Google Maps: A Journey From Humble Beginnings to Global Navigation Dominance

Google Maps has been around since February 2005, when it was first launched as a desktop web application. The service was initially developed by Where 2 Technologies, an Australian startup that Google acquired in October 2004.

In 2007, Google introduced Street View to Google Maps, allowing users to explore cities and landscapes through immersive 360-degree imagery. This feature was initially available in five US cities, including San Francisco and New York.

Another significant development for Google Maps came with the acquisition of Waze in 2013. The Israeli crowdsourced navigation app brought real-time traffic data and community-driven features to Google Maps, which have since become essential parts of the service.