Steve Jobs: Apple Co-founder Dead at 56

By Diane Alter

Steve Jobs, the visionary and iconic leader of Apple Inc., died Wednesday at the age of 56 just weeks after resigning as chief executive of the computer giant.

Jobs was the chairman and co-founder of Apple Inc., the company best known for the Macintosh line of computers, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad. His mission to develop products that were both functional yet innovative garnered him a huge and devoted following.

During the more than three decades at Apple, Jobs transformed not just Silicon Valley, but all our lives. Through his devices he helped changed how we work, relax, communicate and interact.

After a significant weight loss in 2008, Jobs took a nearly six month medical leave of absence from Apple.

In 2009, he received a liver transplant. In January of 2011, Jobs took another medical leave without explanation. He stepped down in August as CEO.

Jobs founded Apple in the late 1970's with co-founder Steve Wozniak, Mike Markkula and others. After losing a power struggle with the board of directors in 1985, he resigned from Apple and founded NeXT, a computer platform development specializing in the higher education and the business market. Apple's buyout of NeXT in 1996 bought Jobs back the the company, and he served as its CEO from 1997 until 2011.

Jobs, considered by many to have been the greatest corporate leader of the last half century, leaves behind a legacy that goes far beyond the board room and computer world.

Jobs is survived by his wife Laurene and four children.

Steve Jobs: Apple Co-founder Dead at 56