{"id":4811,"canonical_url":"https://www.kudos365.com/today-in-history/events/1975ce-apr-4--4811","name":"1975 CE, April 4","year":1975,"era":"CE","month":4,"day":4,"url":"https://www.kudos365.com/today-in-history/events/1975ce-apr-4--4811","iso-date":"1975-04-04","precision":"year-month-day","description":"\u003cp\u003eChildhood friends \u003ca class=\"H23r4e\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-hveid=\"CAIQAg\" href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Gates\" ping=\"/url?sa=t\u0026source=web\u0026rct=j\u0026url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Gates\u0026ved=2ahUKEwjDhJbm9NSTAxXCFTQIHVm5LygQy_kOegQIAhAC\u0026opi=89978449\" data-complete=\"true\" data-processed=\"true\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003ca class=\"H23r4e\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-hveid=\"CAIQAg\" href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Gates\" ping=\"/url?sa=t\u0026source=web\u0026rct=j\u0026url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Gates\u0026ved=2ahUKEwjDhJbm9NSTAxXCFTQIHVm5LygQy_kOegQIAhAC\u0026opi=89978449\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003eBill Gates and \u003ca class=\"H23r4e\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-hveid=\"CAIQBQ\" href=\"https://paulallen.com/Futurist/Microsoft.aspx\" ping=\"/url?sa=t\u0026source=web\u0026rct=j\u0026url=https://paulallen.com/Futurist/Microsoft.aspx\u0026ved=2ahUKEwjDhJbm9NSTAxXCFTQIHVm5LygQy_kOegQIAhAF\u0026opi=89978449\" data-complete=\"true\" data-processed=\"true\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003ca class=\"H23r4e\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-hveid=\"CAIQBQ\" href=\"https://paulallen.com/Futurist/Microsoft.aspx\" ping=\"/url?sa=t\u0026source=web\u0026rct=j\u0026url=https://paulallen.com/Futurist/Microsoft.aspx\u0026ved=2ahUKEwjDhJbm9NSTAxXCFTQIHVm5LygQy_kOegQIAhAF\u0026opi=89978449\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003ePaul Allen found Microsoft on April 4, 1975, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It was created to develop a BASIC interpreter for the Altair 8800, one of the first commercially successful personal computers. The company relocated to Bellevue, WA on January 1, 1979.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","additional_details":"\u003cp\u003eIn 1980, Microsoft entered into a partnership with IBM to provide the operating system for the upcoming IBM PC. However Microsoft did not have one, and they purchased a non exclusive license for $25,000 to $50,000 from Seattle Computer Products (SCP) where programmer, Tim Paterson had developed an operating system called QDOS (Quick \u0026 Dirty Operating System), later renamed 86-DOS. The Operating system acquisition was strategic move that established MS-DOS as an industry standard. Microsoft and SPC later reached and agreement for $1M which gave Microsoft a full license for the operating system.\u0026nbsp;\u003cbr\u003eIBM officially introduced its Personal Computer (Model 5150), on August 12, 1981. Microsoft went public on March 13, 1986, at $21 per share. Its subsequent growth made Bill Gates the world's youngest billionaire by 1987.\u003c/p\u003e","photo":"https://k365fs.imgix.net/NTuSpsZgQ16TwnCflMH6_Microsoft_010_PaulAllen_BillGates_1981_From%20PaulAllendotcom%20-NPR.jpg?auto=format,compress\u0026fit=clip\u0026max-w=1600","photo_width":530,"photo_height":309,"citation_url":null,"citation_url_label":".","citation_description":"\u003cp\u003ePhoto Credit: PaulAllen.com\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e","created_at":"2026-04-04T12:23:27-07:00","updated_at":"2026-04-04T17:36:11-07:00","breadcrumbs":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"April History","item":"https://www.kudos365.com/today-in-history/april"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"April 4","item":"https://www.kudos365.com/today-in-history/april-4"}]},"schema":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Thing","@id":"https://www.kudos365.com/today-in-history/events/1975ce-apr-4--4811#eventK365","name":"1975 CE, April 4","headline":"Childhood friends Bill Gates and Paul Allen found Microsoft on April 4, 1975, in Albuquerque, New Mexico - 1975 CE","description":"Childhood friends Bill Gates and Paul Allen found Microsoft on April 4, 1975, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It was created to develop a BASIC interpreter for...","url":"https://www.kudos365.com/today-in-history/events/1975ce-apr-4--4811","additionalType":"HistoricalEvent","inLanguage":"en","datePublished":"2026-04-04T12:23:27-07:00","dateModified":"2026-04-04T17:36:11-07:00","publisher":{"@id":"https://www.kudos365.com/#organizationK365"},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://k365fs.imgix.net/NTuSpsZgQ16TwnCflMH6_Microsoft_010_PaulAllen_BillGates_1981_From%20PaulAllendotcom%20-NPR.jpg?auto=format,compress\u0026fit=clip\u0026max-w=1600","width":530,"height":309},"temporalCoverage":"1975-04-04","isPartOf":[{"@id":"https://www.kudos365.com/#websiteK365"},{"@type":"CollectionPage","@id":"https://www.kudos365.com/today-in-history/april","name":"What Happened in April History"},{"@type":"CollectionPage","@id":"https://www.kudos365.com/today-in-history/april-4#pageK365","name":"What Happened on April 4"}]}}