Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin are known for their love of pranks, often rolling out outlandish ideas every April Fool's Day. However, on April Fool's Day in 2004, they unveiled something that seemed too good to be true - Gmail. This free email service offered a whopping 1 gigabyte of storage per account, a revolutionary amount at the time. The service also featured Google's search technology and threaded conversations, making it a game changer in the world of email.

Former Google executive Marissa Mayer, who helped design Gmail, explained that the original pitch was all about the three "S"s: storage, search, and speed. The concept of Gmail was so mind-bending that when The Associated Press published a story about it, readers thought it was just another Google prank. However, a visit to Google's headquarters in Mountain View, California, confirmed that Gmail was indeed real.

Gmail quickly gained popularity, now boasting an estimated 1.8 billion active accounts with 15 gigabytes of free storage each. The service has not only changed the way people think about email storage but has also paved the way for Google's expansion into various other internet services, such as Google Maps, Google Docs, YouTube, Chrome browser, and Android operating system.

With Gmail's scanning of email content for ad targeting, Google made its intentions clear about digital surveillance for advertising purposes. Despite its initial limited capacity, Gmail's exclusivity drove high demand, with invitations to sign up selling for hundreds of dollars on eBay. Today, Gmail remains a cornerstone of Google's internet empire, reshaping the way we use email and store digital content.