The genesis block (3 Jan 2009)

On 3 January 2009 Satoshi mined Bitcoin’s first block. Embedded in its coinbase is the text “The Times 03/Jan/2009 Chancellor on brink of second bailout for banks” — simultaneously a proof the block wasn’t pre-mined before that date and, as most read it, a statement of purpose.

The genesis block’s 50 BTC subsidy is unspendable by a quirk of the original code. The ledger it started has since run continuously — every block ever mined chains back to this one.