Early Life and Education of Steve Wozniak: A Complete Timeline

How education and upbringing influenced the life of Steve Wozniak. A timeline of key moments.

Stephen Gary Wozniak, nicknamed "Woz," is an American technology entrepreneur, electrical engineer, computer programmer, and inventor. He co-founded Apple Computer with Steve Jobs in 1976. Wozniak is celebrated as a pioneer of the personal computer revolution due to his crucial role in developing Apple's early products during the 1970s and 1980s.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements

1923: Margaret Louise Kern Born

In 1923, Margaret Louise Kern, Steve Wozniak's mother, was born in Washington state.

1925: Francis Jacob "Jerry" Wozniak Born

In 1925, Francis Jacob "Jerry" Wozniak, Steve Wozniak's father, was born in Michigan.

August 11, 1950: Birth of Stephen Gary Wozniak

On August 11, 1950, Stephen Gary Wozniak was born in San Jose, California, to Margaret Louise Wozniak and Francis Jacob Wozniak.

August 11, 1950: Stephen Gary Wozniak Born

On August 11, 1950, Stephen Gary Wozniak, later known as a co-founder of Apple Computer, was born in San Jose, California.

1968: Graduation from Homestead High School

In 1968, Steve Wozniak graduated from Homestead High School in Cupertino, California.

1969: Return to San Francisco Bay Area

In 1969, Steve Wozniak returned to the San Francisco Bay Area after being expelled from the University of Colorado Boulder. He later re-enrolled at De Anza College.

October 1971: Building Blue Boxes

In October 1971, Steve Wozniak read "Secrets of the Little Blue Box" in Esquire and began building blue boxes, which allowed free long-distance calls. Steve Jobs sold them, splitting the profits with Wozniak.

1971: Started Degree at UC Berkeley

In 1971, Steve Wozniak started his Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences degree at UC Berkeley.

1971: Introduction to Steve Jobs

In 1971, Steve Wozniak was introduced to Steve Jobs by Bill Fernandez, who attended Homestead High School with Jobs.

1971: Designed and Built First Computer

In June 1971, Steve Wozniak designed and built his first computer with his friend Bill Fernandez as a self-taught engineering project.

1973: Working on Breakout Game at Atari

In 1973, Steve Wozniak worked with Steve Jobs to design a circuit board for the arcade game Breakout at Atari. Wozniak reduced the chip count significantly, but Jobs did not share the full bonus received from Atari with him at that time.

April 1, 1976: Formation of Apple Computer Company

On April 1, 1976, Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne formed the Apple Computer Company (now Apple Inc.). The name "Apple" was chosen after Jobs's time on an apple orchard.

November 1976: Funding from Mike Markkula

In November 1976, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak received funding from Mike Markkula, an Intel product marketing manager. Wozniak resigned from HP to become the vice president in charge of research and development at Apple.

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1976: Co-founded Apple Computer

In 1976, Steve Wozniak co-founded Apple Computer with Steve Jobs. This marks the beginning of their journey in the personal computer revolution.

May 1977: Apple II Article in Byte Magazine

In May 1977, Steve Wozniak's first article about the Apple II was published in Byte magazine. The Apple II became one of the first highly successful mass-produced personal computers.

1979: Joined the Freemasons

In 1979, Steve Wozniak joined the Freemasons to spend more time with his then-wife, Alice Robertson. He was initiated at Charity Lodge No. 362 in Campbell, California.

1980: Apple Went Public

In 1980, Apple went public, resulting in significant financial profitability and making Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak millionaires.

February 7, 1981: Airplane Crash

On February 7, 1981, Steve Wozniak's Beechcraft Bonanza A36TC crashed shortly after takeoff in Scotts Valley, California. Wozniak and his passengers sustained injuries, and Wozniak suffered from anterograde amnesia. The crash was attributed to premature liftoff and pilot inexperience.

June 1981: Marriage to Candice Clark

In June 1981, Steve Wozniak married Candice Clark, who was a slalom canoe gold-medalist. They remained married until 1987 and had three children together.

1981: Departure from Apple due to Airplane Accident

In 1981, Steve Jobs took over the Macintosh project due to Steve Wozniak's brief departure from Apple following a traumatic airplane accident.

1981: Re-enrollment at UC Berkeley

Later in 1981, after recovering from his plane crash, Steve Wozniak re-enrolled at UC Berkeley to complete his degree.

May 1982: Founded Unuson and Sponsored US Festival

In May 1982, Steve Wozniak, with help from Bill Graham, founded Unuson and sponsored the first US Festival, intended to celebrate evolving technologies but ended up as a technology exposition and a rock festival. The festival resulted in several million dollars in losses.

1983: Second US Festival and Return to Apple

In 1983, Wozniak sponsored the second US Festival through Unuson. After the financial losses of the 1982 festival, Wozniak stated he would end his involvement with rock festivals unless the 1983 event turned a profit. Later in 1983, Wozniak returned to Apple product development.

1985: Wozniak Left Apple Again

By early 1985, Steve Wozniak left Apple again and sold most of his stock because he felt that Apple was hindering him from being who he wanted to be. He also stated that he left primarily because he was excited to start CL 9 and recapture the fun of developing a new technology.

1985: Departure from Apple

In 1985, Steve Wozniak permanently left Apple, marking the end of his full-time involvement with the company.

1986: Continued Studying at UC Berkeley

In 1986, Steve Wozniak continued his Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences degree at UC Berkeley, using the name Rocky Raccoon Clark.

1987: Divorce from Candice Clark

In 1987, Steve Wozniak divorced Candice Clark, with whom he had three children. The youngest was born after the divorce was finalized.

1987: Received Degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

In 1987, Steve Wozniak officially received his degree in electrical engineering and computer sciences from UC Berkeley.

2008: Relationship with Kathy Griffin

In 2008, Steve Wozniak was in a high-profile relationship with actress Kathy Griffin, who described him as "the biggest techno-nerd in the Universe" on Tom Green's House Tonight.

October 2011: Death of Steve Jobs

In October 2011, Steve Jobs died. Steve Wozniak maintained a friendly acquaintance with Steve Jobs until his death.

2012: Applied for Australian citizenship

In 2012, Steve Wozniak applied for Australian citizenship and expressed his desire to live in Melbourne, Australia in the future.

2013: Wozniak Interview

In a 2013 interview, Steve Wozniak reflected on Steve Jobs taking over the Macintosh project in 1981 due to his plane crash.

2015: Announced Silicon Valley Comic Con

In 2015, Steve Wozniak, along with Marvel legend Stan Lee, announced the annual Silicon Valley Comic Con (SVCC), a pop culture and technology convention co-founded by Wozniak and Rick White.

2017: Fortune Magazine Interview and Polish Citizenship

In 2017, Steve Wozniak told Fortune magazine about his disdain for money. Also in 2017, Wozniak received Polish citizenship and visited Poland to meet with government and technology industry representatives and to visit his father’s hometown.

July 2021: Expressed support for the right to repair movement

In July 2021, Steve Wozniak made a Cameo video in response to right to repair activist Louis Rossmann, describing the issue as emotionally affecting and crediting Apple's early breakthroughs to open technology of the 1970s.

May 2023: AI Scams Interview with BBC

In May 2023, Steve Wozniak said in an interview to the BBC that AI may make scams more difficult to detect, noting that "AI is so intelligent it's open to the bad players, the ones that want to trick you about who they are".

November 2023: Suffered a minor stroke in Mexico City

In November 2023, Steve Wozniak suffered a minor stroke while preparing to speak at a conference in Mexico City. He was briefly hospitalized before returning home.

December 2023: Became a Serbian Citizen

In December 2023, Steve Wozniak became a Serbian citizen. He stated that he and his wife Janet, who is also getting a passport, will from now on "promote" Serbia while living in the U.S.

2024: Sued YouTube over scam using likeness, and won

In 2024, Steve Wozniak sued YouTube in respect to a scam that was being circulated on the platform using his likeness. Later, he won after a San Jose appeals court ruled YouTube was liable for failing to combat it.