5 AMAZING things you didn't know about Samsung but should

folarin okunola

July 25, 2016 1:07 PM

Today, it is much more popularly known for its Galaxy S7 smartphone but the South Korean company had very humble beginnings.

DJ Koh, Samsung Exec, at the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge

It is almost impossible to say that, in todays world, you have never heard of

Samsung is one of the largest companies in the world, ranking at No. 13 on Fortune Magazine's Global 500 list for 2016.

The Samsung conglomerate spans various industries from smartphones, memory chips, and televisions. Today, it is much more popularly known for its Galaxy S7 smartphone but the South Korean company had very humble beginnings.

Check out these 5 incredible facts about Samsung's history:

- Dried fish and things: Samsung was founded in 1938 by Byung-Chull Lee and its first range of products were fruits, vegetables, and, wait for it, dried fish! Yes, Samsung initially used to export fish and vegetables to China. Samsung means "three stars" in Korean, as three is considered a lucky number and Lee wanted the company to be as long-lasting as the stars. The electronics division of the company first started as Samsung-Sanyo in 1969 and made its first black and white TV set a year later.

ALSO READ: Korean tech giant is planning to launch an Olympic-themed Galaxy S7 smartphone

- Bankruptcy: Samsung almost went bankrupt in the 1997 Asian financial crisis. Over 24,000 people had to be let go by the company totaling almost one-third of its workforce.

- Android leader: HTC's G1 is the first ever Google Android phone, but Samsung's Galaxy i7500 was the second ever Android phone. The phone was released in 2009, had a 3.2-inch touch screen and a 5-megapixel camera. It later evolved into the Galaxy S the following year and has gone through many iterations to become what is today known as the Galaxy S7.

- Theme park boss: Everland, the largest theme park in South Korea and one of the 20 largest in the world is run by a unit of Samsung. The park has a zoo and geographically-themed sections based on Europe and America.

- Fax machine bonfire: Former Samsung chairman, Leee Kun Hee, wanted to emphasize the importance of quality manufacturing to his employees at a factory in Gumi. So he made them assemble all of the factory entire inventory of phones and fax machines into a huge pile. Then he made the workers smash each device, beneath a banner that read "Quality is my pride," and toss into a bonfire.

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