Steve Jobs was born on February 24th, 1955. He was born in San Francisco to an unmarried pair of university students, who put him up for adoption shortly after his birth. He was then adopted by Paul and Clara Jobs, and went on to have a normal childhood, living comfortably middle-class in California. He had an adoptive sister, Patti, and showed remarkable proficiency in both school and with mechanical/electronic devices. After he graduated high school, he attended Reed College for one semester before dropping out, continuing to attend classes but sleeping on friends' dorm room floors and turning in recyclables for extra cash.
Steve Jobs is unquestionably one of the most recognizable names in American (and global) culture. He, along with Steve Wozniak, founded Apple Computers in 1976. This company has since grown to be one of the largest and most widely-known companied the world over, revolutionizing not only the personal computer, but also the world of music (both buying/selling and personal listening) and the concept of a cellular phone. Apple is almost synonymous at this point with American culture- the iMac, Macbook, iPod, and most notably, the iPhone, are all not only household names, but most households own at least one or more of these items.
While Apple was Steve Jobs' most notable accomplishment, it is certainly not his only project that is well-known to the public. Pixar Animation Studios was largely led by Jobs, and over fifteen years and in partnership with Disney, produced many large box-office hits, including but not limited to Toy Story 1-3, Finding Nemo, Wall-E, and Up.
H - At several instances throughout his career, circumstances forced Jobs to take a step back and evaluate where he was headed with his future. For example, in 1985, he was fired from Apple Computers. However, he went on to say that this was one of the best things that could have happened to him, and that it freed him to explore other ventures without the pressures of success weighing on him.
U - As mentioned earlier, Jobs dropped out of college after only one semester. However, this didn't stop him from sitting in on classes, as he slept on friends' dorm room floors and turned in cans and bottles for extra cash.
N - Jobs met Steve Wozniak when he was only 16 years old, and went on to found Apple Computers with him years later. This is only one example of Jobs' skill at networking, through many different fields and social groups.
T - Apple Computers was started out of Jobs' parents' garage, and has now grown into a multi-million if not multi-billion dollar industry. Pixar, as well, has grown into a highly profitable company.
Having taken a closer look at Steve Jobs' life, I have been inspired not to look at college as the only means to success. While Jobs is certainly the exception to the rule in that respect, it is heartening to see where a man who dropped out of college so soon could grow to such great success. With Steve Jobs' passing in October of 2011, the world surely lost not only a great inventor and entrepreneur, but a great man as well.
Works Cited:
All About Steve Jobs. "Short Bio."
Biography. "Steve Jobs Biography."
Forbes. "Steve Jobs."
