Steve
Jobs

Born Steven Paul Jobs on February 24, 1955, in San Francisco, California, to unmarried graduate students Joanne Schieble and Abdulfattah 'John' Jandali; placed for adoption and quickly adopted by Paul Reinhold Jobs (a machinist and Coast Guard veteran) and Clara Hagopian Jobs (an accountant of Armenian descent), who promised to fund his college education and raised him in a loving middle-class home.

Grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area as an only child initially; adoptive parents provided a stable environment despite modest means; Paul Jobs began teaching young Steve basic mechanics and electronics in the family garage, fostering early curiosity about how things worked.

Continued early childhood in San Francisco; family emphasized education and self-reliance; Steve showed signs of strong will and intelligence from a young age, traits that would define his personality.

Family life centered on home projects; Paul Jobs renovated cars and taught craftsmanship; Steve absorbed hands-on learning skills that later influenced his design philosophy emphasizing simplicity and functionality.

Adoptive sister Patricia adopted into the family; growing household in the Bay Area; early exposure to Silicon Valley's emerging tech culture through neighborhood engineers and Paul's work.

Attended local preschool or early schooling; demonstrated high intelligence but occasional boredom; parents encouraged reading and exploration, laying foundation for lifelong passion for learning outside formal structures.

Family moved to Mountain View, California (heart of what became Silicon Valley) around 1960-1961; enrolled in Monta Loma Elementary School; neighborhood filled with engineers influenced Steve's interest in technology.

Continued at Monta Loma Elementary; explored electronics with father in garage; built simple projects like radios; developed reputation as bright but mischievous child.

Attended Monta Loma Elementary; spent time on neighborhood adventures; Paul's garage workshops deepened Steve's fascination with mechanics and precision craftsmanship.

Ongoing elementary education; family home at 286 Diablo Avenue in Mountain View; Steve tinkered with electronics kits and began showing entrepreneurial traits by collecting and reselling items.

Continued schooling in Mountain View; increasing exposure to Silicon Valley innovators; read widely including science fiction that sparked visionary thinking about technology's future.

Family purchased new home in Los Altos to access better schools in Cupertino district; transition period; Steve faced bullying at Crittenden Middle School, leading to ultimatum to parents for change.

Attended Crittenden Middle School briefly but experienced issues; parents responded by moving to Sunnyvale/Los Altos area for Homestead High; cold-called Bill Hewlett for parts, earning summer job offer at HP.

Summer job at Hewlett-Packard factory after impressing co-founder Bill Hewlett; explored electronics deeply; enrolled at Homestead High School in Cupertino, beginning exposure to computing and like-minded peers.

Attended Homestead High; took electronics classes; met early friend Bill Fernandez; developed interest in pranks and counterculture music like Bob Dylan.

Continued at Homestead High; introduced to Steve Wozniak by Bill Fernandez; shared passions for electronics, music, and practical jokes; began experimenting with technology together.

Ongoing high school; deepened friendship with Wozniak; explored Zen Buddhism and spirituality; involved in light shows and underground projects.

Graduated from Homestead High School; enrolled at Reed College in Portland, Oregon; dropped out after one semester but continued auditing classes including calligraphy that profoundly influenced future Apple typography and design.

Lived frugally at Reed College/reed drop-out community; slept on floors, returned bottles for meals, attended Hare Krishna temple for food; experimented with LSD and primal diet; built and sold blue boxes with Wozniak for phone phreaking.

Traveled to India seeking spiritual enlightenment with friend Daniel Kottke; visited ashrams, adopted shaved head and traditional clothing; returned changed, deepening Zen practice under Kobun Chino Otogawa; brief job at Atari as technician.

Worked night shift at Atari; recruited Wozniak to help design Breakout game; attended Homebrew Computer Club meetings where Wozniak demonstrated early computers; lifestyle included communes and counterculture exploration.

Co-founded Apple Computer with Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne in parents' Los Altos garage on April 1; sold Apple I kits; oversaw design and marketing while Wozniak handled engineering; named company 'Apple' after fruitarian diet and orchard visit.

Apple II released as first mass-produced personal computer with color graphics; massive success; relationship with Chrisann Brennan; company grew rapidly in garage and small office.

Daughter Lisa Brennan born to Chrisann Brennan (initially denied paternity); Apple II sales skyrocketed with VisiCalc spreadsheet; company symbol of personal computing revolution.

Visited Xerox PARC, saw graphical user interface inspiring Macintosh; invested in Apple III and Lisa projects; recruited executives like Mike Markkula.

Apple went public December 12, making Jobs multimillionaire; Apple III launched but flawed; took over Macintosh project from Jef Raskin.

Macintosh development intensified; Black Wednesday layoffs; IBM PC launched as major competitor; began relationship dynamics leading to board tensions.

Featured on Time magazine cover; recruited John Sculley from Pepsi as CEO; Macintosh team merged with Lisa.

Macintosh launched January 24 with iconic '1984' Super Bowl ad; initial strong sales; celebrated 30th birthday lavishly (turned 30 in 1985).

Macintosh sales declined due to price and performance; power struggle with Sculley and board; stripped of executive duties in May.

Resigned from Apple September 17; founded NeXT with Apple refugees; bought Pixar from Lucasfilm for $10 million; mother Clara died.

NeXT development; Pixar produced early shorts like Luxo Jr.; reconnected with biological mother Joanne and sister Mona Simpson.

Pixar short Tin Toy won Academy Award; NeXT partnerships formed; personal focus on new ventures.

NeXT Cube unveiled October 12 to acclaim but high price; Businessland retail partnership; named Entrepreneur of Decade by Inc.

Met Laurene Powell at Stanford lecture; NeXTstation introduced; Canon investment.

Married Laurene Powell March 18 in Yosemite Zen ceremony; son Reed Paul born; Pixar-Disney deal for feature film.

NeXTSTEP licensed for Intel; Pixar staff reductions to cut costs.

NeXT discontinued hardware, focused on software; father Paul Jobs died; Toy Story development challenges.

Pixar resumed Toy Story; ongoing NeXT software efforts.

Became Pixar President/CEO; daughter Erin born; Toy Story released November, massive success.

Pixar IPO after Toy Story; Jobs billionaire; Apple acquired NeXT December.

Advised Apple post-acquisition; Gil Amelio ousted; became interim CEO July; Microsoft investment announced.

Think Different campaign launched; daughter Eve born; iMac development.

iMac unveiled May; Apple profitable again; first retail stores planned.

Power Mac G3 and colorful iMacs; iBook unveiled; Pirates of Silicon Valley aired.

Became permanent CEO January; Mac OS X demoed; Power Mac G4 Cube.

Digital Hub strategy; iTunes and Mac OS X shipped; first Apple retail stores opened.

iPod unveiled October; transformative product.

iMac G4 and iPhoto; Switch campaign; Windows iPods.

iTunes Music Store opened; Power Mac G5; diagnosed with pancreatic cancer but delayed conventional treatment.

Cancer surgery August; iPod mini and iLife; Stanford commencement speech.

Intel transition announced; Pixar acquired by Disney January 2006 (age 51 in 2006); became Disney's largest shareholder.

iPhone unveiled January; renamed company Apple Inc.; iPod Touch.

MacBook Air; health rumors; App Store.

Medical leave January; liver transplant April; returned June.

iPad unveiled; ongoing health management.

Medical leave January; resigned as CEO August 24, became chairman; final product appearances including iCloud; died October 5, 2011, at home in Palo Alto from pancreatic cancer complications, surrounded by family.