Bill Gates

Enrolls in Lakeside School

Aug 26, 1967

Exclusive private school in Seattle, where he befriended Paul Allen.

Enter Harvard

Oct 31, 1973

Entered Harvard as a pre-law major, but soon shifted focus. Takes most rigorous math and grad level computer science courses.

Call MITS

Oct 31, 1975

Offers to develop software for the MITS Altair. MITS accepts and buys his language for $3,000 plus royalties

Register

Oct 31, 1976

Gates and Allen register trademark 'Microsoft'.

Year-end sale

Oct 31, 1978

Microsoft's year-end sale exceeded $1 millon. Gates gains a reputation for being tough, but focused

Incorporation

Oct 31, 1981

Microsoft incorporates and buys the right to the opening system "DOS" from Seattle Computer Porducts.

Allen

Oct 31, 1983

Paul Allen leaves Microsoft after developing Hodgkin's disease. Microsoft announces Windows as an extension of its MS-DOS operating system.

Billion

Oct 31, 1987

Age 31, Gates becomes the youngest billionaire ever and meets his future wife Melinda French at a Microsoft event in New York

Corbis

Oct 31, 1989

Founds Corbis, an archive of art and photography from public and private collections

Foundation

Nov 1, 1994

Gates weds Melinda, later to have three children. The Gates consolidate their charitable giving under the Willima H. Gates Foundation, later absorbed into the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Richest Man

Jul 31, 1995

With a $12.9 billion fortune, Gates is the world's richest man

Books

Oct 31, 1999

Gates publishes another best-selling book, 'Business @ the Speed of Light'

CEO

Nov 1, 2000

Gates steps down as Microsoft CEO. Former Harvard dorm-mate and right-hand man Steve Ballmer takes over. Gates becomes chief software architect.

Knighthood

Oct 31, 2005

Queen Elizabeth II bestows honorary knighthood to Gates for contributions to United Kingdom. 'Times' names in "Person of the Year".

Graduate

Oct 31, 2007

Gates graduates from Harvard, given an honorary degree