During his senior year in high school, Zuckerberg developed new music-playing software he named Synapse. Users liked Synapse so much that two big tech companies, Microsoft and AOL, each offered Mark $1 million dollars for the program. He refused both offers and enrolled in Harvard University. There, he kept developing software. He created Facemash, a system for identifying the most attractive person on campus. It was so popular that it slowed down Harvard's entire computer network. It also offended many female students, so Zuckerberg apologized and closed the program.
At Harvard, Zuckerberg also began to develop Facebook. With an initial investment of just $2000 dollars, he launched it in February 2004. By 2007 Facebook was estimated to be worth $15 billion! In 2012 Mark married his college girlfriend, pediatrician Priscilla Chan. They have two children, Maxima and August.
Facebook has a huge influence on society, the economy, culture and politics. So Zuckerberg often finds himself in the glare of media and government attention. Defending himself and his world-changing creation, he says, "By giving people the power to share, we're making the world more transparent."
Language Lab
identify v.
to know and say who someone is or what something is
- The witness saw a man in the parking lot, but she couldn't identify him.
to find out who someone is or what something is
- The teacher asked Charlie to identify and write down three personal goals.
to identify with somebody [phrasal verb]
identify with (someone or something) : to think of yourself as having the same problems and feelings as someone
- Michael really liked the movie because he could identify with the main character.
apologize v.
/əˈpɑːləˌʤaɪz/
to express regret for doing or saying something wrong : to give or make an apology
- If I didn't do anything wrong, why should I apologize?
- You need to go and apologize to your brother because you broke his bike.
apology n.
/əˈpɑːləʤi/
- Randall sent over a large bouquet to show his apology.
apologetic adj.
/əˌpɑːləˈʤɛtɪk/
feeling or showing regret : expressing an apology
- Karen made a very small mistake, but she is very apologetic.
initial adj.
occurring at the beginning of something
- The film production is still in its initial stage, but the team is very hopeful.
- The initial reports did not provide accurate information.
initial n.
to mark (something) with your initials
- Anna's full name is Anna Helena Wilson, so her initials are A.H.W.
glare n.
/ˈgleɚ/
— sometimes used figuratively to suggest the idea of a very bright light shining on someone who is being given a lot of public attention
- Marilee was worried when reporters began to contact her because she did not want the glare of public attention
a harsh, bright light
- You will need to wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from the sun's glare.
v. to shine with a harsh, bright light
- We need to turn that light off because it is really glaring.
to look directly at someone in an angry way
- When James saw his wife glaring at him, he knew he was in trouble.
