History of Melinda French Gates in Timeline

Melinda French Gates is an American philanthropist known for her work in global health and gender equality. She earned degrees in computer science, economics, and an MBA from Duke University before joining Microsoft in 1987. There she met and later married Bill Gates in 1994, with whom she has three children.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

August 15, 1964: Melinda Ann French Born

On August 15, 1964, Melinda Ann French (later known as Melinda French Gates) was born in Dallas, Texas.

Others born on this day/year

1982: Graduated from Ursuline Academy

In 1982, Melinda French Gates graduated as valedictorian from Ursuline Academy of Dallas.

1986: Graduated from Duke University

In 1986, Melinda French Gates earned a bachelor's degree in computer science and economics from Duke University.

1987: MBA from Duke's Fuqua School of Business

In 1987, Melinda French Gates received an MBA from Duke's Fuqua School of Business.

1987: Began Dating Bill Gates

In 1987, Melinda French began dating Bill Gates after meeting him at a trade fair in New York.

1987: Joined Microsoft

In 1987, Melinda French joined Microsoft as a multimedia product developer, and she began dating Bill Gates, the company's co-founder and CEO.

1994: Married Bill Gates

In 1994, Melinda French married Bill Gates in a private ceremony held in Lanai, Hawaii.

1996: Left Microsoft

In 1996, Melinda French Gates left Microsoft, reportedly to focus on starting a family, after serving as General Manager of Information Products.

1996: Joined Duke University's Board of Trustees

In 1996, Melinda French Gates served as a member of Duke University's board of trustees.

1998: American Library Association Honorary Membership

In 1998, Melinda French Gates and Bill Gates were each honored with an American Library Association Honorary Membership.

2000: Founded Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

In 2000, Melinda French Gates and Bill Gates jointly founded the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which became the world's largest private charitable organization focusing on global health, development, and education.

2000: Benefaction to Cambridge

In 2000, Melinda and Bill Gates' benefaction of $210 million set up the Gates Cambridge Trust.

2000: Stepped into Public Eye

Since 2000, Melinda French Gates has been in the public eye, which allowed her work shaping and advancing the goals of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to be publicly recognized.

2002: Award for Greatest Public Service Benefiting the Disadvantaged

In 2002, Melinda French Gates and Bill Gates received the Award for Greatest Public Service Benefiting the Disadvantaged by Jefferson Awards.

2003: Left Duke University's Board of Trustees

In 2003, Melinda French Gates ended her term as a member of Duke University's board of trustees.

2004: Joined Graham Holdings Board of Directors

In 2004, Melinda French Gates held a seat on the board of directors of Graham Holdings (formerly The Washington Post Company).

December 2005: Named Time's Person of the Year

In December 2005, Melinda French Gates and Bill Gates were named, by Time, as Persons of the Year, alongside Bono.

May 4, 2006: Received Spanish Prince of Asturias Award

On May 4, 2006, Melinda French Gates and Bill Gates received the Spanish Prince of Asturias Award for International Cooperation.

May 2006: Seattle Children's Hospital dedicated Melinda French Gates Ambulatory Care building

In May 2006, Seattle Children's Hospital dedicated the Melinda French Gates Ambulatory Care building in honor of her work to improve the lives of children locally and around the world.

August 2006: Left Drugstore.com board of directors

In August 2006, Melinda French Gates left her position on the board of directors at Drugstore.com to focus on philanthropic projects.

November 2006: Awarded Insignia of the Order of the Aztec Eagle

In November 2006, Melinda French Gates was awarded the Insignia of the Order of the Aztec Eagle, along with Bill Gates.

2007: Honorary Doctorate from Karolinska Institute

In 2007, Melinda French Gates received an honorary doctorate in medicine from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden.

2009: Honorary Degrees from University of Cambridge

In 2009, Melinda French Gates and Bill Gates received honorary degrees from the University of Cambridge.

2011: Ranked #6 on Forbes 100 Most Powerful Women

In 2011, Melinda French Gates was ranked #6 on Forbes' annual list of the 100 Most Powerful Women.

2012: Ranked #4 on Forbes 100 Most Powerful Women

In 2012, Melinda French Gates was ranked #4 on Forbes' annual list of the 100 Most Powerful Women.

2013: Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Duke University

In 2013, Melinda French Gates was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters by Duke University, in honor of her philanthropic commitment.

2013: Ranked #3 on Forbes 100 Most Powerful Women & Awarded UCSF Medal

In 2013, Melinda French Gates was ranked #3 on Forbes' annual list of the 100 Most Powerful Women, was awarded the UCSF medal, and was appointed an honorary Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE).

2014: Ranked #3 on Forbes 100 Most Powerful Women

In 2014, Melinda French Gates was ranked #3 on Forbes' annual list of the 100 Most Powerful Women.

2015: Founded Pivotal Ventures

In 2015, Melinda French Gates founded Pivotal Ventures as an independent organization to address issues affecting U.S. women and families.

2015: Ranked #3 on Forbes 100 Most Powerful Women & Awarded Padma Bhushan

In 2015, Melinda French Gates was ranked #3 on Forbes' annual list of the 100 Most Powerful Women, and she and Bill Gates jointly received India's third-highest civilian honor, Padma Bhushan.

September 2016: Announced Desire to Increase Diversity

In September 2016, Melinda French Gates announced her desire to increase diversity in the workplace, especially in the technology industry.

2016: Awarded Otto Hahn Peace Medal 2016

In 2016, Melinda French Gates was awarded the Otto Hahn Peace Medal 2016 of the United Nations Association of Germany (DGVN), Berlin-Brandenburg, "for outstanding services to peace and international understanding".

2016: Ranked #4 on Forbes 100 Most Powerful Women & Awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom

In 2016, Melinda French Gates was ranked #4 on Forbes' annual list of the 100 Most Powerful Women, and she and Bill Gates were awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

2017: Awarded Commander of the Legion of Honour

In 2017, Melinda French Gates and Bill Gates were awarded France's highest national honor by President François Hollande as Commander of the Legion of Honour, for their charitable efforts.

2017: Spoke at Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing

In 2017, Melinda French Gates spoke about increasing diversity in the workplace, especially in the technology industry at the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing.

2017: Ranked #3 on Forbes 100 Most Powerful Women

In 2017, Melinda French Gates was ranked #3 on Forbes' annual list of the 100 Most Powerful Women.

2018: Ranked #6 on Forbes 100 Most Powerful Women

In 2018, Melinda French Gates was ranked #6 on Forbes' annual list of the 100 Most Powerful Women.

October 2019: Met with Divorce Lawyers

In October 2019, Melinda French Gates began meeting with divorce lawyers, according to The Wall Street Journal.

2019: Debut as an author with 'The Moment of Lift'

In 2019, Melinda French Gates debuted as an author with the book "The Moment of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes the World", which discusses the failure to acknowledge women's unpaid work.

The Moment of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes the World

Check it on Amazon

2019: Ranked #6 on Forbes 100 Most Powerful Women

In 2019, Melinda French Gates was ranked #6 on Forbes' annual list of the 100 Most Powerful Women.

2020: Ranked #5 on Forbes 100 Most Powerful Women

In 2020, Melinda French Gates was ranked #5 on Forbes' annual list of the 100 Most Powerful Women.

May 2021: Announced Divorce

In May 2021, Bill and Melinda Gates announced their decision to divorce after 27 years of marriage.

August 2, 2021: Divorce Finalized

On August 2, 2021, the divorce between Melinda French Gates and Bill Gates was finalized, and Melinda has since publicly used the name Melinda French Gates.

October 2021: Attended Daughter's Wedding

In October 2021, Melinda French Gates and Bill Gates both attended the wedding of their eldest daughter Jennifer to Nayel Nassar.

2021: Divorce Announcement

In 2021, Melinda French Gates and Bill Gates announced their decision to divorce after 27 years of marriage.

2021: Ranked #5 on Forbes 100 Most Powerful Women

In 2021, Melinda French Gates was ranked #5 on Forbes' annual list of the 100 Most Powerful Women.

2021: Named one of BBC's 100 Women

In 2021, Melinda French Gates was recognized as one of the BBC's 100 Women.

March 2022: Described Relationship with Bill Gates

In March 2022, Melinda French Gates said that she and Bill Gates were "friendly" but not "friends".

November 2022: Reported Dating Jon Du Pre

In November 2022, Melinda French Gates was reported to be dating former Fox News correspondent Jon Du Pre.

2022: Foundation Donations

By 2022, Bill and Melinda Gates had given US$59.1 billion of their personal wealth to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

2022: Ranked #6 on Forbes 100 Most Powerful Women

In 2022, Melinda French Gates was ranked #6 on Forbes' annual list of the 100 Most Powerful Women.

March 2023: Became a grandmother

In March 2023, Melinda French Gates became a grandmother for the first time when Jennifer gave birth to a daughter.

2023: Ranked #10 on Forbes 100 Most Powerful Women

In 2023, Melinda French Gates was ranked #10 on Forbes' annual list of the 100 Most Powerful Women.

April 2024: Relationship with Du Pre ended

In April 2024, it was confirmed that Melinda French Gates and Jon Du Pre were no longer dating.

May 13, 2024: Resignation Announcement

On May 13, 2024, Melinda French Gates announced her resignation as co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, effective June 7.

June 2024: Delivered Commencement Address at Stanford University

In June 2024, Melinda French Gates delivered the Commencement address at Stanford University.

2024: Donations to Democratic Causes and Endorsements

In 2024, Melinda French Gates donated over $10 million to Democratic causes and endorsed Kamala Harris in the US presidential election, after Joe Biden stepped aside.

2024: Resigned as Co-Chair of Gates Foundation

In 2024, Melinda French Gates resigned as co-chair of the Gates Foundation following her divorce, receiving $12.5 billion for her independent charitable work, and the foundation was subsequently renamed the Gates Foundation. This work will focus on women and families.

2024: Announced Action for Women's Health

In 2024, Melinda French Gates, in partnership with Lever for Change, announced a grant competition called Action for Women's Health, aiming to provide $250 million in grants for women's health initiatives.