Childhood and Education Journey of Bill Gates in Timeline

Discover the defining moments in the early life of Bill Gates. From birth to education, explore key events.

Bill Gates is an American businessman and philanthropist who co-founded Microsoft with Paul Allen in 1975, becoming a central figure in the microcomputer revolution. He led Microsoft to become a dominant force in the software industry and became the youngest billionaire in 1987 following the company's IPO. For many years, Gates was ranked as the world's wealthiest person by Forbes, even becoming the first centibillionaire. As of May 2025, he is the thirteenth-richest person globally, with a net worth of $113 billion.

Sections (6)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

1925: Birth of William H. Gates Sr.

In 1925, William H. Gates Sr., the father of Bill Gates, was born.

1929: Birth of Mary Maxwell Gates

In 1929, Mary Maxwell Gates, the mother of Bill Gates, was born.

October 28, 1955: Birth of William Henry Gates III

On October 28, 1955, William Henry Gates III was born in Seattle, Washington. He is the son of William H. Gates Sr. and Mary Maxwell Gates.

1970: End of CCC Arrangement

In 1970, the arrangement between Lakeside Programmers Club and CCC (Computer Center Corporation) ended when CCC went out of business.

1972: Congressional Page

In 1972, at the age of 17, Bill Gates served as a congressional page in the House of Representatives.

1973: Enrolled at Harvard College

In 1973, Bill Gates enrolled at Harvard College, where he took math and computer science courses.

1973: Graduation and SAT Score

In 1973, Bill Gates graduated from Lakeside School as a national merit scholar and enrolled at Harvard College in the autumn of 1973. He scored 1590 out of 1600 on the Scholastic Aptitude Tests (SAT).

November 1975: Working at MITS

In November 1975, Bill Gates took a leave of absence from Harvard to work with Paul Allen at MITS in Albuquerque.

1975: Dropping out of Harvard to start Microsoft

In 1975, Bill Gates dropped out of Harvard to start his own computer software company, seeing an opportunity with the release of the MITS Altair 8800.

1977: Steve Ballmer Graduates from Harvard

In 1977, Steve Ballmer, who would later become the President of Microsoft, graduated from Harvard University. The Maxwell Dworkin Laboratory at Harvard's School of Engineering and Applied Sciences is named after the mothers of both Gates and Ballmer.

1981: Reputation for Being Distant

In 1981, an industry executive complained that 'Gates is notorious for not being reachable by phone and for not returning phone calls'.

1983: Allen Leaves Microsoft

In early 1983, Paul Allen left Microsoft after receiving a Hodgkin lymphoma diagnosis, effectively ending his formal business partnership with Bill Gates.

1987: Meeting Melinda French

In 1987, Bill Gates met Melinda French, who had recently started working at Microsoft, at a trade fair in New York.

1993: Engagement to Melinda French

After dating for six years, Bill Gates and Melinda French became engaged in 1993.

January 1, 1994: Marriage to Melinda French

On January 1, 1994, Bill Gates married Melinda French at the Manele Golf Course on the Hawaiian Island of Lānaʻi.

1994: Gates Creates the William H. Gates Foundation

In 1994, Bill Gates donated some of his Microsoft stock to create the "William H. Gates Foundation" after studying the work of Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller.

1994: Purchase of the Codex Leicester

In 1994, Bill Gates purchased the Codex Leicester, a collection of scientific writings by Leonardo da Vinci, for US$30.8 million at an auction.

1994: Death of Mary Maxwell Gates

In 1994, Mary Maxwell Gates, Bill Gates' mother, passed away.

January 1996: Donation to Stanford University

In January 1996, Bill Gates donated $6 million towards the construction of the Gates Computer Science Building at Stanford University. The building houses the Computer Science Department and the Computer Systems Laboratory (CSL) of Stanford's Engineering department.

April 26, 1996: Birth of Jennifer Katherine Gates

On April 26, 1996, Bill and Melinda Gates's first child, Jennifer Katherine Gates, was born.

1997: Purchase of a Private Jet

Until 1997, Bill Gates flew coach in commercial aircraft. In 1997, he bought a private jet.

1998: Purchase of Lost on the Grand Banks

In 1998, Bill Gates reportedly paid $30 million for the original 1885 maritime painting "Lost on the Grand Banks", setting a record price for an American painting at the time.

May 23, 1999: Birth of Rory John Gates

On May 23, 1999, Bill and Melinda Gates's second child, Rory John Gates, was born.

1999: Donation to MIT for Computer Laboratory

In 1999, Bill Gates donated $20 million to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for the construction of a computer laboratory. Named the "William H. Gates Building", it was designed by architect Frank Gehry and marked Gates's first personal donation to the institution.

2000: Gates and His Wife Create the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

In 2000, Bill Gates and his wife combined three family foundations and donated stock valued at $5 billion to create the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

September 14, 2002: Birth of Phoebe Adele Gates

On September 14, 2002, Bill and Melinda Gates's third child, Phoebe Adele Gates, was born.

May 2006: Dislike of Richest Man Attention

In May 2006, Bill Gates remarked that he wished that he was not the richest man in the world, because he disliked the attention that it brought.

2007: Los Angeles Times Criticizes Gates Foundation Investments

In 2007, the Los Angeles Times criticized the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for investing its assets in companies that have been accused of worsening poverty and pollution. While a review of investments was announced, it was canceled, and the foundation upheld its policy of investing for maximum return.

2009: Gates Donates to Carnegie Mellon University

In 2009, Bill Gates, through his foundation, donated $20 million to the Carnegie Mellon University for a new building to be named Gates Center for Computer Science.

2009: Property Taxes on Xanadu 2.0

In 2009, the property taxes on Bill Gates's mansion, nicknamed "Xanadu 2.0," were reported to be US$1.063 million, based on an assessed value of US$147.5 million.

March 2010: Second Wealthiest Person

In March 2010, Bill Gates was the second wealthiest person after Carlos Slim.

2011: Gates on Climate Change and Energy Access

In 2011, Bill Gates stated that he would prioritize environmentally friendly and affordable energy over choosing the next 10 presidents, emphasizing the critical and interrelated nature of climate change and global access to energy.

2013: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation identified as world's largest charitable foundation

In 2013, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation was identified by Funds for NGOs company as the world's largest charitable foundation, with assets reportedly valued at more than $34.6 billion.

March 2014: Gates Discusses Climate Change and Other Issues in Rolling Stone Interview

In March 2014, Bill Gates provided his perspective on climate change, his charitable activities, various tech companies, and the state of America in an interview published in Rolling Stone magazine. He expressed concern about potential future pandemics and identified innovation as the real driver of progress.

June 2014: Wealth Ranking Fluctuation

In June 2014, Carlos Slim regained the top position of wealthiest person from Bill Gates, but then lost it back to Gates.

2014: Drinking Water from Human Feces

In 2014, Bill Gates drank water that was produced from human feces via the Omni Processor sewage sludge treatment process to raise awareness about sanitation and potential solutions.

2014: Interview with Rolling Stone

In a 2014 interview with Rolling Stone, Bill Gates discussed his views on religion, morality, and the role of science in explaining the world.

March 2015: Gates Recommends "Superintelligence" and Warns of Pandemic Preparedness at TED Conference

In March 2015, at a TED conference, Bill Gates recommended Nick Bostrom's "Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies" and warned the world was unprepared for a future pandemic.

Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies

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2015: Gates Writes About Transitioning to Sustainable Energy Sources

In 2015, Bill Gates wrote about the challenge of transitioning the world's energy system to sustainable sources, emphasizing the need for increased government funding and private-sector investment in areas like nuclear energy and grid energy storage.

2015: Gates Announces Climate Change Initiatives at UN Conference

In 2015, at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris, Bill Gates spearheaded two initiatives: Mission Innovation, where 20 national governments pledged to double their spending on research and development for carbon-free energy, and Breakthrough Energy, a group of investors who agreed to fund high-risk startups in clean energy technologies. Gates committed a further $1 billion to Breakthrough Energy, adding to the $1 billion he had already invested in innovative energy startups.

2015: Appearance on The Tonight Show

In early 2015, Bill Gates appeared on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, challenging him to taste the difference between reclaimed water (produced from human feces) and bottled water.

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January 31, 2016: Desert Island Discs Guest

On January 31, 2016, Bill Gates was the guest on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs, where he discussed his relationships, the start of Microsoft, and his habits.

2016: Revelation of Color-Blindness

In 2016, Bill Gates revealed that he was color-blind.

April 2017: Match for Africa 4

In April 2017, Bill Gates partnered with Roger Federer in the Match for Africa 4, a charity tennis match held in Seattle, raising $2 million for children in Africa. They played against John Isner and Mike McCready.

October 2017: Surpassed by Jeff Bezos

In October 2017, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos surpassed Bill Gates as the richest person in the world.

March 5, 2018: Match for Africa 5

On March 5, 2018, Bill Gates and Roger Federer played in Match for Africa 5 in San Jose, raising over $2.5 million. Their opponents were Jack Sock and Savannah Guthrie. They won the match with a score of 6-3.

March 2018: Gates Meets with Saudi Crown Prince to Discuss Investment Opportunities

In March 2018, Bill Gates met with Mohammed bin Salman, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, at his home in Seattle to discuss investment opportunities for Saudi Vision 2030.

June 2018: Free Ebooks to Graduates

In June 2018, Bill Gates offered free ebooks to all new graduates of U.S. colleges and universities.

October 2018: Death of Paul Allen

In October 2018, Paul Allen, the co-founder of Microsoft and long-time friend of Bill Gates, passed away.

2018: Wealth Surpassed

In 2018, Jeff Bezos surpassed Bill Gates' wealth on The World's Billionaires list.

June 2019: Gates Admits Losing Mobile Operating System Race to Android Was His Biggest Mistake

In June 2019, Bill Gates admitted that losing the mobile operating system race to Android was his biggest mistake, partially blaming antitrust litigation.

2019: Silicon Valley Cameo

In 2019, Bill Gates appeared in a cameo role on the series finale of Silicon Valley.

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2019: Gates Divests from Fossil Fuels

In 2019, Bill Gates began to divest from fossil fuels due to concerns about climate change, stating that he did not want to personally benefit from increases in fossil fuel stock prices if his efforts to provide alternatives were to fail.

2019: Gates Convinces Joe Manchin to Support Climate Bill

In 2019, Bill Gates tried to convince Joe Manchin to support a climate bill. He especially worked on it in the months leading up to the adoption of the bill.

March 2020: Gates Leaves Microsoft Board to Focus on Philanthropy

In March 2020, Microsoft announced that Bill Gates would be leaving his board positions at Berkshire Hathaway and Microsoft to dedicate himself to philanthropic endeavors.

November 2020: Gates Favors Normalization of COVID-19 Masks

In a November 2020 interview, Bill Gates expressed his support for the normalization of COVID-19 masks.

December 8, 2020: Gates Speaks at Singapore FinTech Festival

On December 8, 2020, Bill Gates delivered his thoughts in a fireside chat moderated by journalist Shereen Bhan virtually at the Singapore FinTech Festival on the topic, "Building Infrastructure for Resilience: What the COVID-19 Response Can Teach Us About How to Scale Financial Inclusion".

December 2020: Gates Calls for Clean Energy Research Institutes

In December 2020, Bill Gates called for the U.S. federal government to create institutes for clean energy research, analogous to the National Institutes of Health, and urged rich nations to shift to 100% synthetic beef industries.

2020: Death of William H. Gates Sr.

In 2020, William H. Gates Sr., Bill Gates' father, passed away.

February 2021: Gates and Fauci Collaborate on COVID-19 Pandemic Response

As of February 2021, Bill Gates and Anthony Fauci frequently discussed and collaborated on vaccines and medical innovations to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

February 18, 2021: Gates Comments on Trump's Social Media Ban

On February 18, 2021, after Facebook and Twitter banned Donald Trump from their platforms, Bill Gates said a permanent ban of Trump "would be a shame" and would be an "extreme measure".

April 2021: Gates Criticized for Suggesting Pharmaceutical Companies Hold COVID-19 Vaccine Patents

In April 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Bill Gates was criticized for suggesting that pharmaceutical companies should hold onto patents for COVID-19 vaccines, which raised concerns about vaccine access for poorer nations.

May 3, 2021: Announcement of Divorce

On May 3, 2021, Bill and Melinda Gates announced their decision to divorce after more than 27 years of marriage.

May 2021: Gates Stepped Down Before Microsoft Board Finished Investigation Into Alleged Inappropriate Relationship

In May 2021, The Wall Street Journal reported that Bill Gates stepped down before Microsoft's board finished its investigation into Gates's alleged inappropriate sexual relationship with a Microsoft employee, which an external law firm had begun probing in late 2019.

June 2021: TerraPower and PacifiCorp Announce First Sodium Nuclear Reactor in Wyoming

In June 2021, Bill Gates's company, TerraPower, and Warren Buffett's PacifiCorp announced the first sodium nuclear reactor in Wyoming, which was hailed as a step toward carbon-negative nuclear power.

August 2, 2021: Finalization of Divorce

On August 2, 2021, the divorce between Bill and Melinda Gates was finalized, with the financial details remaining confidential.

October 2021: Marriage of Jennifer Katherine Gates

In October 2021, Jennifer Katherine Gates married Olympic equestrian Nayel Nassar.

2021: Free Ebooks to All Students

In 2021, Bill Gates offered free ebooks to all college and university students around the world.

May 10, 2022: Positive COVID-19 Test

On May 10, 2022, Bill Gates announced that he tested positive for COVID-19 and was experiencing mild symptoms, despite having received three doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

2022: Gates Supports Inflation Reduction Act

In 2022, Bill Gates supported the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, which aimed to cut global greenhouse gas emissions and limit the warming of the planet.

2022: "Solving for Zero: The Search for Climate Innovation" Series Inspired by Gates's Book

In 2022, the educational streamer Wondrium produced the series "Solving for Zero: The Search for Climate Innovation" which was inspired by Bill Gates's book "How to Avoid a Climate Disaster".

How to Avoid a Climate Disaster: The Solutions We Have and the Breakthroughs We Need

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February 2023: Dating Paula Hurd

In February 2023, Bill Gates confirmed that he was dating Paula Hurd, the widow of former Oracle Corporation and Hewlett-Packard chief executive Mark Hurd.

March 2023: Birth of First Granddaughter

In March 2023, Bill Gates became a grandfather with the birth of his first granddaughter, born to Jennifer Gates.

May 6, 2023: Gates Delivers Commencement Address and Receives Honorary Doctorate at Northern Arizona University

On May 6, 2023, Bill Gates gave a commencement address at Northern Arizona University, where he received an honorary doctorate and further discussed insights on climate change.

2023: Forbes 400 Ranking

In 2023, Bill Gates was ranked sixth on the Forbes 400 list of wealthiest Americans with a wealth of $115.0 billion.

2023: BBC Two Interview

In 2023, Bill Gates was the interviewee in an episode of the Amol Rajan Interviews series on BBC Two, and was the subject of an episode of the UK Channel 4 series The Billionaires Who Made Our World.

October 2024: Birth of Second Granddaughter

In October 2024, Bill Gates became a grandfather for the second time with the birth of a second granddaughter, born to Jennifer Gates.

October 2024: Gates Donates $50 Million to Future Forward USA Action Supporting Kamala Harris

In October 2024, The New York Times reported that Bill Gates had recently donated $50 million to Future Forward USA Action, a 501(c)(4) organization supporting Kamala Harris's 2024 presidential campaign. While not explicitly endorsing Harris, Gates stated, "this election is different."

2024: Melinda French Gates Resigns from Gates Foundation

In 2024, Melinda French Gates resigned from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation following the couple's divorce. The foundation was subsequently renamed, with Bill Gates as its sole chair.

February 2025: Paula Hurd as a 'Serious Girlfriend'

Appearing on the Today show in February 2025, Bill Gates described Paula Hurd as a "serious girlfriend", stating he had "moved past the divorce".

February 17, 2025: Net Worth

As of February 17, 2025, Forbes estimated Bill Gates' net worth at US$108.8 billion, making him the 16th richest individual in the world.

May 2025: Net Worth Update

As of May 2025, according to Forbes, Bill Gates' net worth stood at US$113 billion, making him the thirteenth-richest individual in the world.

2025: Publication of Memoir

In 2025, Bill Gates published the first of three planned memoirs, "Source Code: My Beginnings".

Source Code: My Beginnings

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2025: Source Code

In 2025, in Source Code, Gates wrote that he believed he was autistic.

Source Code: My Beginnings

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2025: Gates Charitable Donations Total $100 Billion

In an interview with the BBC in 2025, Bill Gates stated that his charitable donations have totalled $100 billion, with $60 billion going to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.