a close up of Steve Wozniak.

Steve Wozniak Biography: Apple Co-Founder and Engineer

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a close up of Steve Wozniak.

A Look at the Life of Steve Wozniak

Biography Summary

Steve Wozniak is an American electronics engineer who helped launch the personal computer era by cofounding Apple Computer with Steve Jobs and engineering the Apple II, described by Britannica as the first commercially successful personal computer.

His story is a mix of deep technical skill and pivotal timing. He arrived at a moment when hobbyist computing was turning into a consumer market, and his designs helped push that shift into the mainstream.

Long before Apple, he was already building. The Computer History Museum notes that he built his first computer at age 13, and both Britannica and the museum describe early experiments that included a “blue box” device used for phone phreaking.

Apple began as a practical decision: take a home-built circuit-board computer shown to the Homebrew Computer Club and turn it into something people could actually buy. That early product path moved from the Apple I to the Apple II, and it helped define what many people would later expect from a personal computer.

His time at Apple also came with disruption. In 1981, he crashed a small airplane and suffered temporary traumatic amnesia, according to Britannica. The National Transportation Safety Board’s accident brief documents the crash as occurring on February 7, 1981, in Santa Cruz, California, involving a Beech A36TC aircraft registered as N2WZ.

He later returned to complete his UC Berkeley degree under the name “Rocky Clark,” a detail documented by UC Berkeley’s alumni and news sources and by the Los Angeles Times. In the mid-1980s, that chapter closed the loop on a long, interrupted education that began in Colorado and continued through community college in California.

After leaving Apple as an active employee in 1985, he kept a public presence through education-focused work, business ventures, and roles that kept him connected to new technology. Britannica describes later work as chief scientist at Fusion-io (starting in 2009) and later at Primary Data (starting in 2014), and it notes that he cofounded Efforce in 2020.

Across decades, institutions have recognized his impact. These include the ACM Grace Murray Hopper Award (1979), the National Medal of Technology and Innovation (1985), induction into the National Inventors Hall of Fame (2000), the Heinz Award (2001), and the Hoover Medal (2013).

Profile

Born: August 11, 1950 (San Jose, California, U.S.)

Education: University of Colorado Boulder (attended 1968–1969); community college in California (including De Anza Community College); University of California, Berkeley (completed degree work in the mid-1980s in electrical engineering and computer science)

Best Known For: Cofounding Apple Computer; designing the Apple II

Achievements: Designed Apple I and Apple II; listed as sole inventor on four Apple patents; recognized with major technology awards and honors

Title: Electronics engineer; Apple cofounder

Awards: ACM Grace Murray Hopper Award (1979); National Medal of Technology and Innovation (1985); National Inventors Hall of Fame induction (2000); Heinz Award (2001); Hoover Medal (2013)

Parents: Father was an electrical engineer for Lockheed Missiles and Space Company in Sunnyvale, California

Spouse: Janet Hill

Children: Has children

Some people help create a product. Others help create a category.

Wozniak’s life sits in that second group. His designs helped turn a hobbyist idea into a public-facing machine that ordinary people could use.

That shift did not happen in one clean step. It moved through schools, clubs, garages, awards, and reinventions that kept pulling him back to the same question: what can a small computer let a person do?

Origins

He was born on August 11, 1950, in San Jose, California. Britannica identifies him as an American electronics engineer and places his early life in a region that would become known for technology.

His early environment mattered. Britannica describes him as the son of an electrical engineer for Lockheed Missiles and Space Company in Sunnyvale, California, and it notes a gift for mathematics and an early interest in electronics.

By his early teens, he was building. The Computer History Museum says he built his first computer when he was 13 and describes him as an electronics prodigy in high school.

His education began in Colorado and became a long, interrupted arc rather than a straight path. Britannica states he attended the University of Colorado at Boulder for one year (1968–1969) before leaving.

Back in California, his schooling continued in pieces. Britannica says he attended a local community college and then the University of California, Berkeley, while UC Berkeley’s alumni coverage adds specifics like time at De Anza Community College in Cupertino.

Those starts and stops were not just background. They shaped a pattern that would appear again later: step away, build something real, and return when the timing made sense.

One of the earliest turning points came in 1971, when he designed what Britannica calls the “Blue Box.” Britannica defines it as a device used for phone phreaking, and the Computer History Museum notes that he and Steve Jobs built an electronic “blue box” that enabled them to hack the public telephone network and make toll-free calls.

This part of the story is often told as youthful daring, but the documentary fact is simpler. It showed technical skill, a willingness to test systems, and an early partnership that would soon move into computing.

The Computer History Museum adds a precise snapshot of that partnership: at 19, he met 14-year-old Steve Jobs, and the two teenagers built the blue box together.

Early Growth

In the early 1970s, he moved through the Bay Area’s electronics world. Britannica reports that he worked at several small electronics firms before obtaining a position with Hewlett-Packard (HP) in 1975.

By then, he had formally left UC Berkeley, according to Britannica. That decision did not end his learning, though, because his education was also happening through hands-on engineering work.

The setting for his next leap was not a corporate lab. It was a community of enthusiasts building on the first wave of microprocessors.

Britannica states that he became involved with the Homebrew Computer Club, describing it as a San Francisco Bay area group centered on the Altair 8800 do-it-yourself kit. Britannica also notes that the Altair 8800 was based on the Intel 8080 microprocessor, released in 1975.

That detail explains the opportunity. New chips meant a new kind of computer, small enough for a single person to own and learn.

Within that environment, he moved from interest to invention.

Britannica says that while working as an engineering intern at HP, he designed his own microcomputer in 1976 using the new microprocessor. It also says HP was not interested in developing the design.

That rejection became another turning point. The design existed, but it needed a different path to reach people.

Jobs, also a Homebrew member, saw potential and pushed for a company approach, according to Britannica.

Britannica gives a concrete picture of how early Apple began. It says their initial capital came from selling Jobs’s automobile and Wozniak’s programmable calculator, and it states they set up production in the Jobs family garage to build microcomputer circuit boards.

The Computer History Museum adds a market signal that shaped the next decision. It says the kit computer was first shown at the Homebrew Computer Club in Menlo Park, California, in 1976, and it notes they received an order for 50 assembled kits from a local store.

That order suggested demand beyond hobbyists. It also pushed the project from a club demonstration toward a product line.

Breakthrough

Apple’s earliest years were built around a clear sequence: design a working machine, prove there is demand, then make it easier for more people to use.

In this phase, roles were visible in the record. Biography.com describes him as focused on invention while Jobs handled marketing.

What followed was a jump from a board to a full computer that changed expectations for the category.

The Apple I came first. Britannica describes it as a microcomputer circuit-board kit, and it says sales were promising enough that the founders decided to produce a finished product next.

The Computer History Museum describes the Apple I as “meant for hobbyists” and ties its early momentum to the 50-unit order that hinted at a wider market.

This was the founding catalyst in action: a technical design plus a real buyer for an assembled unit.

Then came the Apple II. Britannica states it was completed in 1977 and included a built-in keyboard and support for a color monitor. Britannica also says it was the first personal computer to appeal beyond hobbyist circles.

The Computer History Museum’s honorary council bio adds key features: it describes the Apple II as having a central processing unit, a keyboard, color graphics, and a floppy disk drive, and it calls the Apple II integral in launching the personal computer industry.

In plain terms, the Apple II did what many early machines did not. It packaged a usable experience into a single product that could live outside a club setting.

As Apple grew, his work extended beyond a single machine. Britannica says that during these years he designed new hardware components, including the 3.5-inch floppy disk drive for the Apple II, and that he worked on components of Apple’s operating system and software applications.

Those details matter because they show a broader contribution than one board. They show a continuing role in making the product line practical and expandable.

The Computer History Museum also notes that he influenced the popular Macintosh, framing that influence as part of his wider footprint in Apple’s early product world.

The company’s financial jump is captured in a single documented milestone. Britannica states that when Apple went public in 1980, its market value exceeded $1 billion, which it describes as the fastest rise to that milestone in corporate history at the time.

That event changed the stakes around the engineering. A garage-scale effort had become a public company story, and the person associated with key designs had become widely known.

Britannica also notes that his stock made him an instant multimillionaire, underscoring how quickly the shift happened.

Challenges

Success did not remove risk. In 1981, a documented accident abruptly interrupted his work and reshaped the years that followed.

Britannica reports that he crashed his small airplane in 1981 and that he was left with temporary traumatic amnesia, describing it as an inability to form new long-term memories.

The National Transportation Safety Board’s accident brief provides the official outline: an accident on February 7, 1981, in Santa Cruz, California, involving a Beech A36TC aircraft registered as N2WZ, with the airport listed as Skypark.

Biography.com describes the crash as occurring while taking off from the Santa Cruz Sky Park and says he suffered injuries and amnesia, with a recovery that lasted two years.

Britannica describes the outcome in career terms. It says the crash forced him to go on a sabbatical.

This was a major setback with real consequences: time away, recovery, and a break in the momentum of early Apple engineering.

After the crash, the education thread returned. UC Berkeley’s alumni coverage and the Los Angeles Times describe how he completed his UC Berkeley degree under the name “Rocky Clark.”

“Rocky” came from his dog’s name, Rocky Raccoon, and “Clark” from the last name of his then-wife, Candi Clark, according to both UC Berkeley alumni coverage and the Los Angeles Times.

In 1998, UC Berkeley’s news archive also repeats the key fact that he received his UC Berkeley degree under the Rocky Raccoon Clark pseudonym.

Why use an alias at all? UC Berkeley’s alumni article states he used it while finishing his studies because he feared he would not have enough time to graduate as an A+ student, and it links that idea to a Los Angeles Times article from the time.

The Los Angeles Times adds that the university administration was aware of his identity and that his real name appeared in university records while he chose the alias for the diploma.

For a figure already becoming famous, the alias was a practical attempt to finish school with less attention.

Another challenge followed the return. Britannica states that he returned to Apple in 1982 but resisted efforts to involve him in management.

This resistance became a pivot in how his career is described. The story shifts from building core products to choosing how to relate to a fast-growing company without stepping into corporate leadership roles.

He remained connected to Apple’s achievements, but not in the way a typical executive path would suggest.

Reinvention

The mid-1980s marked a formal change in his relationship with Apple. Britannica states that he retired as an active employee in 1985, immediately after being awarded the National Medal of Technology along with Jobs.

Biography.com also states that he ended his employment with Apple in 1985. Infoplease likewise notes that he left the company in 1985.

The turning point here was not just leaving a job. It was shifting from day-to-day product work into a broader set of roles and projects.

The National Medal of Technology and Innovation is documented in an official federal source. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s recipient list for the 1985 class includes Steven P. Jobs and Stephen Wozniak of Apple Computer, Inc., and it states they were recognized “for their development and introduction of the personal computer which has sparked the birth of a new industry extending the power of the computer to individual users.”

That award description captures the core public outcome. It ties their work not only to a machine, but to the creation of a new industry.

It also signals how quickly his role moved from engineering circles into national recognition.

After stepping away from Apple as an active employee, education becomes a consistent theme across multiple institutional profiles. Britannica states that he spent ensuing decades engaged in philanthropic causes, especially involving the education of children, and that he taught computer enrichment classes to preteens as a volunteer.

UC Berkeley Engineering describes a similar focus. It says he worked as a fifth-grade teacher and taught computer literacy to middle and high school students.

The National Inventors Hall of Fame also emphasizes education support and hands-on learning, describing a pattern of providing resources and donations of technology.

Some later business ventures are described in broader terms. UC Berkeley Engineering states that after graduating, he founded CL9, which created the first universal remote control, and later Wheels of Zeus, which made wireless GPS technology.

Biography.com also mentions these ventures and places Wheels of Zeus in 2002, describing it as aimed at developing wireless GPS technology.

These projects show a consistent approach: apply engineering to consumer-facing problems, then move on to the next challenge.

His involvement in digital rights is also documented in authoritative sources. The Electronic Frontier Foundation’s own history page states that the organization was formed in July 1990 and describes how Mitch Kapor, John Perry Barlow, and John Gilmore, with assistance from Steve Wozniak, decided to form an organization to work on civil liberties issues raised by new technologies.

Britannica’s Electronic Frontier Foundation entry also states that the EFF was founded in 1990 by Barlow and Kapor, with additional support from Gilmore and Wozniak.

These accounts place him as part of a response to a new kind of problem: how law enforcement and civil liberties would adapt to emerging computer networks.

Recognition continued into later decades. The National Inventors Hall of Fame identifies him as an inductee and states he holds four U.S. patents. The Computer History Museum’s honorary council bio also states he is listed as the sole inventor on four Apple patents.

On the awards side, the ACM’s official award page lists him as the recipient of the ACM Grace Murray Hopper Award in 1979, citing contributions to personal computing and, in particular, to hardware and software for the Apple Computer.

These records show a layered legacy: engineering results, formal honors, and institutional induction.

He also wrote his own account. Britannica states that in 2006 he published his autobiography, titled iWoz: Computer Geek to Cult Icon: How I Invented the Personal Computer, Co-Founded Apple, and Had Fun Doing It.

Biography.com similarly notes the 2006 publication of iWoz and frames it as arriving after Wheels of Zeus closed.

In a documentary sense, this adds a clear milestone: he moved from being described by institutions to describing the story in his own format.

Where It Stands Today

Later career entries show him staying close to new technology without returning to the early Apple model of building a computer from scratch.

Britannica reports that in 2009 he became chief scientist at Fusion-io, and it notes he was on the board of directors before deciding to become a full-time employee.

Britannica also states that after Fusion-io was sold to SanDisk in 2014, he left to become chief scientist at Primary Data and that the business shut down in 2018.

In 2020, Britannica states that he cofounded Efforce, described as allowing companies to fund energy efficiency projects through investment in a cryptocurrency token using blockchain technology.

This marks another pivot. The focus moves from personal computers to newer forms of financing and technology infrastructure.

It also shows a consistent thread: he remained engaged with emerging technical systems well into later decades.

Public reputation is reflected in the kinds of honors that keep repeating across profiles. The National Inventors Hall of Fame highlights patents and influence on everyday life, while UC Berkeley Engineering presents him as an alumnus who returned to finish his degree and then pursued education-focused work and ventures.

UC Berkeley Engineering also notes he was named the Cal Alumni Association’s Alumnus of the Year, and UC Berkeley Engineering’s alumni notes state that the Cal Alumni Association selected him as the 2015 Alumnus of the Year.

Even in recognition, the theme stays consistent: invention plus a sustained interest in education.

His public voice also shows up in campus settings. UC Berkeley’s 1998 news archive identifies him as a distinguished commencement speaker and repeats his Rocky Raccoon Clark degree detail.

In 2018, UC Berkeley EECS published a piece describing him as the inaugural speaker in a business thought leader series and notes that he cautioned students against making money the sole purpose of their work, emphasizing the importance of choosing people over technology.

These public appearances matter because they show how his role evolved into a kind of cultural reference point for both engineering and tech ethics.

There have also been disputes over how his story is portrayed. Biography.com reports that he criticized the 2013 film “Jobs,” calling it inaccurate and stating he wished the movie were better.

Biography.com also reports that actor Ashton Kutcher responded with his own explanation of why the film lost support from Wozniak and described challenges around access during the filmmaking process.

This is a smaller controversy compared to early hacking stories, but it underscores a core tension: public myth can move faster than documented history.

To make the full arc easier to follow, here are major turning points that appear across the authoritative record.

Each one reflects a moment where an obstacle, decision, or outside change reshaped what came next.

  • Early electronics building, including a first computer at age 13 (Computer History Museum).
  • Meeting Steve Jobs as a teenager and building the “blue box” used for phone phreaking (Computer History Museum; Britannica).
  • Homebrew Computer Club involvement and designing a microcomputer in 1976 while at HP (Britannica).
  • Founding Apple Computer in 1976 and shifting from a kit board to a finished product line (Britannica; Computer History Museum).
  • Introducing the Apple II in 1977 with features that expanded appeal beyond hobbyists (Britannica; Computer History Museum).
  • Apple’s 1980 public offering, with market value exceeding $1 billion, changing the company’s scale (Britannica).
  • The 1981 airplane crash and temporary traumatic amnesia, forcing a sabbatical and reshaping his path (Britannica; NTSB; Biography.com).
  • Completing UC Berkeley degree work under the “Rocky Clark” name, closing a long education arc (UC Berkeley; Los Angeles Times; Computer History Museum).
  • Retiring as an active Apple employee in 1985 and leaning into education-focused work and later ventures (Britannica; UC Berkeley Engineering; National Inventors Hall of Fame).
  • Later roles as chief scientist and cofounder of new ventures, including Efforce in 2020 (Britannica).

His legacy is often summarized in product names, but the record shows more than that. It includes patents, awards, institutional fellowships, and a repeated focus on teaching and youth education.

The honors span decades, from the ACM’s recognition in 1979 to the Hoover Medal in 2013 and alumni recognition in 2015.

Across them all, the throughline remains consistent: engineering that helped personal computing become personal, followed by sustained efforts to bring technology into learning and public life.

Timeline

This timeline focuses on documented milestone years. Each entry is anchored in the same authoritative record used throughout the biography.

Some events span multiple years, especially education and recovery, so the timeline uses the year most directly tied to a documented milestone.

For later ventures and roles, the timeline highlights years explicitly stated in the sources rather than implied or approximate dates.

Timeline.

1950

Born in San Jose, California (Britannica; Biography.com).

1968

Began college career at the University of Colorado at Boulder (Britannica; UC Berkeley alumni coverage).

1971

Designed the “Blue Box” device used for phone phreaking (Britannica).

1975

Obtained a position with Hewlett-Packard (HP) (Britannica).

1976

Cofounded Apple Computer with Steve Jobs and introduced the Apple I (Britannica; Computer History Museum).

1977

Completed the Apple II, later described as integral in launching the personal computer industry (Britannica; Computer History Museum).

1979

Received the ACM Grace Murray Hopper Award (ACM Awards).

1980

Apple went public, with market value exceeding $1 billion (Britannica).

1981

Airplane crash documented by the NTSB in Santa Cruz, California (NTSB; Britannica; Biography.com).

1985

Retired as an active Apple employee and received the National Medal of Technology and Innovation (Britannica; USPTO; Biography.com).

1986

Completed UC Berkeley degree work under the “Rocky Raccoon Clark” name (UC Berkeley alumni coverage; Los Angeles Times; Computer History Museum; UC Berkeley News Archive).

1990

EFF formed with assistance/support from Wozniak documented in EFF history and Britannica (EFF; Britannica).

1998

Listed as a Computer History Museum Fellow (Computer History Museum).

2000

Inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame (National Inventors Hall of Fame; ASME).

2001

Received the Heinz Award in Technology, the Economy & Employment (Heinz Awards; National Inventors Hall of Fame).

2006

Published his autobiography iWoz (Britannica; Biography.com).

2009

Became chief scientist at Fusion-io (Britannica).

2013

Received the Hoover Medal (ASME).

2014

Left Fusion-io after its sale to SanDisk and became chief scientist at Primary Data (Britannica).

2015

Selected as the Cal Alumni Association’s Alumnus of the Year (UC Berkeley Engineering alumni notes).

2018

Primary Data shut down, as described by Britannica (Britannica).

2020

Cofounded Efforce (Britannica).

FAQs

These FAQs cover the questions people most often ask when they want the life story in plain language.

Answers are kept short and practical, and they stick to what is documented in authoritative sources.

If a detail is not reliably documented in those sources, the answer states that directly.

Question: Who is Steve Wozniak?

Answer: He is an American electronics engineer and inventor best known for cofounding Apple Computer with Steve Jobs and designing the Apple II. Multiple authoritative profiles describe him as a central figure in early personal computing.

Question: When and where was Steve Wozniak born?

Answer: He was born on August 11, 1950, in San Jose, California. This is documented in major biographical references.

Question: What is Steve Wozniak best known for?

Answer: He is best known for cofounding Apple Computer and engineering early Apple computers, especially the Apple II. Britannica describes the Apple II as the first commercially successful personal computer.

Question: What did Steve Wozniak design at Apple?

Answer: He is credited with designing the Apple II and inventing the Apple I and Apple II in several institutional profiles. The Computer History Museum also states he is listed as sole inventor on four Apple patents.

Question: What was the Apple I?

Answer: It was an early Apple computer that began as a circuit-board kit design shown to the Homebrew Computer Club. The early demand included an order for assembled kits, which helped signal a market for personal computers.

Question: What made the Apple II important?

Answer: Sources describe it as a product that reached beyond hobbyist circles. It included features such as a built-in keyboard and support for a color monitor, and it became central to launching the personal computer industry.

Question: When did Apple go public, and why did it matter?

Answer: Apple went public in 1980. Britannica states the company’s market value exceeded $1 billion, marking an unusually fast rise to that milestone at the time.

Question: What was the “Blue Box” in Wozniak’s early life?

Answer: It was a device used for phone phreaking. Britannica and the Computer History Museum describe it as a tool that enabled hacking into phone networks and making toll-free calls.

Question: Did Steve Wozniak have a plane crash?

Answer: Yes. Britannica reports he crashed a small airplane in 1981 and suffered temporary traumatic amnesia, and the NTSB accident brief documents the crash in Santa Cruz, California, involving aircraft N2WZ.

Question: Did Steve Wozniak suffer memory loss after the crash?

Answer: Yes. Britannica specifically states the crash left him with temporary traumatic amnesia, and Biography.com also reports amnesia as part of the aftermath.

Question: Why did Steve Wozniak use the name “Rocky Clark” at UC Berkeley?

Answer: UC Berkeley’s alumni coverage and the Los Angeles Times report that he used an alias while finishing his studies. “Rocky” came from his dog’s name, Rocky Raccoon, and “Clark” came from the last name of his then-wife, Candi Clark.

Question: Where did Steve Wozniak go to school?

Answer: Documented sources say he attended the University of Colorado at Boulder, community college in California (including De Anza), and UC Berkeley. He later completed his UC Berkeley degree work in the mid-1980s.

Question: When did Steve Wozniak leave Apple?

Answer: Multiple sources state he ended his employment as an active Apple employee in 1985. Britannica also ties that moment to receiving the National Medal of Technology and Innovation.

Question: What major awards has Steve Wozniak received?

Answer: Documented honors include the ACM Grace Murray Hopper Award (1979), the National Medal of Technology and Innovation (1985), the Heinz Award (2001), and the Hoover Medal (2013). He was also inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame (2000).

Question: What is the National Medal of Technology and Innovation he received?

Answer: It is a U.S. presidential honor for technological achievement. The USPTO’s official recipient list includes Jobs and Wozniak in the 1985 class for development and introduction of the personal computer.

Question: What is the ACM Grace Murray Hopper Award connection?

Answer: The ACM’s official awards page lists him as the 1979 recipient. The citation credits contributions to personal computing and to hardware and software for the Apple Computer.

Question: How many patents does Steve Wozniak have?

Answer: The National Inventors Hall of Fame states he holds four U.S. patents. The Computer History Museum also states he is listed as sole inventor on four Apple patents.

Question: Was Steve Wozniak involved with the Electronic Frontier Foundation?

Answer: Yes. EFF’s own history page states the organization was formed in 1990 with assistance from him, and Britannica’s EFF entry states the organization was founded with additional support from him.

Question: What did Steve Wozniak do after Apple?

Answer: Documented sources describe a mix of education-focused work, ventures, and later technology roles. Britannica also notes he became chief scientist at Fusion-io and later at Primary Data.

Question: What is Efforce, and what was his role?

Answer: Britannica states he cofounded Efforce in 2020. It describes the venture as enabling companies to fund energy efficiency projects through investment in a cryptocurrency token using blockchain technology.

Question: Who is Steve Wozniak married to?

Answer: Biography.com states he is married to Janet Hill. Not reliably documented in the provided sources: additional private details beyond that identification.

Quotes

  • “If you love what you do and are willing to do what it takes, it’s within your reach.”
  • “Artists work best alone. Work alone.”
  • “I learned not to worry so much about the outcome, but to concentrate on the step I was on and to try to do it as perfectly as I could when I was doing it.”
  • “My primary phone is the iPhone. I love the beauty of it. But I wish it did all the things my Android does, I really do.”

 

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