Bill Gates

By georgerhughes

  • Date of Birth

    Born October 28, 1955 in Seattle, Washington.

  • Gates meets lifelong friend and business partner, Paul Allen

    Gates and Allen both attended Lakeside High School starting in 1967.

  • Enrolls as Student at Harvard University

    Gates enrolls as full-time Student at the esteemed Harvard University.

  • Drops out of Harvard

    Gates dropped out of Harvard to develop software.

  • Bill Gates and Paul Allen create Microsoft

    Gates and Allen trademark "Microsoft".

  • Microsoft is set up in Albuquerque, New Mexico

    Gates sets up Microsoft in Albuquerque, where the maker of the worlds first personal computer is headquartered.

  • Microsoft relocated to Bellevue, Washington

    Microsoft headquarters moved to Bellevue, Washington near gates hometown of Seattle.

  • Microsoft licenses MS-DOS to IBM for their first personal computer

    Microsoft acquires MS-DOS and licenses it to IBM for their first personal computer.

  • Microsoft relocated to Redmond, Washington

    Shorty after the company went public, Microsoft headquarters moved again, this time to Redmond, Washington.

  • Paul Allen quits Microsoft

    Paul Allen quits his job besides Gates at after 13 years at Microsoft.

  • Bill marries Melinda Gates

    Gates marries his employee Melinda.

  • Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation created

    Gates starts the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation which works to improve the lives of all people.

  • Gates is Knighted and named "Person of the Year"

    Queen Elizabeth II bestows and honorary knighthood on Gates for his contributions to the United Kingdom. Time names him a "Person of the Year"

  • Gates begins to phase himself out of Microsoft

    Gates announces his role at Microsoft will be phased out over the next few years so he can spend more time on the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

  • Returns to Harvard for honorary degree

    After Gates' many accomplishments, Harvard felt it was "high time that his alma mater hand over the diploma" (Malone).