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Steve Wozniak
computer inventor
(born: 1950)

A Silicon Valley icon and philanthropist for the past three decades, Steve Wozniak helped shape the computing industry with his design of Apple's first line of products the Apple I and II and influenced the popular Macintosh. In 1976, Wozniak co-founded Apple Computer with the Apple I computer. The next year he introduced his Apple II personal computer, featuring a central processing unit, a keyboard, color graphics, and a floppy disk drive with which he contributed to the launching of PC industry.

His ancestors came from Poznan in Poland in early 1870's and settled in the village of Posen, Michigan, The original settlers of Posen were all from Poland. This village located on just 1 square mile in southeastern Presque Isle County still has a strong Polish-American representation among its 300 inhabitants. Steve's parents are the late Jerry Wozniak, a very noted engineer with Lockheed, and Margaret Kem. He has a younger sister Leslie, and brother Mark.

For his achievements at Apple Computer, Steve was awarded the National Medal of Technology by the President of the United States in 1985, the highest honor bestowed on America's leading innovators. In 2000 Steve was inducted into the lnventors Hall of Fame and was awarded the prestigious Heinz Award for Technology, The Economy and Employment for "single-handedly designing the first personal computer and for then redirecting his lifelong passion for mathematics and electronics toward lighting the fires of excitement for educationin grade school students and their teachers."

After leaving Apple in 1985, Wozniak has been involved in various business and philanthropic ventures, focusing primarily on computer capabilities in schools and stressing hands-on learning and encouraging creativity for students. Making significant investments of both his time and resources in education, Wozniak "adopted" the Los Gatos School District, providing students and teachers with hands-on teaching and donations of state-of-the-art technology equipment. Wozniak founded the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and was the founding sponsor of the Tech Museum, Silicon Valley Ballet and Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose.

Steve is a published author with the release of his autobiography, "Woz; From Computer Geek to Cult Icon," in September 2006 by Norton Publishing ("iWoz" is one of the nicknames of Steve Wozniak - a reference to the ubiquitous naming scheme for Apple products; his other nicknames include: "The Woz" and "Wonderful Wizard of Woz").

From: "400 Years of Polish Immigrants in america 1608-2008" edited by: Mariusz M. Brymora, Washington D.C., 2008

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