI of Spain

Facebook buys the VR firm Oculus for $2 billion in March 2014

Facebook introduces its Pride filter in 2015

In early 2011, Facebook announced plans to move to its new headquarters, the former Sun Microsystems campus in Menlo Park - it moved to a bigger campus in the same location in 2015

The first test of Facebook's internet.org planes in 2015, in the UK, which have the aim of bringing the internet to those parts of the globe currently without it

Mark Zuckerberg talking in Berlin in 2016 about the future of Artificial Intelligence

Facebook's incredible stats in July 2017

(Images: Rex/Facebook/Wikicommons/iStock)

(Historical Facebook images: Jon Loomer)