eBay

In 1995, Pierre Omidyar, age 28, began to write the original computer code for an online site that allowed the listing of a direct person-to-person auction for collectible items.

He made a simple prototype and put it on his personal web page. On Labor Day 1995, he launched the service as Auction Web.

The name "eBay" was his second choice for a name. He originally wanted Echo Bay, but it was already used by a Canadian mining company, Echo Bay Mines. Echo Bay Technology Group was Omidyar's consulting firm, but when he tried to register the domain name echobay.com, he found that the mining company owned it. So, he shortened the idea to eBay which was adopted in 1997.

A story that was often told was that he made the site so that his fiancée could trade Pez candy dispensers that she collected. The story was a public relations fabrication. But a true story is that the first item sold on eBay was a broken laser pointer that was listed as a test but surprisingly sold.

The logo introduced in 2012 does not capitalize the letter "B"