Bill Gates

Biography

 Microsoft's first product was a version of the programming language BASIC for the Altair 8800, arguably the world's first personal computer. By 1980, IBM had decided to build personal computers and needed a PC operating system. IBM hired Microsoft to build its operating system. Microsoft bought Q-DOS from a company called Seattle Computer Products and used it for the PC.

The PC was released in August 1981 and was followed into the market by clones. Microsoft's DOS was one of three official PC operating systems but quickly beat out the other two. DOS was clunky and primitive at a time but DOS established itself as the computing operating system of choice at that time. In May 1990, Microsoft released Microsoft Windows 3.0.

The World Wide Web emerged in 1994, making browsers necessary and Netscape was founded that same year. Sun Microsystems developed Java, the Internet programming language. It wasn't until 1996 that Microsoft finally, according to Gates himself, "embraced the Internet wholeheartedly."

Melinda French Gates

Bill Gates married Melinda French Gates on January 1, 1994. They have three children: first child, Jennifer Katherine, was born on April 26, 1996 and a son, Rory John Gates, was born on May 23, 1999 and third child, Phoebe Adele Gates was born in 2002.

Philanthropy

In 2000, Bill and Melinda created the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to help reduce inequities in the United States and around the world. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is headquartered in Seattle, Washington, the foundation is led by co-chairs Bill Gates, Melinda Gates, and William H. Gates Sr., and by CEO Patty Stonesifer. Bill and his wife, Melinda, have endowed a foundation with more than $28.8 billion (as of January 2005) to support philanthropic initiatives in the areas of global health and learning, with the hope that in the 21st century, advances in these critical areas will be available for all people. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has committed more than $3.6 billion to organizations working in global health; more than $2 billion to improve learning opportunities, including the Gates Library Initiative to bring computers, Internet Access and training to public libraries in low-income communities in the United States and Canada; more than $477 million to community projects in the Pacific Northwest; and more than $488 million to special projects and annual giving campaigns.

On June 15, 2006, Microsoft announced that effective July 2008 Gates will transition out of a day-to-day role in the company to spend more time on his global health and education work at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. After July 2008 Gates will continue to serve as Microsoft’s chairman and an advisor on key development projects. The two-year transition process is to ensure that there is a smooth and orderly transfer of Gates’ daily responsibilities. Effective June 2006, Ray Ozzie assumed Bill's previous title as chief software architect and is working side by side with Bill on all technical architecture and product oversight responsibilities at Microsoft. Craig Mundie has assumed the new title of chief research and strategy officer at Microsoft and is working closely with Gates to assume his responsibility for the company’s research and incubation efforts.

Books:

Gates: How Microsoft's Mogul Reinvented an Industry and Made Himself the Richest Man in America by Stephen Manes, Paul Andrews from Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk

Did you know?

* Microsoft is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

Bill Gates Links

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Please note this page is an info page. I would like to say thank you Bill for all your inspiration. Vic