Tim Cook Timeline

By yujinzhou

  • A Southern Beginning

    Born in Mobile, Alabama on November 1; Cook grew up in the small town of Robertsdale.

  • Not Just an Engineer

    Cook is hired by IBM while simultaneously earning a masters in business administration from Duke University as a Fuqua Scholar.

  • Moving Up

    Leaving his job as IBM’s director of North American fulfillment, Cook joins Intelligent Electronics as the Chief Operating Officer of the reseller division.

  • Before Apple, There Was Compaq

    Cook departs for Compaq Computer Corporation to become vice president for Corporate Materials.

  • Becoming a Believer

    Cook goes against the advice of friends and jumps ship to join Apple at a time when the company was trapped in a downward spiral, having lost a billion dollars in the previous fiscal year. He later recalled: “No more than five minutes into my initial interview with Steve, I wanted to throw caution and logic to the wind and join Apple.”

  • Organizer in Chief

    Cook shifts roles from senior vice president at Apple for worldwide operations to senior vice president for worldwide sales. Cook was already working to reform Apple's manufacturing operations, reorganizing and simplifying its network of manufacturers and distributors and fine-tuning its management of inventory.

  • A Revolution in Music

    Steve Jobs introduces Apple’s first iPod. The MP3 player’s price is high at $399, but the device is a hit and the iTunes software reshapes the way we buy and listen to music.

  • Apple's Other Genius

    Appointed executive vice president for worldwide sales and operations for Apple, Cook had emerged not just as an operations genius, but as a highly capable manager and communicator.

  • Keeping the Ship Steady

    Named COO of Apple and begins taking more substantial role in the running of the company, especially during Jobs’ occasional medical leaves of absence.

  • Introducing a Game Changer

    Apple releases the first iPhone. Steve jobs introduces the slim touch screen device as a combo iPod, cell phone and internet browser all in one. By September they've sold a million of them and revolutionized handheld computing.

  • The Revolution Continues

    Apple announced the first iPad, a web-surfing device that falls somewhere between the iPhone and a laptop.

  • Apple Reaches a Milestone

    Apple surpasses Exxon Mobil to become the most valuable company in the world with a value of $337 billion.

  • More Products, More Sales

    Apple releases the iPhone 5, which incorporated 4G capabilities and Apple’s new maps services (thereby replacing Google Maps, a service provided by Apple’s most biggest rival in the smart phone market). Within three days of launch, the company sells more than five million of the new iPhones. The same month, the company announces the introduction of the iPad Mini and the iPad 4.

  • The iPhone 6 Is Out

    While the iPhone 6 debuted on Sept. 19, lines had formed days before to score one of the big-screen devices. 10 million devices were sold in the first three days, shattering Apple's previous record.