CUE uses June 29, 1978 as Home Depot’s official identity date, the exact date the company was incorporated after Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank developed the concept following their dismissal from Handy Dan. That gives Home Depot 6 energy, Horse energy, and Cancer influence.
The origin story fits the company unusually well. Home Depot was literally built out of a setback. Marcus and Blank lost their jobs, then used that disruption to create a completely new retail model. The first stores opened in Atlanta the following June.
CUE: Home Depot shows how a difficult ending can become the foundation for something much larger. Its story is less about avoiding setbacks and more about what gets built after them. The company’s identity began with resilience, reinvention, and the decision to turn loss into ownership.
