Timeline: The history of Linux and its founders, Linus Torvalds

Dec 28, 1969

Birth

Linus Torvalds was born in 1970 in Helsinki, Finland
Citation:
"Linus Torvalds." Contemporary Authors Online, Gale, 2014. Biography in Context, link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/H1000148312/BIC1?u=uarizona_main&xid=e5b06e2a. Accessed 25 Mar. 2017.

Mar 25, 1981

Torvalds becomes acquainted with computers (Age 11)

Torvalds' Grandfather Leo Toerngvist buys a Commodore VIC-20 and Torvalds begins to write programs for computer games.
Citation:
"Linus Torvalds." Contemporary Authors Online, Gale, 2014. Biography in Context, link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/H1000148312/BIC1?u=uarizona_main&xid=e5b06e2a. Accessed 25 Mar. 2017.

Period: Mar 25, 1989 to Mar 26, 1996

Torvalds attends University of Helsinki

Torvalds graduated with a master's degree in computer science
"Linus Torvalds." Contemporary Authors Online, Gale, 2014. Biography in Context, link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/H1000148312/BIC1?u=uarizona_main&xid=e5b06e2a. Accessed 25 Mar. 2017.

Mar 25, 1991

First prototypes of Linux are publicly released

This was the year when the first Linux prototypes were publicly released but not the first official version
citation:
"Linus Torvalds." Contemporary Authors Online, Gale, 2014. Biography in Context, link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/H1000148312/BIC1?u=uarizona_main&xid=e5b06e2a. Accessed 25 Mar. 2017.

Jan 8, 1992

Torvalds registers Linux with the FSF

This decision is one of the reasons that Linux has advanced and developed into what it is today.
citation:
"Linus Torvalds." Contemporary Authors Online, Gale, 2014. Biography in Context, link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/H1000148312/BIC1?u=uarizona_main&xid=e5b06e2a. Accessed 25 Mar. 2017.

Mar 14, 1994

FIrst official version of Linux (1.0) released

citation:
"Linus Torvalds." Contemporary Authors Online, Gale, 2014. Biography in Context, link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/H1000148312/BIC1?u=uarizona_main&xid=e5b06e2a. Accessed 25 Mar. 2017.

Period: Feb 25, 1997 to Jun 26, 2003

Torvalds works at the company Transmeta

citation:
"Linus Torvalds." Contemporary Authors Online, Gale, 2014. Biography in Context, link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/H1000148312/BIC1?u=uarizona_main&xid=e5b06e2a. Accessed 25 Mar. 2017.

Mar 25, 1999

Linus Torvalds named one of the world's top 100 innovators under age 35

This was decided by the MIT Technology Review
citation:
"1999 Young Innovators Under 35: Linus Torvalds, 29". Technology Review. 1999. Retrieved March 25, 2017

Period: Jun 18, 2003 to Mar 25, 2017

Linus Torvald's Work with what is now the Linux Foundation

Linus Torvalds begins working at the Open Source Development Labs, which has since merged with the Free Standards Group to become the Linux Foundation.
citation:
Rogoway, Mike (June 7, 2005). "Linus Torvalds, Incognito Inventor". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2009-05-23. Retrieved March 25, 2017.

Mar 25, 2006

At this time, only two percent of the Linux kernel has been written by Torvalds himself

This displays the power of open source projects and Linux's role as a leading example of this power
citation:
"Linus Torvalds: A Very Brief and Completely Unauthorized Biography". The Linux Information Project. Bellevue Linux Users Group. January 24, 2006. Retrieved March 25, 2017.

Mar 25, 2008

Linus Torvalds is inducted into the Hall of Fellows of the Computer History Museum

He was inducted for creating linux
citation:
"The Computer History Museum Announces the 2008 Fellow Awards Recipients" (Press release). Computer History Museum. June 18, 2008. Retrieved March 25, 2017.

Mar 7, 2010

Linus Torvalds becomes a United States Citizen

citation:
"Citizen Linus". LWN.net. September 13, 2010

Apr 23, 2012

Linus Torvalds is inducted into the Internet Hall of Fame

citation:
"2012 Internet Hall of Fame inductees 2012". Internet Hall of Fame. Retrieved march 25, 2017.

Apr 23, 2014

Linus Torvalds receives the IEEE Computer Society's Computer Pioneer Award

This award recognizes and honors the vision of those whose efforts positively impact the vitality of the computer industry
citation:
"Linus Torvalds Named Recipient of the 2014 IEEE Computer Society Computer Pioneer Award". Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. April 23, 2014. Retrieved March 25, 2017.