When one thinks of computer software, one must think of Microsoft. In fact if you use a computer, chances are that you will have some type of program on there that is developed by Microsoft. The CEO, chairman, cofounder, and owner of 147 billion shares of Microsoft is Bill Gates. William Henry Gates III was born in the midst of a scenic Seattle on
Thursday, October 28, 1995 to his parents Mary and William Henry Gates Jr. His childhood was uneventful and was well raised. He went to Sunday school at the
Congregational church and sang in the choir. He was a Boy Scout but never showed interest for either of these activities. Gates was an unusual child who spent long periods in his room in deep thought. He loved science and showed great skill in the area of math. In fact he scored a perfect on the math section of the SAT. His high school English teacher Anne Stephens was amazed at
Gates' memory. She commented on how Gates had remembered a 3-page soliloquy for a school play in one reading. He read often, tried to take up the trombone, had no interest in philosophy but rather thought of himself as a "scientist." His science teacher, William Dougall, remembers if the teacher wasn't going fast enough, "Bill always seemed on the verge of saying, 'But that's obvious.'" Gates once said to a teacher that some day he would be a millionaire. A grossly underestimated statement. Today Gates is one of the richest men in the world.
In the fall of 1968, Bill Gates was entering the 8th grade at lakeside School, and his best friend Paul Allen, entered the 10th grade. Lakeside invested $3,000 into a Teletype machine which could connect to the business computer via a phone line. When the computer courses began in January 1969, both Gates and Allen discovered their passion for programming. Since very few teachers knew anything about computers, the boys taught themselves with every manual they could get their hands on. Some days both would cut gym to gain
Bibliography: 1. Microsoft History, Microsoft, http://library.microsoft.com/msinfo/mshist/ histdoc.htm? 2. William H. Gates: Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Microsoft http://www.microsoft.com/corpinfo/bill-g.htm 3. Ichbiah, Daniel and Knepper, Susan L.. The making of Microsoft: How Bill Gates and His Team Created the World 's Most Successful Software Company. Rockline, CA: Prima Publishing.