Google was founded in September 1998 by Larry Page and Sergey Brin while they were Ph.D. students at Stanford University. Initially, Google started as a research project to develop a search engine that could efficiently organize and deliver information on the internet.

In August 2001, Google introduced its first public offering of shares, making it a publicly traded company. With its innovative search algorithms and user-friendly interface, Google quickly became the leading search engine, surpassing competitors like Yahoo and AltaVista.

In addition to its search engine, Google expanded its offerings with the introduction of Gmail in April 2004, Google Maps in February 2005, and Google Docs in February 2006. These products further solidified Google's position as a technology giant and diversified its revenue streams beyond advertising.

One of Google's most significant moves was the acquisition of Android Inc. in August 2005. This acquisition laid the foundation for Google's entry into the mobile market with the development of the Android operating system. Android quickly became the most popular mobile operating system globally, powering a wide range of smartphones and tablets.

In September 2008, Google launched the Chrome web browser, challenging the dominance of Microsoft's Internet Explorer and Mozilla's Firefox. Chrome's speed, simplicity, and integration with Google services helped it gain significant market share.

Google continued to expand its product portfolio with the launch of Google Play in March 2012, consolidating its digital content offerings, including apps, games, music, and movies, into a single platform. Google Play quickly became one of the largest app stores globally, rivaling Apple's App Store.

Today, Google is a multinational technology company with a diverse portfolio of products and services, including search, advertising, cloud computing, hardware, and artificial intelligence. Google's market dominance and continuous innovation have made it one of the most influential companies in the world.