Steve Jobs

These are the inspirational stories of great men and women who have blazed the next generations' trail with their remarkable feats.

FAMOUS PEOPLE

Parchment

Jobs was born on February 24, 1955 in San Francisco. He was the biological son of Joanne Carole Schieble and Abdulfattah "John" Jandali. However, Joanne gave Jobs up for adoption because her parents disapproved of her relationship with Jandali, as he was a Muslim immigrant from Syria. Jobs was adopted by Paul Reinhold Jobs and Clara Jobs, who gave him his name, Steven Paul Jobs. His biological parents married later and also had a daughter, Mona Simpson. Jobs had no relationship with his biological parents while growing up and was unaware of his adoption until he was older.

Chalkboard

Jobs was recalled by one neighbour as an odd individual who would greet clients barefoot and dressed casually. Another neighbour recalled dismissing Jobs's business idea compared to established mainframe computers. Jobs's friend from Reed College said he was the only employee working in Jobs's garage, while Steve Wozniak would visit weekly with new computer code. Much work was also done in Jobs's kitchen as he spent hours fundraising. They received funding from retired Intel executive Mike Markkula. Markkula brought Apple to investor Arthur Rock's attention after being impressed by Apple's booth at a computer show, leading to a $60,000 investment.

Jobs returned to Atari in 1975 and was assigned by Bushnell to create the circuit board for Breakout using as few chips as possible. He recruited Wozniak for help. During the day at HP, Wozniak drew sketches and at night joined Jobs at Atari, helping to refine the design Jobs implemented on a breadboard. Atari offered $100 per chip eliminated in the machine, according to Bushnell.

Jobs made a deal to split a fee evenly with Wozniak if he minimized chips in an Atari project. In just 4 days, Wozniak amazingly reduced the chip count from 100 to 45. Though Atari later reworked it to add features and testing. Wozniak learned years later Jobs had earned $5,000, not the $750 Jobs claimed. Wozniak said he would have given Jobs the rest if asked. They attended meetings that helped develop Apple, starting in their garage.

In 1996, Apple acquired NeXT, bringing Jobs back to Apple as an advisor. He helped revive the struggling company by focusing on design and user experience.

In 1997, Jobs became interim CEO and began a turnaround by cancelling projects, streamlining products, and introducing new models like the iMac.

Steve Jobs was an American businessman, inventor, and investor best known for co-founding the technology giant&nbsp;Apple.Inc.&nbsp;Jobs was also the founder of&nbsp;NeXT&nbsp;and chairman and majority shareholder of&nbsp;Pixar. He was a pioneer of the&nbsp;personal computer revolution&nbsp;of the 1970s and 1980s, along with his early business partner and fellow Apple co-founder&nbsp;Steve Wozniak.

After 7 months in India, Steve Jobs returned to the US ahead of Daniel Kottke. His head was shaved and he wore traditional Indian clothes. During this time, Jobs experimented with LSD and meditation. He spent time at a commune in Oregon and studied Zen Buddhism under a master in California. Jobs engaged in lengthy meditation retreats and considered living as a monk in Japan, maintaining a lifelong appreciation for Zen, Japanese culture, and artists.

Steve Jobs briefly attended Reed College in 1972 but dropped out due to cost and lack of passion. He audited classes, including calligraphy, which later influenced his design choices at Apple. Despite financial struggles, his independent learning continued, paving the way for future innovations.

In 2001, Jobs introduced the first iPod music player, which was a major commercial success and helped make Apple a dominant player in digital music.

In 2007, the iPhone was launched, marking Apple's successful entry into the mobile phone market and transforming the industry.

By March 1976, Wozniak completed the basic Apple I computer design and showed Jobs, who suggested selling it. Though skeptical, Wozniak agreed. In April 1976, Jobs, Wozniak and Ronald Wayne founded Apple Computer Company as a partnership in Jobs's parents' home, starting in his bedroom then moving to the garage. Wayne soon left, making Jobs and Wozniak the primary cofounders.

<ul><li>You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards.</li></ul>

<ul><li>Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work</li></ul>

<ul><li>For the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: 'If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?' And whenever the answer has been 'No' for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.</li></ul>

In 2011, Jobs resigned as Apple CEO due to failing health. He recommended Tim Cook as his successor.

Steve Jobs passed away on October 5, 2011, at the age of 56 due to complications from pancreatic cancer. He is remembered as a pioneering innovator and business leader.

In early 1974, Steve Jobs returned home to Los Altos, California and began looking for work. He was soon hired by Atari in Los Gatos as a computer technician. In 1973, Steve Wozniak designed his own version of Pong and showed the circuit board to Jobs. According to Wozniak, Atari only hired Jobs because he took the board to the company, implying it was his own design. Atari's cofounder later described Jobs as "difficult but valuable," noting he was often the smartest in the room.

In mid-1974, Steve Jobs and his friend Daniel Kottke travelled to India to visit Neem Karoli Baba at his Kainchi ashram, seeking spiritual teachings. When they arrived, the ashram was empty since Neem Karoli Baba had passed in 1973. They then hiked up a dry riverbed to the ashram of Haidakhan Babaji.

Jobs and Wozniak named their company "Apple" after Jobs returned from an Oregon commune where he spent time in an apple orchard. To fund production of the first Apple I computers, which Jobs planned to sell as circuit boards for $50 each, Wozniak sold his calculator and Jobs sold his van. That year, retailer Paul Terrell bought 50 assembled Apple I units for $500 each. Around 200 Apple I computers were produced in total.

In 1985, Jobs resigned from Apple after a power struggle with the board of directors. He started a new company called NeXT, which made high-end computer workstations.

In 1986, Jobs acquired the computer graphics division of Lucasfilm, which became Pixar. Under Jobs's leadership, Pixar went on to produce hugely successful animated films.

<ul><li>He married one of his students.</li></ul>

<ul><li>Jobs named an Apple computer after his daughter, Lisa.</li></ul>

<ul><li>Steve Jobs was a college dropout.</li></ul>

<ul><li>Jobs almost became a Buddhist monk</li></ul>

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