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Bill Gates Facts & Worksheets

William Henry Gates III, simply known as Bill Gates, is an American software architect, business magnate, philanthropist and co-founder of Microsoft. He is one of the richest people in the world since 1987 and founder of the largest private foundation.

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See the fact file below for more information on Bill Gates or alternatively, you can download our 22 page Bill Gates worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Early Life and Interests

  • William Henry Gates III was born on October 28, 1955, in Seattle, Washington to parents William H. Gates, Sr., a lawyer, and Mary, Gates, a teacher. They had three children, including Kristianne and Libby. Mary used to work at First Interstate Bank in Seattle and International Business Machines.
  • Young Bill loved to play board games like monopoly. He also enjoyed reading reference books (encyclopedia), and science
    fiction books.
  • At the age of 13, Bill’s parents enrolled him at Lakeside Preparatory School. He excelled in Math, Science and English. In addition, Bill spent most of his free time working on a teletype terminal computer. During those times, computers were not available at home, only large companies could afford them. Out of a playful mind, Bill wrote a computer program in tic-tac-toe format. While at Lakeside, he met Paul Allen, who would be his future business partner.
  • At the age of 15, Allen and Gates developed the “Traf-o-Data” computer program that monitored traffic patterns in Seattle. They earned $20,000, which encouraged them to start their own business.
  • In 1973, Gates graduated from Lakeside and took the College SAT test. Out of 1600, he scored 1590. In the fall of 1973, he enrolled at Harvard University. While at college, Bill spent more time in the computer lab than in classes. Even though Allen went to Washington State University, the two stayed in touch.
  • After two years in college, Allen dropped out and worked for Honeywell, in Massachusetts. It was at the same time that the Altair 8800 mini-computer kit was released. Both Gates and Allen were fascinated with the first home computer.

Bill Gates’ Success and Controversies

  • Gates and Allen worked for two months developing software for the Altair 8800 mini-computer kit. After the success of their demonstration, Gates dropped out from Harvard in 1975. During that time, the computer industry was growing with companies like Apple, Intel and IBM. That same year, the duo formed Micro-Soft, a combination of “microcomputer” and “software.”
  • In order to fill the needs of IBM, Gates bought computer software compatible with IBM computers. The software license cost him $50,000 and he would later fully own the software. The software developer sued Microsoft and Gates after learning of the IBM deal. The case was settled out of court.
  • At the age of 23, Gates became head of the company. Between 1979 to 1981, Microsoft grew by selling software for IBM. From 25 employees, they hired another 100. With his great tactics in business, he did not allow IBM to buy the source code, instead, IBM bought licenses for every copy of the software used in their computers.
  • Soon, Microsoft licensed the software MS-DOS to other PC manufacturers. They even released software, known as Softcard, which could operate Apple II machines.
  • In 1981, Apple CEO, Steve Jobs invited Microsoft to develop software compatible with Macintosh computers. Microsoft gained access to Macintosh’s systems as they saw it as a great threat to MS-DOS.
  • Without anything at hand, Gates announced that Microsoft would be releasing new software called Windows, that would use a graphic interface. It was a bluff as part of his marketing tactic.
  • In late 1985, Microsoft launched Windows. It looked very similar to the Macintosh system introduced in 1983.
  • Apple sued Microsoft for using their access to Macintosh systems to produce similar software. The courts favored Microsoft after seeing distinct individual functions.
  • In 1989, Microsoft launched MS Office, a bundle of productivity applications including Microsoft Word and Excel compatible with any Microsoft products. In two weeks, Microsoft sold 100,000 copies of Windows, outnumbering IBM’s OS/2.
  • In the 1990s, Microsoft faced investigation by the Federal Trade Commission and Justice Department for unfair marketing practices that led to virtual monopoly.
  • Other charges included unfair deals with computer manufacturers and forcing them to sell Microsoft’s Internet Explorer combined with Windows Operating System. Gates continued to run the company during federal investigations.
  • In the 1998 United States v. Microsoft case, the judge ruled that Microsoft was guilty of monopolization and tying, which violated the Sherman Antitrust Act.

Later Life and Recognition

  • On January 1, 1994, Bill Gates married his long-time partner, Melinda French, in Hawaii. They met in 1987 when Melinda was Microsoft’s product manager. The couple had three children, Jennifer, Rory, and Phoebe.
  • That same year, they founded the William H. Gates, Sr. Foundation, which supports education and healthcare in low-income communities.
  • In 2000, following the philanthropic deeds of Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller, the couple established the Bill & Melinda
    Gates Foundation.
  • In order to focus on his civic activities, Gates handed over the CEO position to Steve Ballmer, a college friend and employee of Microsoft since 1980.
  • On June 27, 2008, Gates served his last day of work at Microsoft but remained the Chairman of the Board. CEO Ballmer was replaced by Satya Nadella.
  • Since 1987, from the age of 32, Gates has been on the list of Forbes’ wealthiest people.
  • In addition, Time magazine hailed Gates as one of the most influential people of the 20th century.
  • In 2016, U.S. President Barack Obama awarded the couple with the Presidential Medal of Freedom for their philanthropic work.

Bill Gates Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about billionaire Bill Gates across 22 wonderful pages. These are ready-to-use Bill Gates worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about William Henry Gates III, simply known as Bill Gates, who is an American software architect, business magnate, philanthropist and co-founder of Microsoft.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Bill Gates Facts
  • Bill the Billionaire
  • Road to Billions
  • About Gates
  • Bill Gates Controversies
  • Windows OS Evolution
  • Gates v. Jobs
  • Parts of MS Word
  • Shortcut Keys
  • Virtual Magnates
  • Microsoft in Everyday Life

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Link will appear as Bill Gates Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, March 8, 2018

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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