Steve Jobs: a short biography

Steve Jobs was born in San Francisco in 1955. He was adopted as a baby and grew up in California. From an early age, he was curious about electronics and design. In 1976, when he was only 21, Jobs founded Apple Computer in his parents' garage with his friend Steve Wozniak. Their first computer, the Apple I, was sold to local hobbyists. The Apple II, released a year later, was a huge success and made the company famous. However, in 1985 Jobs was forced to leave Apple after disagreements with the board. He spent the next decade running another company called NeXT and helped to develop Pixar Animation Studios. In 1997, Jobs returned to Apple, which was almost bankrupt. Under his leadership, Apple launched the iMac, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad. These products did not just change Apple — they changed how millions of people listen to music, take photos and communicate. Steve Jobs died in 2011 at the age of 56. He is remembered as one of the most influential people in modern technology, although his management style was famously demanding.