Apple briefly surpassed Exxon as the most valuable company in the world on Tuesday.
Experts predicted it was bound to happen soon, though estimates initially pegged autumn as the time when Apple would leapfrog Exxon's market capitalization.
Apple's rise has been fast and impressive: Less than a month ago, Exxon was worth $60 billion more than Apple, as TechCrunch notes. And in 1996, Apple was nearing bankruptcy.
Here's a look a brief look back at how the two companies compare, by the numbers:
$338 billion: Apple's market cap on Tuesday prior to 2 PM ET.
$337 billion: Exxon market cap on Tuesday prior to 2 PM ET.
$346.7 billion: Apple's estimated value by the end of trading on Tuesday
$348.3 billion: Exxon's estimated value by the end of trading on Tuesday
$300 billion: Apple's market cap, January 3, 2011
$368 billion: Exxon's market cap January 3, 2011
$630.9 million: Apple's lowest-ever market cap, post IPO (July 8, 1982)
$7.31 billion: Apple Q3 2011 net income (quarter ended in June)
$10.7 billion: Exxon Q2 2011 net income (quarter ended in June)
$28.6 billion: Apple Q3 2011 revenue (quarter ended in June)
$125.5B: Exxon Q2 2011 revenue (quarter ended in June)
1997: Year Apple CEO Steve Jobs assumed his current position (though he co-founded the company in 1976).
2006: Year Exxon CEO Rex Tillerson assumed his current position.
$420,000: How much an Apple employee makes the company in 12 months