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William Henry Gates III was born in Seattle, Washington
Gates was born in Seattle, Washington, to William H. Gates, Sr. and Mary Maxwell Gates -
Begins Public School
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Meets Paul Allen at Lakeside Private School
Gates is enrolled in the Lakeside School, an exclusive private school in Seattle, where he befriends Paul Allen. The two students share an interest in computers and programming. The school notices his knack for technology and asks him to create a computerized schedule of classes. -
First works with Computers, Lakeside Programmers Group started.
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Starts Traf-O-Data Business with Paul Allen
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Works summer as a congressional page
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Enters Harvard as a pre-law major
Gates enters Harvard as a pre-law major, but soon shifts focus. He quickly runs through the university’s most rigorous mathematics and graduate level computer science courses. -
Gates calls MITS, Sells software system for the Altair.
From his dorm room, Gates calls MITS, the maker of the world’s first personal computer. He offers to develop software for the MITS Altair. MITS eventually accepts and buys his language for $3,000 plus royalties. Gates takes his first leave of absence from school to start working on the software venture he refers to as Micro-Soft. -
Gates founds Microsoft with Allen. Registers "Microsoft" Trademark
Gates and Allen register the trademark “Microsoft.” Gates writes an open letter to computer hobbyists, condemning the early adopters for sharing, rather than paying for, software -
Sets up Microsoft in Albuquerque, N.M. Drops out of Harvard
Gates takes a second leave of absence from Harvard and sets up Microsoft in Albuquerque, N.M., where MITS is headquartered. -
Microsoft’s year-end sales exceed $1 million
Microsoft’s year-end sales exceed $1 million. Gates gains a reputation for being tough, but focused. -
Microsoft headquarters are relocated to Bellevue, Wash
Microsoft headquarters are relocated to Bellevue, Wash., a suburb of Gates’ hometown, Seattle. -
Contract to write OS for IBM PC
Makes blockbuster deal with International Business Machines (IBM) -
Microsoft buys "DOS" from Seattle Computer Products.
Microsoft incorporates and buys the rights to the operating system “DOS” from Seattle Computer Products. The system is modified and renamed MS-DOS, and the company licenses it to IBM for the company’s new personal computer. -
Microsoft sells Multiplan spreadsheet software.
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Microsoft releases Microsoft Word.
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Paul Allen leaves Microsoft.
Allen leaves Microsoft after developing Hodgkin’s disease. Microsoft announces Windows as an extension of its MS-DOS operating system. -
Windows 1.0 released
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Microsoft stock goes Public
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Microsoft headquarters moves to Redmond, Wash.
Microsoft headquarters move again, this time to nearby Redmond, Wash. Shortly after, the company goes public. -
Meets future wife, Melinda Fench
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Gates becomes youngest millionaire in U.S. history.
At age 31, Gates becomes the youngest millionaire ever. He meets his future wife, Melinda French, at a Microsoft event in New York. -
Apple files suit against Microsoft
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Court rules in favor of Microsoft against Apple.
Founds Corbis Corporation -
Gates Founds Corbis
Gates founds Corbis, an archive of art and photography from public and private collections. Corbis later becomes one of the largest collections of visual information in the world. -
Microsoft introduces Windows 3.0
Microsoft Encarta, an encylopedia software program is also released. -
Marries Melinda French in Hawaii
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William H. Gates Foundation started
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Windows 95 introduced. The Road Ahead published
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Daughter Jennifer Katharine born
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MSNBC first airs
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Named richest person in US History.
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Gates Library Foundation founded
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Windows 98 released
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Unfair business practices trial against Microsoft starts
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2nd Book, Business @ the Speed of Thought published
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Son Rory John Gates born
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Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation founded.
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Microsoft found guilty of unfair business practices.
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Leaves position as Microsoft CEO
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Federal appeals court rules in favor of Microsoft
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Daughter Phoebe Adele Gates born
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Awarded honorary knighthood by British Government.
Awarded honorary knighthood by British government for charitable work. -
Bill & Melinda Gates and Bono named persons of the year.
Along with music star Bono. -
Announces retirement from most duties at Microsoft.
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Warren Buffet gives fortune to Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Warren Buffet announces he will give most of his fortune to Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. -
Introduces Sync, Vista OS and IPTV through XBOX.
