William Henry Gates III, also known as Bill Gates, was born in Seattle, Washington to William H. Gates Sr. and Mary Maxwell Gates. He was the only son in the family and had two sisters. His father was a prominent lawyer and his mother served on the board of directors of First Interstate BancSystem and United Way of America.

William (Bill) Henry Gates III was born on October 28, 1955, in Seattle to a middle-class family. His parents were a lawyer and a college teacher. He had a typical childhood attending public school up to at least the sixth grade.

In 1967, Bill Gates enrolled at Lakeside School, where he had his first exposure to computers, marking the beginning of his journey in the field of technology.

At the age of 13, Bill Gates enrolled in the private Lakeside prep school where he wrote his first software program. The school's Mothers' Club used proceeds from a rummage sale to buy computer time for the students, which sparked Gates' interest in programming.

Bill Gates, along with Paul Allen, Ric Weiland, and Kent Evans, formed the Lakeside Programmers Club to make money by finding bugs in software in exchange for extra computer time. This marked the beginning of Gates' entrepreneurial endeavors in the field of technology.

In 1972, Bill Gates served as a congressional page in the House of Representatives, gaining early exposure to the political environment.

In the autumn of 1973, Bill Gates enrolled at Harvard College, where he initially pursued mathematics and graduate level computer science courses.

In 1974, Bill Gates joined Paul Allen at Honeywell, marking a significant collaboration between the two in the field of computer science.

In November 1975, Bill Gates took a leave of absence from Harvard to work with Paul Allen at MITS, a pivotal decision that led to the establishment of Microsoft.

In February 1976, Bill Gates wrote an open letter to hobbyists expressing concern about the widespread copying and distribution of Microsoft Altair BASIC without payment. He emphasized the importance of professional developers being compensated for their work.

Gates takes a leave of absence from Harvard and sets up Microsoft in Albuquerque, N.M., marking a significant milestone in the company's history.

Microsoft’s year-end sales exceed $1 million, solidifying Gates' reputation for being tough but focused in the technology industry.

Microsoft headquarters are relocated to Bellevue, Wash., a suburb of Gates’ hometown, Seattle, marking a significant move for the company.

In July 1980, IBM approached Microsoft for software for its upcoming personal computer, the IBM PC, after Gates's mother mentioned Microsoft to IBM's CEO. This led to discussions about writing the BASIC interpreter and the need for an operating system, ultimately resulting in Microsoft providing an operating system for the PC.

On June 25, 1981, Gates oversaw Microsoft's company restructuring, making himself the president and chairman of the board, with Paul Allen as vice president and vice chairman.

In 1983, Paul Allen leaves Microsoft after developing Hodgkin’s disease.

Microsoft and Gates launched their first retail version of Microsoft Windows on November 20, 1985, as a response to competition from Apple's Macintosh GUI.

In 1986, Bill Gates became a paper billionaire largely due to the success of Microsoft, making him one of the world's richest private individuals within a decade.

In 1987, Bill Gates was listed as a billionaire in Forbes magazine's first ever America's richest issue and was the world's youngest self-made billionaire with a net worth of $1.25 billion.

In 1989, Bill Gates founded Corbis, a digital imaging company, as part of his investments outside Microsoft.

In 1990, the Federal Trade Commission begins an investigation into possible collusion between IBM and Microsoft, charging that they collaborated to divvy up the market for operating systems in an anticompetitive way.

Bill Gates spoke at the Berkeley Macintosh Users Group weekly meeting at University of California, Berkeley, answering questions and engaging with the audience.

Bill Gates married Melinda French on the Hawaiian Island of Lānaʻi on January 1, 1994. They met in 1987 after Melinda began working at Microsoft.

Bill Gates co-authored a book with Microsoft executive Nathan Myhrvold and journalist Peter Rinearson, summarizing the implications of the personal computing revolution and the future changed by the arrival of a global information superhighway.

In 1996, Bill Gates was elected a Member of the US National Academy of Engineering for his contributions to the founding and development of personal computing.

Bill Gates appeared on-screen at the MacWorld Boston event in August 1997.

In 1999, Bill Gates briefly became the first person ever to achieve a wealth of over US$100 billion. However, the nominal value of his Microsoft holdings declined in the following years due to various factors.

In January 2000, William Henry Gates III stepped down as the CEO of Microsoft, succeeded by Steve Ballmer, but he remained chairman of the board of directors and became chief software architect.

In 2002, Bill and Melinda Gates received the Jefferson Award for Greatest Public Service Benefiting the Disadvantaged.

In 2004, Bill Gates became a board member of Berkshire Hathaway, the investment company headed by long-time friend Warren Buffett.

In 2005, Time collectively named Bill Gates, his wife Melinda, and U2's lead singer Bono as the Persons of the Year for their humanitarian efforts.

On June 15, 2006, Bill Gates announced his decision to transition out of his role at Microsoft in order to focus more on philanthropy. This marked a significant shift in his career and the future direction of the company.

In 2007, Bill Gates receives an honorary degree from Harvard University.

On June 27, 2008, Bill Gates completed the process of transferring his responsibilities at Microsoft to his successors, Ray Ozzie and Craig Mundie. This marked the end of his direct involvement in the day-to-day operations of the company.

Bill Gates' reign at Microsoft comes to an end in 2008, marking the conclusion of an era dominated by his leadership.

Since 2009, Bill Gates has given numerous TED talks on topics such as innovation, education, and fighting global diseases.

On December 9, 2010, Bill and Melinda Gates, along with Warren Buffett, signed a commitment called the 'Giving Pledge', vowing to donate at least half of their wealth to charity over time.

In 2011, Bill Gates's relationship with financier Jeffrey Epstein started, just a few years after Epstein was convicted for procuring a child for prostitution. Gates visited Epstein's house with his wife in the fall of 2013, despite her discomfort. Gates denied any business relationship or friendship with Epstein, but admitted to visiting him many times.

According to Forbes, Gates was ranked as the fourth most powerful person in the world in 2012.

In March 2013, Epstein and Gates met with Nobel Committee chair Thorbjørn Jagland to discuss the Nobel Prize. Representatives of the International Peace Institute, which has received millions in grants from the Gates Foundation, were also in attendance.

On February 4, 2014, Bill Gates resigned as chairman of Microsoft to take on the role of 'technology advisor' to support the newly appointed CEO, Satya Nadella. This move signified a shift in his relationship with the company.

On February 5, 2014, Gates left the chair of Microsoft to John W. Thompson, and Windows 8.1 was the last version of the OS released before his departure.

In March 27, 2014, Bill Gates was featured in a substantial interview published in Rolling Stone magazine. He shared his perspectives on various issues including climate change, charitable activities, and the state of America, providing valuable insights into his thoughts and concerns.

In March 2015, during an interview at the TED conference, Bill Gates expressed his concerns about the potential harms of superintelligence. He emphasized the need for careful management of technological advancements and echoed the sentiments of other tech leaders on this matter.

At the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference, Bill Gates announced two initiatives - Mission Innovation, involving 20 national governments pledging to double their spending on research and development for carbon-free energy, and Breakthrough Energy, a group of investors funding high-risk startups in clean energy technologies.

Bill Gates was a guest on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs, where he discussed various aspects of his life including his relationships, the start of Microsoft, and his habits.

Bill Gates partnered with Roger Federer in a noncompetitive tennis match at Key Arena in Seattle to support the Roger Federer Foundation's charity efforts in Africa. They played against John Isner and Mike McCready, ultimately raising $2 million for children in Africa.

Bill Gates and Roger Federer returned to play in the Match for Africa 5 at San Jose's SAP Center, raising over $2.5 million for charity. Their opponents were Jack Sock and Savannah Guthrie, and Gates and Federer won the match by a score of 6–3.

On August 25, 2018, Bill Gates distributed $600,000 through his foundation via UNICEF to help flood-affected victims in Kerala, India.

In June 2019, Bill Gates publicly acknowledged that losing the mobile operating system race to Android was his biggest mistake. He attributed this failure to a combination of factors including their skill set and antitrust litigation during that time.

A Netflix documentary series that delves into the life of Bill Gates, from his childhood to his current work, including his time at Microsoft.

On March 13, 2020, Microsoft announced Gates would be leaving his board positions at Berkshire Hathaway and Microsoft to focus on philanthropic endeavors such as climate change, global health and development, and education.

Gates delivered his thoughts in a fireside chat moderated by journalist Shereen Bhan at the Singapore FinTech Festival on December 8, 2020, discussing the topic of 'Building Infrastructure for Resilience: What the COVID-19 Response Can Teach Us About How to Scale Financial Inclusion'.

After being banned from Facebook and Twitter, Donald Trump faced discussions about a potential permanent ban. Bill Gates expressed concerns about the polarization that could result from users with different political views dividing among various social networks.

On May 3, 2021, the Gateses announced they had decided to divorce after 27 years of marriage and 34 years as a couple. They said they would keep working together on charitable efforts.

The divorce was finalized on August 2, 2021.

Bill Gates announced that he tested positive for COVID-19 and was experiencing mild symptoms. He has received three doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

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On May 6, 2023, Bill Gates delivered a commencement address at Northern Arizona University, where he discussed insights on climate change and was honored with an honorary doctorate.

The Gates Notes LLC was established in 2024, serving as a platform for Bill Gates to share his thoughts and experiences on various topics such as education, climate and energy, pandemic prevention, and more.