Oct 22, 2009 - Windows 7 released
June 27, 2008 - Chairman and co-founder Gates retires from day-to-day role at Microsoft to spend more time on philanthropy at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Jan 30, 2007 - Windows Vista launched
Oct 25, 2001 - Windows XP launched, combines business and consumer operating systems
Feb 17, 2000 - Windows 2000 launched
2000 - Windows Millennum edition made generally available, aimed at home computer users with music, video and networking enhancements
Jan 13, 2000 - Steve Ballmer named Microsoft CEO
June 25, 1998 - Launches Windows 98, aimed specifically at consumer market
Aug 24, 1995 - Windows 95 released, adds multimedia and mobile capabilities
1993 - Windows NT 3.1 released, aimed at business computing market
1990 - Windows 3.0 introduced, features 16 colors and a new set of Windows icons
1987 - Windows 2.0 released
1985 - Windows 1.0 released, featuring bitmap display and use of mouse pointing device
1983 - First version of Windows released
1981 - IBM introduces its personal computer with Microsoft's MS-DOS 1.0 operating system, which relies on typing commands
1975 - Microsoft founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen
Source: Microsoft
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