Paul Allen Timeline

Paul Allen, American businessman, philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder, died yesterday from complications of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma at the age of 65. Apart from the world’s biggest software-making company by revenue, he also founded Vulcan Inc., which oversaw his business and philanthropic efforts that ranged from scientific research and private spaceflight ventures to arts, healthcare and environmental conservation.

To pay tribute to the one whom Time magazine listed among the 100 most influential people in the world for two years consecutively, we have created the Paul Allen Timeline, which overviews some of his most notable life events and achievements.

Dropping out of Washington State University in order to work as a programmer, the young Allen later managed to convince his high school friend Bill Gates to drop out of Harvard as well, so that the two of them could create Microsoft. Once the venture went public, the two became billionaires, but unfortunately Allen effectively left the company in 1982 after he received a Hodgkin’s lymphoma diagnosis.

Despite giving up his active role within Microsoft and remaining only as a shareholder, Mr. Allen undertook a long list of investments in diverse areas such as aerospace, sports, filmmaking, science and research, and real estate. He also made significant philanthropic contributions for causes such as wildlife conservation programs and fighting the Ebola virus epidemic. His ongoing commitment to numerous charitable causes earned him multiple commendations including the Andrew Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy.

The Paul Allen chronology was created with Office Timeline, a simple yet effective PowerPoint plugin that allows users to create impressive timelines, Gantt charts and other similar visuals with only a few clicks. The slide is free to copy and share, and can be edited or updated using the Plus version of the add-in.

Download the Paul Allen Timeline for PowerPoint here.

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