Feb. 24, 1955
Graduate student Joanne Schieble gives birth in San Francisco to a boy who is adopted by Paul and Clara Jobs of Mountain View, Calif., and named Steven Paul Jobs.
Jan. 1, 1976
College dropouts Steve Jobs, 21, and Steve Wozniak, 26, build the first Apple computer in a garage in Los Altos, Calif. The pair raise $1,300 by selling a van and two calculators and launch Apple as a company on April Fools’ Day.
(Apple)
Jan. 1, 1977
The first Apple II computers go on sale for $1,295 and become an instant hit. The Apple II is the first computer to display color images and the first to come with a keyboard, and in 1979 it becomes the first to offer a "killer app" – Visicalc – a spreadsheet program.
(Associated Press)
Dec. 12, 1980
Apple Computer goes public, selling all 4.6 million shares at $22 each within minutes.
Jan. 19, 1983
Apple’s Lisa computer, named after Jobs’ oldest daughter, bombs, perhaps because of its $10,000 price. Jobs brings in John Sculley as president of the company.
Jan. 24, 1984
The Macintosh, which Jobs envisions as "the people's computer," is introduced. It incorporates key elements of the Lisa such as a mouse and features a revolutionary graphical interface. Apple airs its legendary "1984" advertisement during the Super Bowl, and sells 70,000 Macs in the first 100 days. Watch Apple's Super Bowl broadcast .
Steve Jobs, left, John Sculley, Macintosh, left, and Lisa 2
(Terry Schmitt/UPI)
Sept. 17, 1985
With Mac sales stagnating and the company wracked by infighting, Sculley ousts Jobs in a dramatic boardroom coup.
Feb. 7, 1986
Jobs founds Next Computer and buys George Lucas’ computer graphics division, which eventually becomes Pixar Animation Studios.
Jan. 1, 1990
Apple's revenue soars from less than $2 billion in 1986 to more than $5.5 billion and profit reaches a record $474 million.
Oct. 2, 1991
Apple’s profit and market share slide. The company lays off 10% of its work force, introduces low-cost Macs and negotiates an alliance with rival IBM Corp.
Oct. 15, 1993
Apple's board ousts company president John Sculley for not paying enough attention to day-to-day operations.
(Associated Press)
Jan. 1, 1995
A wave of executive departures and poor forecasting of demand leave Apple in disarray even as the PC market booms.
Dec. 20, 1996
Apple buys Jobs’ Next Computer Inc. and hires him as an consultant.
Sept. 16, 1997
Jobs is named Apple’s “interim” chief executive.
May 6, 1998
Apple introduces the first of its translucent, brightly colored iMac computers. The company makes its first profit in five years.
(Apple)
July 21, 1999
Apple brings out the iBook laptop.
(Associated Press)
Jan. 1, 2000
The word “interim” is dropped from Jobs’ CEO title.
Nov. 10, 2001
Apple transforms the way people consume music with the introduction of the iPod. More than 300 million iPods have been sold since.
(Apple)
April 28, 2003
Apple launches the iTunes music store; within a week it sells a million songs. Says Jobs "There is no question in my mind that history will write that this was a major milestone in the evolution of the real digital music age."
(Associated Press)
Jan. 1, 2004
Jobs undergoes surgery for pancreatic cancer.
June 12, 2005
In a speech at Stanford University, Jobs addresses his bout with cancer. “No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it."
June 29, 2007
Apple revolutionizes the cellphone industry by introducing the iPhone. More than 73 million have been sold since.
(Apple)
April 1, 2009
Jobs gets a liver transplant, takes six months off work.
Jan. 27, 2010
Apple introduces the iPad, selling more than 7 million of them. The company surpasses Microsoft as the largest technology company by stock market value.
(Apple)
Jan. 17, 2011
Jobs announces he will be taking another medical leave, for unspecified reasons.
Aug. 24, 2011
Jobs steps down as Apple’s chief executive.
Oct. 5, 2011
Jobs dies after a long battle against pancreatic cancer. He was 56.
(Jeff Chiu/Associated Press)
