Google shocks everyone by purchasing abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz.com

Google has purchased the domain name abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz.comin the wake of its restructuring as Alphabet, continuing its domain purchase spree.

The company launched conglomerate Alphabet's site on ABC.xyz back in August, a move which saw the internet giant cleave its core YouTube, search, Android and email business from its ambitious research divisions, including the secretive Google X labs division.

Domaininvesting.com noted that abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz.com was originally created in 1999, and that Google is now registered as the owner of the site under Whois records.

Alphabet's home page is abc.xyz, so the company now has one of the longest domain names around as well as one of the shortest.

However, the site notes, it's unlikely that even Google will be able to pursuade BMW to sell them alphabet.com, or news network ABC to give up ABC.com. Google will probably choose to leave the site as an inactive placeholder, rather than populate it with any new Alphabet content, and it's unknown how much they paid to gain control of the name.

Former Google employee Sanmay Ved claimed to have paid $12 to buy Google.com last month, before the company swiftly revoked his access around one minute later.

"I clicked the add to cart icon beside the domain (which should not appear if the domain is not available for sale)," he said. "The domain actually got added to my cart as seen by the green check-box, and the domain appeared in my cart."

During the sixty seconds or so, Ved said he received emails from Google webmaster tools and notifications relating to other sites owned by the company.

Selling on domain names can mean big business for those savvy enough to register names in time, or fortunate enough to have owned them for some time. Prior to the launch of Apple's iPad in 2010, enterpreneurial web users registered sites such as ipaddownload.com, ipad downloads.com and ipad downloads.net in their droves in the hope of reselling them for millions of dollars.

Google: a timeline of major events

Google has come a long way in the past 20 years. Here are some of the key events in the company's history

1995

The founders meet

Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin meet at Stanford University. Mr Brin, 21, is assigned to show Mr Page around the campus.

1996

The search engine project

The pair begin to work together on a search engine called BackRub as part of a research project.

1997

Google.com hits the web

Google.com is registered as a domain, the name having been chosen as a play on the word “googol”, the number one followed by 100 zeroes, to represent the near-infinite amount of content on the web.

1998

The company is incorporated

Google as a company is launched, filing for incorporation in California. The first office is in a garage.

1999

New offices

The company outgrows the garage and moves to new premises in Palo Alto with eight employees, then later the same year another relocation takes the company to Mountain View, where Google employs its first chef. The company raises $25m in equity funding.

2000

The world's largest search engine

Google is launched in ten new languages. Today search is available in more than 150 languages. In June Google becomes the world’s largest search engine, with an index of one billion pages.

2001

Eric Schmidt appointed CEO

Eric Schmidt, a former director of Apple, becomes chairman of the board of directors, then in August he is appointed CEO. Meanwhile Mr Page is president of products and Mr Brin president of technology. The same year, Google image search launches.

2002

AdWords introduced

Google AdWords, first launched in 2000, is given an overhaul with cost-per-click pricing. Google News launches, as does Google Labs which allows users to try out beta technologies from the research and development team.

2003

Blogger creators acquired

The company acquires Pyra Labs, creators of Blogger. Google AdSense is launched.

2004

Google floats

Google launches its IPO with a share price of $85. The company is valued at $27bn. Email service Gmail is launched. Google acquires Keyhole, a digital mapping company which later helps create Google Earth. The European headquarters in Dublin open.

2005

Google maps the world

February sees the launch of Google Maps and in June Google Earth is introduced.

2006

Google buys YouTube

In October, the company announces the acquisition of video site YouTube. A number of new features launch this year including Google Calendar, Google Translate and Google Docs and Spreadsheets.

2007

Android launched

In November, Google announces Android, the first open platform for mobile devices. Also this year, Google is named the best company to work for by Fortune. Street View is started in five US cities. But Google Earth receives some bad press as intelligence sources warn terrorists are using aerial footage from the feature to target British bases in Basra.

2008

The introduction of Chrome

Web browser Google Chrome is launched. Google Suggest, now known as Autocomplete, is introduced on Google.com, predicting search queries.

2009

Google supports innovation

Google Ventures is announced, a fund aimed to support innovation and new technology companies.

2010

Nexus devices and driverless technology

The Nexus series of smartphone and tablet devices using the Android operating system is launched. Google announces the development of technology for self-driving cars.

2011

Larry Page reinstated as CEO

Larry Page becomes CEO, ten years after he passed the title to Eric Schmidt, who is now named executive chairman. Google+ is launched.

2012

Google campaigns against censorship

Google is part of the campaign against the SOPA and PIPA bills in the US, saying they would censor the internet and impede innovation. In April, Google Glass is unveiled, as is Google Drive, a file creation and sharing platform.

2013

Shares pass the $1,000 mark

Less than a decade after Google’s flotation, shares hit $1,000. A milestone for Android as it passes one billion device activations.

2014

Stock split

A stock split creates a new level of non-voting shares and cements Mr Page and Mr Brin’s control over the company.

2015

Alphabet becomes holding company in big corporate overhaul

A massive corporate overhaul separates Google’s core business from its research divisions with a new holding company, Alphabet, of which Mr Page will be chief executive.