The late Steve Jobs is considered by many to be one of the greatest minds of the 21st century.  As the head of Apple, Jobs introduced the world to countless innovations, one of the most known being the iPod.  Jobs’ efforts earned him awards, accolades and comparisons to past inventors, but Jobs’ journey to success began with a life-changing decision made by his parents.

On this day, February 24th, in 1955, two University of Wisconsin graduate students had a son, who would later be named Steve Jobs.  Jobs was born to Joanne Carole Schieble and Abdulfattah Jandali, who were unmarried.  The two students decided to give up their child for adoption.  Being adopted by Paul and Clare Jobs would play a key role in Steve Jobs’ interest in electronics.

Living in Mountain View, California with his parents, Steve Jobs was exposed to, and would later gain great interest in technology. Paul Jobs had a background in laser technology and taught Steve rudimentary electronic skills.  Clare Jobs’ position at one of Silicon Valley’s first high tech firms also helped to expose Steve to the world of technology.  A combination of other factors would lead to Steve Jobs becoming a worldwide name, but his early life played an important role.