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Born
Bill Gates was born on October 28, 1955. He and his two sisters grew up in Seattle. -
Computer programing
It was at Lakeside that Gates began his career in personal computer software, programming computers at age 13. -
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Lakeside School
Gates is enrolled in the Lakeside School, an exclusive private school in Seattle, where he befriends Paul Allen. The two students share an interest in computers and programming. -
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Harvard
Gates entered Harvard University in 1973 and pursued his studies for the next year and a half. His life changed in January of 1975, however, when Popular Mechanics carried a cover story on a $350 microcomputer, the Altair, made by a firm called MITS in New Mexico. When Allen excitedly showed him the story, Gates knew where he wanted to be: at the forefront of computer software (a program of instructions for a computer) design. Gates dropped out of Harvard in 1975, ending his academic life -
Microsoft
In 1975, Gates and Allen formed a partnership they called Microsoft, a blend of "micro-computer" and "software." -
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Microsoft exploded
Between 1978 and 1981, Microsoft's growth exploded, and staff increased from 25 to 128. Revenue also shot up from $4 million to $16 million. -
Microsoft headquarters
Microsoft headquarters are relocated to Bellevue, Wash., a suburb of Gates’ hometown, Seattle. -
President and chairman of the board
In mid-1981 Gates and Allen incorporated Microsoft, and Gates was appointed president and chairman of the board. Allen was named executive vice-president. -
Going global
By 1983, Microsoft was going global with offices in Great Britain and Japan, and with 30 percent of the world's computers running on its software. -
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Money
In 1986, Bill Gates took Microsoft public with an initial public offering (IPO) of $21 per share. Gates held 45 percent of the company's 24.7 million shares and became an instant millionaire at age 31. Gates' stake at that time was $234 million of Microsoft's $520 million. Over time, the company's stock increased in value and split numerous times. -
Billionair
Bill Gates became a billionaire at 31 years of age, the youngest person to ever do so. -
married
In 1989, a 28-year-old Microsoft executive named Melinda French caught the eye of Bill Gates, then 37. The very bright and organized Melinda was a perfect match for Gates. Bill and Melinda were married on January 1, 1994 on the Hawaiian island of Lanai. -
3 children
Bill and Melinda Gates have 3 children. Jennifer Katharine Gates was born in 1996. Rory John Gates was born in 1999. Phoebe Adele Gates was born in 2002. -
101 billion
In 1999, with stock prices at an all time high and the stock splitting eight-fold since its IPO, Gates' wealth briefly topped $101 billion. -
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
<a href='http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Pages/home.aspx' > Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has $38.7 billion in assets, donates to causes aimed at bringing financial tools to the poor, speeding up the development of vaccines (for AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis), bettering America's lagging high schools. -
Bill Gates Receives a KBE
Bill Gates knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for his contribution to the British economy. -
Bill Gates retired from day to day activities in the company
On June 27, 2008, Bill Gates retired from day-to day activities in the company, following a two year transition period from his role as Chief Software Architect, which was taken by Ray Ozzie, but remained the company's chairman, head of the Board of Directors and would act as an adviser on key projects. -
