Bill Gates' Milestones
Birth
William Henry Gates III was born in Seattle, Washington, to William H. Gates Sr. and Mary Maxwell Gates.
Early education
Attended View Ridge Elementary School and later Lakeside School in Seattle.
Started Lakeside School
Attended Lakeside School, where he discovered his interest in computers and programming.
First computer program
Wrote his first computer program, a tic-tac-toe game, on a GE computer at Lakeside School.
Met Paul Allen
Met future Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen at Lakeside School; they collaborated on programming projects.
Formed Traf-O-Data
Co-founded Traf-O-Data with Paul Allen to analyze traffic data, gaining early business experience.
Started at Harvard
Enrolled at Harvard College but left to pursue software development.
Founded Microsoft
Co-founded Microsoft with Paul Allen, beginning the personal computer revolution.
Moved Microsoft to Washington
Moved Microsoft from Albuquerque, New Mexico, to Bellevue, Washington, to expand operations.
IBM partnership
Secured a partnership with IBM to provide an operating system, leading to MS-DOS.
Windows 1.0 released
Released Microsoft Windows 1.0, introducing a graphical user interface.
Microsoft IPO
Microsoft went public, making Gates one of the youngest billionaires in history.
Married Melinda French
Married Melinda French, with whom he has three children.
Antitrust case
Microsoft faced a major antitrust lawsuit by the U.S. government over monopolistic practices.
Founded Gates Foundation
Co-founded the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, focusing on global health and education.
Stepped down as Microsoft CEO
Stepped down as CEO to focus on philanthropy but remained chairman and chief software architect.
Berkshire Hathaway board
Served on the board of Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffett's holding company.
Launched Giving Pledge
Launched the Giving Pledge with Warren Buffett, encouraging billionaires to give away most of their wealth.
Left Microsoft board
Left Microsoft's board to focus full-time on philanthropic work.
Divorced Melinda French Gates
Divorced Melinda French Gates after 27 years of marriage but continued joint philanthropic work.
Legacy and influence
Gates remains a leading figure in technology and philanthropy, with a lasting impact on global health, education, and software.