Happy Birthday, LibreOffice!

Today marks the 15th birthday of LibreOffice. On September 28, 2010 we have all collectively announced the creation of the LibreOffice project, and one and a half years later also the incorporation of The Document Foundation as legal entity.

Many years later, the project has grown to a size I never dared to dream of, with countless contributors around the globe and over 210 millions of users worldwide.

I remember the magic of those early days very well - from discussing plans in a restaurant in Budapest in a September evening of 2010, to firing off the announcement mail from my student’s room back in the day, which has been written and coordinated literally the nights before by our marketing team, to signing the incorporation papers at the Astrid hotel lobby in Brussels during FOSDEM 2012. Before, in just eight days, thousands of donors from around the world contributed to our capital stock in a fundraising challenge.

15 years is the age of a teenager, which can turn out to be a very complicated and demanding phase in life when things can get a bit rough from time to time. Lots of years have passed, and indeed, with growth come change and challenges.

For sure, we have exciting times ahead - but today it’s time to reflect, rejoice, and celebrate what we all together have achieved in the past 15 years.

Happy Birthday, LibreOffice and its community!

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+1 and congrats to all contributors to the project! You are the best and well-appreciated!

Marc

Wonderful post! Congrats to all contributors who work and have worked on the project!

Marc