This is it, folks -- all of the rumor mongering and speculation has led to this day, the start of the 2012 Worldwide Developer Conference. Apple CEO Tim Cook kicked off the week-long event with a keynote address bringing everyone up to speed on recent developments.

Following a brief introduction by Siri cracking wise about the weather and offering contact information to developers for 392 nearby venture capitalists, Apple CEO Tim Cook took the stage at Moscone West in San Francisco, right on schedule at 10am PST (1pm EST).

Cook notes that 2012 marks 23 years of WWDC and reminds us the event sold out in a record hour and 43 minutes before moving on to the vital statistics.

There are now more than 400 million iTunes accounts and 650,000 apps, of which 225,000 are specific to the iPad. Apple has also hit a new milestone, with 30 billion downloads from the App Store, amounting to more than five billion dollars worth of payouts for developers.

Now operating in 120 countries around the world, Apple is planning to add an additional 32 countries to the mix, and Cook had a video ready to highlight the occasion.

The video includes commentary from developers all over the world who have tapped into Apple’s products to create apps that push the boundaries of what is possible, including medical training, education in the classroom and Airbnb. The video concludes with developers thanking Apple for making their dreams a reality.

"It's a great reminder of what it's all about, and why we do what we do,” Cook remarks as the lights come back up, thanking the developers in attendance.

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