Today is Microsoft’s 50th anniversary, as Tom Warren writes:
Founded on April 4th, 1975, Microsoft went on to strike a deal with IBM to provide software for its first PC in 1980. This became the foundation of MS-DOS, which dominated IBM-compatible PCs during the ’80s. Microsoft’s early success in developing software for PCs eventually led to the first version of Windows in 1985 and a dream of a PC on every desk and in every home.
Microsoft itself is marking the occasion as well, with a mini site celebrating the past, present, and future of technology:
In 1975, childhood friends Bill Gates and Paul Allen dared to dream bigger than what reality dictated at the time—giving people everywhere a whole new way to live, work, and play. And while times have changed, and technology has changed, our dream remains the same: empowering every person on the planet to achieve more. To celebrate these last 50 years, we’re looking back at some iconic moments from our history, sharing some stories, and celebrating all the amazing things you’ve done with Microsoft tech. Because change needs makers!
If you’re in the mood for some more Microsoft nostalgia, I’ve got some links for you:
- Speaking of Tom Warren, he has another piece consisting of interviews with people who had a front-row seat to a lot of this history.
- Danielle McClune wrote about the history of Comic Sans on the Microsoft Design blog.
- Satya Nadella, Steve Ballmer, and Bill Gates were all roasted by Copilot.
- The Verge put together a list of the “50 best things” made by the company. It made me sad about the Courier all over again.
- If you need some swag, Microsoft has updated its merch store to mark the anniversary. There’s a noticeable lack of Clippy shirts, sadly.