Timeline: Facebook turns seven

September 2006 The network becomes free to join for anyone registering an e-mail address, regardless of whether or not they are high school of university students.

June 2008 The feud between Facebook and ConnectU the society the Winklevoss brothers and Divya Narendra had created comes to an end after a settlement between both parties. Facebook agrees to pay ConnectU $20 million (12.4 million) in cash and 1,253,326 shares of common stock (worth $45 million).

August 2008 Facebook hits 100 million users.

September 2009 Facebook announces a positive cash flow for the first time in its history.

June 2010 Privacy campaign groups write an open letter to Mark Zuckerberg to ask for more user control on Facebook.

July 2010 Facebook hits 500 million users.

November 2010 Facebook becomes the third-largest US web company after Google and Amazon.

December 2010 Facebook wins best workplace accolade.

January 2011 Facebook gets valued at $50 billion.

January 2011 A satirical rumour about Facebook's closure makes scares users.

January 2011 Zuckerberg has his Facebook page hacked.