Timeline of Microsoft
- Category
- Engineering & Technology
- Tag
- companies
- Events
- 24 events 1975–2022
- Added
1975: Microsoft founded
Bill Gates and Paul Allen found Microsoft in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Wikipedia1980: Microsoft signs agreement with IBM to provide an operating system
Microsoft signs an agreement with IBM to provide the operating system for their upcoming personal computer, which later becomes known as the IBM PC.
Wikipedia1985: Microsoft Windows 1.0 is released
Microsoft releases its first graphical user interface operating system, Windows 1.0.
Wikipedia1986: Microsoft goes public
Microsoft becomes a publicly-traded company with an initial public offering (IPO) of $21 per share. The IPO makes Microsoft's co-founder, Bill Gates, an instant billionaire and makes Microsoft one of the most valuable technology companies in the world. Going public also gives Microsoft the capital it needs to expand its operations and develop new products, paving the way for the company's future success.
Wikipedia1990: Microsoft Office is released
Microsoft releases Microsoft Office, a suite of productivity software that included word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation programs. The initial release included Word 1.0, Excel 2.0, and PowerPoint 2.0, and was designed to be used with Windows 3.0, which was released the same year.
Wikipedia1995: Windows 95 is released
Microsoft releases Windows 95, which features a redesigned user interface and long file names.
Wikipedia1998: Microsoft is sued by the US Department of Justice for antitrust violations
The US Department of Justice sues Microsoft for antitrust violations related to its bundling of Internet Explorer with Windows.
Wikipedia2001: Windows XP is released
Microsoft releases Windows XP, which becomes one of its most popular operating systems.
Wikipedia2002: Bill Gates announces Trustworthy Computing initiative
Bill Gates announces the Trustworthy Computing initiative, which aims to improve the security and reliability of Microsoft software.
Wikipedia2007: Microsoft releases Windows Vista
Microsoft releases Windows Vista, which features a redesigned user interface and improved security features.
Wikipedia2008: Microsoft releases Windows 7
Microsoft releases Windows 7, which features improved performance and a redesigned taskbar.
Wikipedia2012: Microsoft releases Windows 8
Microsoft releases Windows 8, which features a redesigned user interface optimized for touch input.
Wikipedia2013: Steve Ballmer announces retirement
Steve Ballmer announces he will retire as CEO within 12 months.
Wikipedia2014: Satya Nadella becomes CEO
Satya Nadella is named the new CEO of Microsoft. Nadella, who had been with the company since 1992, was previously executive vice president of Microsoft's cloud and enterprise group.
Wikipedia2015: Windows 10 is released
Microsoft releases Windows 10, which includes the new Edge web browser and the virtual assistant Cortana.
Wikipedia2016: Microsoft acquires LinkedIn
Microsoft acquires LinkedIn, the professional social networking site, for $26.2 billion.
Wikipedia2017: Microsoft releases Xbox One X
Microsoft releases the Xbox One X, the most powerful video game console to date.
Wikipedia2018: Microsoft surpasses $1 trillion market cap
Microsoft becomes the third company to reach a market capitalization of $1 trillion, following Apple and Amazon.
Wikipedia2019: Microsoft Edge switches to Chromium engine
Microsoft announces that the Edge web browser will switch to the Chromium engine, the same engine used by Google Chrome.
Wikipedia2020: COVID-19 pandemic forces Microsoft to shift to remote work
The COVID-19 pandemic forces Microsoft, like many other companies, to shift to remote work for the safety of its employees.
Wikipedia2020: Microsoft acquires ZeniMax Media
Microsoft acquires ZeniMax Media, the parent company of video game publisher Bethesda Softworks, for $7.5 billion.
Wikipedia2021: Microsoft Windows 11 is announced
Microsoft announces Windows 11, the successor to Windows 10, which includes a new Start menu, redesigned taskbar, and other new features.
Wikipedia2021: Microsoft surpasses $2 trillion market cap
Microsoft becomes the second company to reach a market capitalization of $2 trillion, following Apple.
Wikipedia2022: Microsoft acquires Nuance Communications
Microsoft acquires Nuance Communications, a provider of conversational AI and speech recognition software, for $19.7 billion.
Wikipedia