Steve Jobs Section: Chronology of Events
Note: This is not an exhaustive timeline but a curated list of key historical events depicted in the book. All events listed are factual, not fictional.
Steve Jobs is born in San Francisco, and adopted by Paul & Clara Jobs
Introduced to Steve Wozniak (“Woz”); immediately forms a bond with him
Graduates from high school and enrolls at Reed College in Oregon
Drops out of Reed but continues auditing classes, incl. calligraphy class
Returns to Bay Area and gets a job at Atari, but leaves for India soon after
Returns from India and helps Woz market his prototype PC (later called Apple I)
Starts Apple Computer with Woz. Their first product Apple I has limited success
Apple’s next product Apple II is a big hit. Mike Markkula joins as investor & mentor
Seeks out Robert Noyce as a mentor; forms close bond with Noyce & his wife
Visits Xerox PARC and is dazzled by GUI. Pivots Lisa project to adopt similar GUI
Taken off Lisa project after conflicts. Turns focus to Apple IPO, which is a big success
Takes over Macintosh project & reshapes it as a user-friendly, elegant computer
Appears on Time magazine cover as the face of the personal computer revolution
Recruits PepsiCo executive John Sculley to join Apple as CEO
Unveils the Macintosh with iconic “1984” Super Bowl commercial
Leaves Apple after power struggle with Sculley. Founds NeXT Inc.
Acquires Graphics Group from George Lucas, rebrands it as Pixar
NeXT releases NeXTSTEP operating system, later used to build world’s first web browser
Marries Laurene Powell, with whom he later has three children
NeXT exits hardware and shifts focus to software, esp. NeXTSTEP
Pixar releases Toy Story, a critical and commercial success
Apple acquires NeXT and brings Jobs back as a consultant
Becomes iCEO of Apple. Launches Think Different ad campaign
Introduces the iMac computer, which revitalizes the Apple brand
Drops the “i” (interim) and formally accepts the role of Apple CEO
Signs deals with 5 major record labels for digital music distribution
Launches iTunes Music Store. Diagnosed with pancreatic cancer
Undergoes surgery for pancreatic cancer, initially deemed successful
Delivers highly lauded commencement address at Stanford
Launches the iPhone, which becomes a global phenomenon
Launches App Store, a massive iPhone ecosystem. Cancer returns
Receives a liver transplant, granting him a temporary recovery
Launches the iPad, which becomes another major success for Apple
Resigns as Apple CEO, succeeded by Tim Cook. Dies later that year
Apple’s HQ “The Spaceship” opens, fulfilling Jobs’s bold vision