Microsoft Corporation

Apr 04, 1975:

• Company founded by William H. Gates III and Paul G. Allen in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It had three employees.

Nov, 1976:

• Microsoft became a registered trademark.

1982:

• Microsoft U.K. Ltd. founded.

1983:

• Microsoft Windows was shown to the world for the first time.

1986:

• Microsoft offered its first shares to the public market at $21. By the end of the first day of trading, stock prices were up to $28.

Jun, 1995:

• The company establishes the Japanese venture GameBank Corp. with Softbank Corp., to market the Windows 95 operating system as a platform for computer games.

Apr 20, 1998:

• Company acquires Access Software.

Dec 05, 2000:

• The company acquires Digital Anvil.

Nov, 2001:

• Microsoft release the X-Box, their first home entertainment console, along with 1st person shooter Halo.

Sep 24, 2002:

• Microsoft buys the game developer Rare.