Microsoft was formed soon after the introduction of the Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems (MITS) Altair, the first
“personal computer,”
a build-it-yourself kit for hobbyists. Bill Gates and Paul Allen seized the opportunity to transform this early PC into a breakthrough — the Altair needed software, a programming language that could make it perform useful computing tasks. That’s when it all began.
Allen, employed by Honeywell, and his friend, Gates, a sophomore at Harvard, immediately set out to adapt the first personal computer language for the Altair, called BASIC. They worked in marathon 24-hour sessions to complete a working product, which was then licensed to MITS. Soon thereafter, Allen accepted a position with MITS as director of Software Development, and Gates followed him later that year to form an informal partnership called Micro-Soft, complete with hyphen.
Over the years, the PC has transformed from a hobbyist’s toy to an indispensable tool that continues to change the world. It has revolutionized how we deal with information, how we communicate, and how we work, learn and play.
Following is an overview of significant events that shaped the company in 1975.