Facebook reaches 500 mn users

Social networking site Facebook officially has 500 million users, the company announced today. The milestone means that the six-year old website now reaches eight percent of the planet's population.

Social networking site Facebook officially has 500 million users, the company announced on Wednesday.

The milestone means that the six-year old website now reaches eight percent of the planet's population, just 18 months after it passed the 150 million user mark.

Last month Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg said there is a 'good chance' that the social networking site could boast one billion users within three to five years.

Facebook marked the milestone with the launch of a special section in which users are encouraged to post their personal stories about how Facebook has affected them.

'Half a billion is a nice number but the number isn't what really matters here. What matters are all of the stories we hear from all of you about the impact your connections have had on your lives,' Zuckerberg said in a video message.

'Instead of focusing on numbers, we want to help people around the world hear about these stories for themselves, and we want to let you tell your own story.'