Bill Gates Birthday, Age, Microsoft Timeline & Facts
Bill Gates — William Henry Gates III — was born on October 28, 1955, in Seattle, Washington. He co-founded Microsoft, put a version of Windows on most of the world’s personal computers and later turned his attention to global health and climate through the Gates Foundation. He is 70 years old.
| Full Name | William Henry Gates III |
|---|---|
| Known For | Co-founder of Microsoft; philanthropist |
| Professions | Entrepreneur, Philanthropist |
| Birthday | October 28, 1955 |
| Age | 70 years old |
| Birthplace | Seattle, Washington, USA |
| Nationality | American (🇺🇸 United States) |
| Zodiac Sign | ♏ Scorpio (Oct 23 – Nov 21) |
| Chinese Zodiac | Wood Goat |
| Birthstone | Opal |
| Birth Flower | Marigold |
| Generation | Baby Boomer |
| Born on a | Friday |
| Company | Microsoft (co-founded 1975) |
| Foundation | Gates Foundation |
Bill Gates at a Glance
| Year | What happened |
|---|---|
| 1968 | Starts programming at Lakeside School in Seattle, aged 13 |
| 1973 | Enters Harvard University |
| 1975 | Leaves Harvard and co-founds Microsoft with Paul Allen in Albuquerque, New Mexico |
| 1980–1981 | Supplies the operating system for the IBM PC, a deal that made MS-DOS an industry standard |
| 1985 | First retail version of Microsoft Windows launches |
| 1986 | Microsoft goes public |
| 2000 | Steps down as CEO; Steve Ballmer takes over. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is created |
| 2010 | Co-founds the Giving Pledge with Warren Buffett |
| 2014 | Steps down as Microsoft chairman |
| 2020 | Leaves Microsoft’s board to focus on philanthropy |
How Microsoft Changed Computing
Gates and his childhood friend Paul Allen believed a computer would one day sit on every desk and in every home. Their bet on software — rather than hardware — paid off when IBM chose Microsoft to supply the operating system for its first personal computer. Windows, and later Microsoft Office, turned that early lead into a near-universal presence in offices, schools and homes.
Philanthropy and Global Health
Since 2000 the Gates Foundation has become one of the largest private charitable foundations in the world, funding vaccine programmes, the fight against polio and malaria, agricultural research and education. Gates has said he plans to give away virtually all of his wealth, and in 2010 he and Warren Buffett launched the Giving Pledge, inviting the world’s richest people to promise most of their fortunes to charity.
Honours and Books
- Honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE), 2005.
- Presidential Medal of Freedom, 2016.
- Author of The Road Ahead (1995), How to Avoid a Climate Disaster (2021) and the memoir Source Code: My Beginnings (2025).
Surprising Facts About Bill Gates
- He scored 1590 out of 1600 on the SAT, according to his own accounts.
- He left Harvard without a degree but received an honorary doctorate from the university in 2007.
- He reads widely and shares book recommendations every year on his blog, Gates Notes.
- He shares an October 28 birthday with actress Julia Roberts.
👉 Same birthday: Famous birthdays on October 28
Frequently Asked Questions
Bill Gates is 70 years old. He was born on October 28, 1955.
He co-founded Microsoft with Paul Allen in 1975.
No. He left Harvard in 1975 to build Microsoft, though Harvard later gave him an honorary degree in 2007.
Born on October 28, Bill Gates is a Scorpio.
Also Born on October 28
Julia Roberts
Actress; “Pretty Woman”, “Erin Brockovich”
Celebrate more on October 28: Bill Gates shares a birthday with National Chocolate Day, Czech Independence Day, National Immigrants Day, Ohi Day. See everything celebrated on October 28 →
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