In 1938, Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard started a company from a garage in Palo Alto. Hewlett-Packard is now a household name, a tech giant, and a Silicon Valley fixture. And now the place that started it all has been given a "Historic Place" designation by the National Park Service.

Interestingly, this qualifies the site for federal preservation funds. Huh? It's a great landmark and an interesting story, but we think HP itself can continue footing the bill for itself. No need to involve the government, folks. Perhaps more importantly, placement on the list invokes certain protections from land-use changes or demolitions, etc (because we all know there should be a freeway right there.)

In 1987, the garage was officially given the "Birthplace of Silicon Valley" designation by the state. Now, another feather in its cap.