| class="wikitable sortable" border="1"
! Year !! {{Nowrap|Month and date}} !! Event type !! Details |
| 1972
|N/A
|Company
|Bill Gates and Paul Allen first founded Traf-O-Data, which only existed from 1972 until 1975. |
| 1975 | April 4 | Company | Bill Gates and Paul Allen founded Microsoft.[{{cite magazine |url=https://www.wired.com/2008/04/dayintech-0404/ |title=April 4, 1975: Bill Gates, Paul Allen Form a Little Partnership |newspaper=Wired.com |access-date= January 25, 2016|last1=Alfred |first1=Randy }}] As a result of Microsoft's founding, Traf-O-Data became defunct. |
| 1975
|April 4
|Products
|Microsoft released its first product which is called the Altair BASIC. |
| 1978 | November 1 | International | The company's first international office was founded on November 1, 1978, in Japan, entitled "ASCII Microsoft" (now called "Microsoft Japan"). |
| 1980 | August | Products | Microsoft signs a contract with IBM to develop an operating system for IBM's first personal computer. This, in turn, was the beginning for both the Bundling of Microsoft Windows, and Wintelism, as IBM personal computers and Intel were also bundled with each other. |
| 1980
|August
|Products
|Having purchased a license for Version 7 Unix from AT&T in 1979, Microsoft announced on August 25, 1980, that it would make it available for the 16-bit microcomputer market, named Xenix. |
| 1981 | July 27 | Products | Microsoft buys the rights for QDOS from Seattle Computer Products (without telling SCP that it had a lucrative contract with IBM). This would later become MS-DOS.[{{cite web |url=http://www.extremetech.com/computing/91202-ms-dos-is-30-years-old-today |title=MS-DOS is 30 years old today |newspaper=Extremetech.com |access-date= January 17, 2016}}] |
| 1981 | August 12 | Company | IBM announces the release of the IBM Personal Computer, which becomes the dominant personal computer. As DOS was the only operating system available on the PC when it was introduced in New York City, this paves way to the future domination by the MS-DOS operating system.[{{cite web |url=http://www-03.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibits/pc25/pc25_birth.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060814072714/http://www-03.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibits/pc25/pc25_birth.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 14, 2006 |title=IBM Archives: The birth of the IBM PC |newspaper=03.ibm.com |date=23 January 2003 |access-date= January 26, 2016}}][{{Cite book|first=James|last=Wallace|year=1993|title=Hard Drive: Bill Gates and the Making of the Microsoft Empire|publisher=HarperCollins Publishers|location=New York|isbn=0-471-56886-4|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/harddrivebillgat00wall_0}}] |
| 1982 | April | International | Microsoft formally launches its International Division and sets up subsidiaries in Europe and elsewhere, finding local agents to handle its business interests |
| 1982 | November | Products | Microsoft releases Microsoft Flight Simulator version 1.0, and marks the beginning of one of the longest-running PC video game series of all time. |
| 1983 | January | Products | Compaq releases its first PC-compatible machine with IBM compatible clones, which hurt IBM but helped Microsoft (as it had to license DOS from Microsoft), but any application developed to run on the PC could still run on Compaq machines. |
| 1983 | January 26 | Competition | Lotus Software releases Lotus 1-2-3, a spreadsheet program that becomes the IBM PC's first killer application, and which established the spreadsheet standard for the PC. By the late 1980s, it would eventually lose out to Microsoft Excel. |
| 1983 | May 30 | Products | Microsoft announces Multi-Tool Word, which later becomes Microsoft Word. |
| 1983
|November 10
|Products
|Bill Gates first introduced the first version of Microsoft Windows and it is planned to be released 2 years later.[{{Cite web|date=2014-11-10|title=On This Day In History: Bill Gates First Introduced Windows 1.0|url=https://www.technobuffalo.com/on-this-day-in-history-bill-gates-first-introduced-windows-1-0|access-date=2020-06-11|website=TechnoBuffalo|language=en}}] |
| 1984 | January 24 | Competition | Steve Jobs introduces the original Macintosh, the first mass-market computer with a graphical user interface. Microsoft would later adopt many of its features into Windows.{{citation needed|date=March 2017}} |
| 1985 | September | Products | Microsoft releases Microsoft Excel, which would compete with, and later overtake, Lotus 1-2-3. |
| 1985 | November 20 | Products | Microsoft launches the first version of its Windows operating system, Windows 1.0, which runs on top of MS-DOS and had a primitive GUI.[{{cite web |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/bill-gates/10616991/Bill-Gates-a-history-at-Microsoft.html |title=Bill Gates: a history at Microsoft |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |date= February 4, 2014 |access-date= January 17, 2016}}] |
| 1986 | February | Company | Microsoft moves its headquarters to a suburban campus in Redmond, Washington. |
| 1986 | March 13 | Company | Microsoft goes public with an IPO, raising $61 million at $21 a share. |
| 1987 | April 2 | Products | Microsoft announces OS/2.{{citation needed|date=March 2017}} |
| 1987
|December 9
|Products
|Microsoft releases Windows 2.0.{{citation needed|date=August 2023}} |
| 1988 | March | Competition, Legal | Apple sues Microsoft, contending that Microsoft's Windows 2.03 program violated Apple's copyrights on the Macintosh interface.[{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/03/24/business/company-news-apple-and-microsoft-disclose-a-1985-pact.html |title=COMPANY NEWS - Apple and Microsoft Disclose a 1985 Pact |newspaper=The New York Times |date= March 24, 1988 |access-date= January 30, 2016}}] |
| 1990 | May 22 | Products | Microsoft launches Windows 3.0.{{citation needed|date=March 2017}} It gives the user virtual memory, improved graphics, and the ability to multitask. |
| 1990 | November 19 | Products | Microsoft releases Microsoft Office, which bundles together Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft PowerPoint for the first time.[{{cite web |url=http://www.thewindowsclub.com/history-evolution-microsoft-office-software |title=History & Evolution Of Microsoft Office Software |newspaper=Thewindowsclub.com |access-date= January 20, 2016}}] |
| 1991 | September | Company | Microsoft creates Microsoft Research. It declares that it would support research without regard to product cycles.[{{cite web |url=http://news.microsoft.com/2001/09/05/microsoft-research-timeline-1991-2001/ |title=Microsoft Research Timeline: 1991-2001 |newspaper=Microsoft News|date= September 5, 2001 |access-date= January 26, 2016}}][{{cite web |url=http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/news/features/15_msrhistory.aspx |title=The Meteoric Rise of Microsoft Research: An Oral History - Microsoft Research |newspaper=Microsoft Research News |date=26 September 2006 |access-date= January 26, 2016}}] |
| 1992 | April 6 | Products | Microsoft releases Windows 3.1. |
| 1993 | March 22 | Products | Microsoft releases Microsoft Encarta, the first digital multimedia encyclopedia.{{citation needed|date=March 2017}} |
| 1993 | July 27 | Products | Microsoft releases Windows NT 3.1, the first version of Windows available only to business users. |
| 1994 | September 24 | Products | Microsoft releases Windows NT 3.5. |
| 1995 | May 30 | Products | Microsoft releases Windows NT 3.51, the last version of Windows to not have a Start Menu. |
| 1995 | August 24 | Products | Microsoft releases Windows 95, which features a new interface with a novel start button.[{{cite web |url=https://www.theverge.com/2015/8/24/9197529/windows-95-is-20-years-old-today |title=Windows 95 is 20 years old today |newspaper=Theverge.com |access-date= January 25, 2016}}] |
| 1995 | December 15 | Products | Microsoft announces partnership with NBC (National Broadcasting Company) to create a new 24-hour cable news television station, MSNBC.[{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/12/15/business/the-media-business-microsoft-and-nbc-news-hold-a-little-satellite-chat.html |title=THE MEDIA BUSINESS - Microsoft and NBC News Hold a Little Satellite Chat |newspaper=The New York Times |date= December 15, 1995 |access-date= January 25, 2016}}] |
| 1996 | October 22 | Company | Microsoft launches Expedia, an online travel company, as its first Internet property.[{{cite web |url=http://www.expediainc.com/about/history/ |title=Expedia, Inc. History - Expedia, Inc. |newspaper=Expediainc.com |access-date= January 20, 2016}}] |
| 1996 | May | Products | Microsoft launches the Internet Gaming Zone, which would later become the MSN Gaming Zone.[{{cite web |url=https://news.microsoft.com/1998/08/25/microsofts-internet-gaming-zone-brings-together-gamers-from-around-the-world/ |title=Microsoft's Internet Gaming Zone Brings Together Gamers From Around the World |newspaper=Microsoft News Center |date= August 25, 1998 |access-date= January 24, 2016}}] |
| 1997 | August 6 | Competition, Partnerships | Apple Inc announces that it will enter in a partnership with Microsoft. Microsoft releases Microsoft Office for Macintosh, ships Internet Explorer as the default browser for the Macintosh, and invests $150 million in Apple.[{{cite magazine |url=https://www.wired.com/2009/08/dayintech_0806/ |title=Aug. 6, 1997: Apple Rescued — by Microsoft |newspaper=Wired.com |access-date= January 25, 2016|last1=Abell |first1=John C. }}] |
| 1998 | June 25 | Products | Microsoft releases Windows 98.[{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/78112.stm|title=June launch for Windows 98|date=14 April 1998|access-date=17 May 2017|newspaper=BBC}}] It includes support for USB devices, back and forward navigation buttons, the address bar in Windows Explorer, and the Windows Driver Model. |
| 1998 | N/A | International | Microsoft launches its Indian headquarters, which becomes its second-largest after its US headquarters.[{{cite web |url=http://www.naukri.com/gpw/microsoft/hyderabad.htm |title=Microsoft - India |newspaper=Naukri.com |access-date= January 25, 2016}}] |
| 1998 | May 18 | Legal | United States v. Microsoft Corp., an antitrust trial, begins against Microsoft, with the US Department of Justice suing Microsoft for illegally thwarting competition in order to protect and extend its software (for reasons including bundling Internet Explorer with Microsoft Windows and requiring personal computer manufacturers to agree to adopt a uniform "boot-up" or "first screen" sequence specified by Microsoft).[{{cite web |url=https://www.justice.gov/archive/atr/public/press_releases/1998/1764.htm |title=Justice Department Files Antitrust Suit Against Microsoft for Unlawfully Monopolizing Computer Software Markets |newspaper=Justice.gov |access-date= January 25, 2016}}] |
| 1999 | July 22 | Products | Microsoft releases MSN Messenger, an IM client.[{{cite web |url=https://news.microsoft.com/1999/07/21/microsoft-launches-msn-messenger-service/ |title=Microsoft Launches MSN Messenger Service |newspaper=Microsoft News Center |date= July 21, 1999 |access-date= January 25, 2016}}] |
| 2000 | January 13 | Team | Bill Gates hands over his CEO position to Steve Ballmer.[{{cite web |url=https://money.cnn.com/2000/01/13/technology/microsoft/ |title=Microsoft promotes Ballmer - Jan. 13, 2000 |newspaper=CNN |access-date= January 25, 2016}}] |
| 2000 | September 14 | Products | Microsoft releases Windows ME.{{citation needed|date=March 2017}} It has improved support for digital media. |
| 2001 | May | Acquisitions | Microsoft acquires Ensemble Studios.[{{cite web |url=https://news.microsoft.com/2001/05/03/microsoft-reaches-agreement-to-acquire-ensemble-studios/ |title=Microsoft Reaches Agreement to Acquire Ensemble Studios |newspaper=Microsoft News Center |date= May 3, 2001 |access-date= January 25, 2016}}] |
| 2001 | October 25 | Products | Microsoft releases Windows XP.{{citation needed|date=March 2017}} |
| 2001 | November 15 | Products | Microsoft launches the first Xbox.[{{cite web |url=http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/press/2001/nov01/11-14midnightmadnesspr.aspx |title=Xbox Arrives in New York Tonight at Toys "R" Us Times Square |website=www.microsoft.com |access-date=14 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130612000737/http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/press/2001/nov01/11-14midnightmadnesspr.aspx |archive-date=12 June 2013 |url-status=dead}}] |
| 2002 | February 13 | Products | Microsoft launches the .NET initiative, which creates an entirely new API for Windows programming, and includes a new programming language C#.{{citation needed|date=March 2017}} |
| 2002 | November 1 | Legal | The Department of Justice reaches an agreement with Microsoft to settle the United States v. Microsoft Corp. case. The proposed settlement required Microsoft to share its application programming interfaces with third-party companies and appoint a panel of three people who will have full access to Microsoft's systems, records, and source code for five years in order to ensure compliance. [[https://www.justice.gov/atr/cases/f200400/200457.pdf "United States of America, Plaintiff, v. Microsoft Corporation, Defendant", Final Judgement], Civil Action No. 98-1232, November 12, 2002. (Archive at https://www.webcitation.org/5wllczABd?url=http://www.justice.gov/atr/cases/f200400/200457.pdf] |
| 2003 | June 23 | Products | Microsoft announces Windows Mobile.{{citation needed|date=March 2017}} |
| 2005 | November 22 | Products | Microsoft launches the Xbox 360.[{{cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2005/12/02/xbox-360-the-launch-review|title=Xbox 360: The Launch Review|date=December 1, 2005|author=Douglass C. Perry|access-date=February 9, 2019|work=IGN}}] |
| 2006 | May 14 | Company | Microsoft launches adCenter, an online advertising service that provides pay per click advertising. Until then, all the ads displayed on the MSN search engine were supplied by Overture (and later Yahoo!).[{{cite web |url=http://old.seattletimes.com/html/businesstechnology/2002970721_microsoft04.html |title=The Seattle Times: Business & Technology: Microsoft's adCenter is Google, Yahoo! rival |newspaper=Old.seattletimes.com |access-date= January 20, 2016}}] |
| 2007 | January 30 | Products | Microsoft releases Windows Vista to the general public.[{{cite web
]| url = https://www.microsoft.com/nz/presscentre/articles/2007/jan07_windowsvistalaunch.mspx
| title = Microsoft Launches Windows Vista and the 2007 Office System to Consumers
| date = 30 January 2007
| access-date =30 January 2007
| work = PressCentre
| publisher = Microsoft New Zealand
}} and was made available for purchase and download from Microsoft's website.[{{cite web
]| url = http://www.windowsmarketplace.com/content.aspx?ctId=390&tabid=1
| title = Windows Marketplace: Windows Vista Upgrade Editions: Get Started
| date = 30 January 2007
| access-date = 30 January 2007
| work = Windows Marketplace
| publisher = Microsoft
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070202023803/http://www.windowsmarketplace.com/content.aspx%3FctId%3D390%26tabid%3D1
| archive-date = 2 February 2007
| url-status = dead
}} |
| 2008 | June 27 | Team | Bill Gates retires as chief software architect and devotes more of his time to philanthropy. |
| 2008 | September 2 | Competition | Google launches Google Chrome, a browser that would cut into the web browser operating share of Internet Explorer.[{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/pda/2008/sep/02/googlejoinsthebrowserwars |title=Google joins the browser wars with Chrome |newspaper=The Guardian |date=2 September 2008 |access-date= January 25, 2016}}] |
| 2009 | October 22 | Products | Microsoft launches Windows 7 to the general public.[{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2009/oct/22/windows-7-review |title=Windows 7 review: like Vista, but good |newspaper=The Guardian |date=22 October 2009 |access-date= January 24, 2016}}] |
| 2009 | May 28 | Products | Microsoft unveils Microsoft Bing, a search engine to replace MSN.[{{cite web |url=https://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2009/may09/05-28NewSearchPR.mspx?rss_fdn=Press%20Releases |title=Microsoft's New Search at Bing.com Helps People Make Better Decisions: Decision Engine goes beyond search to help customers deal with information overload |publisher=Microsoft |access-date=29 May 2009}}] |
| 2010 | February | Products | Microsoft launches Microsoft Azure, its foray into cloud computing.[{{cite web |url=http://blogs.technet.com/b/microsoft_blog/archive/2010/02/01/windows-azure-general-availability.aspx |title=Windows Azure General Availability |work=The Official Microsoft Blog |publisher=Microsoft |date=2010-02-01 |access-date=2013-05-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140511230956/http://blogs.technet.com/b/microsoft_blog/archive/2010/02/01/windows-azure-general-availability.aspx |archive-date=2014-05-11 |url-status=dead }}] |
| 2010 | March | Competition | Google lifts censorship on issues sensitive to the Chinese government, and is blocked by China, allowing the way for domination by alternative search engines, including Baidu.[{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/blog/2010/mar/22/google-china-live |title=Google stops censoring Chinese search engine: How it happened |newspaper=The Guardian |date=22 March 2010 |access-date= January 25, 2016|last1=Johnson |first1=Bobbie |last2=Francisco |first2=San }}] |
| 2010 | November | Products | Microsoft announces Windows Phone, a family of mobile operating systems as the replacement successor to Windows Mobile.[{{cite web |url= https://www.engadget.com/2010/09/26/microsoft-prepping-windows-phone-7-for-an-october-21st-launch/ |title= Microsoft prepping Windows Phone 7 for an October 21 launch? (update: US on Nov. 8?) |first= Sean |last= Hollister |work=Engadget |publisher= AOL |date= September 26, 2010 |access-date=September 29, 2010}}] |
| 2011 | May 10 | Acquisitions | Microsoft acquires Skype for $8.5 billion.[{{cite news | last = Swisher | first=Kara |author-link=Kara Swisher | url=http://kara.allthingsd.com/20110509/microsoft-will-announce-acquistion-of-skype-tomorrow-morning/ | title = Microsoft to Announce Skype Acquisition Early Tomorrow Morning | website=Kara.allthingsd.com |access-date=11 May 2011}}] |
| 2012 | October 26 | Products | Microsoft launches Microsoft Surface, a series of Windows-based personal computing devices designed and manufactured by Microsoft under its hardware division.[{{cite news|url=http://notebookbee.com/184/microsoft-launch-windows-8-surface-rt-tablet-october-25-midnight|title=Microsoft to launch Surface at midnight on October 26th|work=NotebookBee.com|date=October 5, 2012}}] |
| 2013 | September | Acquisitions | Microsoft acquires Nokia in an attempt to expand its presence in mobile.[{{cite web |url=https://www.theverge.com/2013/9/2/4688530/microsoft-buys-nokias-devices-and-services-unit-unites-windows-phone |title=Microsoft buying Nokia's phone business in a $7.2 billion bid for its mobile future |newspaper=Theverge.com |date=2 September 2013 |access-date= January 20, 2016}}] |
| 2013 | November 22 | Products | Microsoft launches the Xbox One.[{{Cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/microsoft-xbox-release-date-set-november-22/story?id=20152434|title=Microsoft's Xbox One To Be Released on Nov. 22|website=ABC News|language=en|access-date=2020-04-21}}] |
| 2013 | December 13 | Competition | Valve announces SteamOS, an operating system to compete with Windows.[{{cite web |url=http://kotaku.com/valve-announces-steam-os-1371869324 |title=Valve Announces Steam OS |newspaper=Kotaku.com |date=23 September 2013 |access-date= January 25, 2016}}] |
| 2014 | February 4 | Team | Satya Nadella succeeded Steve Ballmer as CEO of Microsoft.[{{cite web |url=https://news.microsoft.com/2014/02/04/microsoft-board-names-satya-nadella-as-ceo/ |title=Microsoft Board names Satya Nadella as CEO |newspaper=Microsoft News Center |date= February 4, 2014 |access-date= January 25, 2016}}] |
| 2014 | April | Products | Microsoft announces Cortana, an intelligent personal assistant.[{{cite news|last=Lau|first=Chris|title=Why Cortana Assistant Can Help Microsoft in the Smartphone Market|url=http://www.thestreet.com/story/12534433/1/why-cortana-assistant-can-help-microsoft-in-the-smartphone-market.html|newspaper=The Street|date=March 18, 2014|access-date=January 25, 2016|archive-date=September 8, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140908012945/http://www.thestreet.com/story/12534433/1/why-cortana-assistant-can-help-microsoft-in-the-smartphone-market.html|url-status=dead}}] |
| 2014 | September | Company | Microsoft reassigns half of its staff in Microsoft Research to a new group called MSR NeXT, to focus on products with greater impact to the company rather than pure research.[{{cite news |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2016-microsoft-research/ |title=How Microsoft Plans to Beat Google and Facebook to the Next Tech Breakthrough - Bloomberg Business |newspaper=Bloomberg.com |access-date= January 26, 2016}}] |
| 2014 | September | Products | The Windows Insider program is announced, which allows users to test Windows 10 and provide feedback to Microsoft developers.[{{cite web|last1=Protalinski|first1=Emil|title=Microsoft Announces Windows 10|url=https://thenextweb.com/microsoft/2014/09/30/microsoft-announces-windows-10/|website=The Next Web|access-date=27 January 2017|date=30 September 2014}}] As of 2015, the program had over 7 million users.[{{cite web|last1=Callaham|first1=John|title=Microsoft's Windows Insider program now has over 7 million users|url=http://windowscentral.com/microsofts-windows-insider-program-now-has-over-7-million-users|website=Windows Central|access-date=27 January 2017|date=4 September 2015}}] |
| 2014
|September
| Acquisitions
|Microsoft buys Mojang for $2.5 billion[{{Cite web|date=2014-09-15|title=Microsoft buys Minecraft maker Mojang for $2.5 billion|url=https://www.pcworld.com/article/2683173/microsoft-buys-minecraft-maker-mojang-for-25-billion.html|access-date=2021-03-08|website=PCWorld|language=en}}][{{Cite web|last=Sherr|first=Ian|title=Microsoft to buy Minecraft maker Mojang for $2.5B|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/microsoft-to-buy-minecraft-maker-mojang/|access-date=2021-03-08|website=CNET|language=en}}] |
| 2014
|October 31
|Services
|Microsoft discontinues MSN Messenger and invites users to Skype.[{{Cite web|last=Chowdhry|first=Amit|title=MSN Messenger Is Completely Shutting Down On October 31st|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/amitchowdhry/2014/08/31/msn-messenger-is-completely-shutting-down-on-october-31st/|access-date=2021-03-08|website=Forbes|language=en}}][{{Cite web|last=Warren|first=Tom|date=2014-08-29|title=MSN Messenger is shutting down after 15 years of memories|url=https://www.theverge.com/2014/8/29/6082199/msn-messenger-shutting-down-15-years-history|access-date=2021-03-08|website=The Verge|language=en}}] |
| 2015 | January 21 | Products | HoloLens, the world's first holographic headset is announced and Microsoft announces that Windows 10 will be a free upgrade for customers with Windows 7, Windows 8.1 or Windows Phone 8.1 (excluding enterprise).[{{cite web|last1=Savov|first1=Vlad|title=Microsoft announces Windows Holographic with HoloLens headset|url=https://www.theverge.com/2015/1/21/7867593/microsoft-announces-windows-holographic|website=The Verge|publisher=Vox Media|access-date=13 January 2017|date=21 January 2015}}][{{cite news|last1=Rigby|first1=Bill|title=Windows 10 Will Be A Free Upgrade|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/21/microsoft-windows-10-free_n_6517306.html|access-date=13 January 2017|work=The Huffington Post|date=21 January 2015}}] |
| 2015 | July 29 | Products | Microsoft releases Windows 10, which acts as a "universal" application architecture across multiple Microsoft product families.[{{cite web|url=http://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2015/06/01/hello-world-windows-10-available-on-july-29/|title=Hello World: Windows 10 Available on July 29|work=windows.com|access-date=June 1, 2015|date=June 1, 2015}}] |
| 2015 | September 23 | International | Microsoft announces partnership with Baidu, making Baidu the default homepage for users of its Microsoft Edge browser in China, and which introduces Baidu search applications to Windows 10.[{{cite web |url=https://www.theverge.com/2015/9/23/9389155/microsoft-baidu-partnership-windows-10-china |title=Microsoft makes Baidu a big piece of Windows 10 in China |newspaper=Theverge.com |date=23 September 2015 |access-date= January 20, 2016}}] |
| 2015 | October 26 | Retail | The first flagship Microsoft Store opens in New York City[{{cite news|last1=Blumenthal|first1=Eli|title=As Microsoft opens New York flagship, focus is on its products|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2015/10/25/nyc-microsoft-store-launch/74579014/|access-date=13 January 2017|work=USA Today|date=25 October 2016}}] |
| 2015 | November 19 | Company | Microsoft, alongside ARM Holdings, Dell, Intel, Cisco Systems, and Princeton University, founded the OpenFog Consortium, to promote interests and development in fog computing.[{{Cite news|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/janakirammsv/2016/04/18/is-fog-computing-the-next-big-thing-in-internet-of-things/2/#1971ac3a34c9|title=Is Fog Computing the Next Big Thing in the Internet of Things|last=Janakiram|first=MSV|date=18 April 2016|work=Forbes Magazine|access-date=18 April 2016}}] |
| 2016 | February 3 | Acquisitions | Microsoft announced to buy SwiftKey, a startup based out of London that makes keyboard apps for Android and iOS devices.[{{cite news|last1=Lee|first1=Dave|title=Microsoft buys UK AI firm SwiftKey|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-35479639|access-date=7 April 2017|work=BBC News|date=3 February 2016}}] |
| 2016 | February 24 | Acquisitions | Microsoft announces to buy Xamarin, a company that allows developers to build fully native apps across several platforms from a single shared code base.[{{cite news|last1=Darrow|first1=Barb|title=Microsoft Finally Gets Around to Buying This Company|url=http://fortune.com/2016/02/24/microsoft-buys-xamarin/|access-date=7 April 2017|work=Fortune|date=24 February 2016}}] |
| 2016 | June 13 | Acquisitions | Microsoft announces the acquisition of LinkedIn at $26.2 billion ($60 per user).[{{cite web |url=http://blogs.microsoft.com/firehose/2016/06/13/microsoft-to-acquire-linkedin/#sm.00019eofl7hnofn1z7w2kfef67oxf |title=Microsoft to acquire LinkedIn - The Fire Hose |newspaper=Financial Times |date= June 13, 2016 |access-date= June 13, 2016}}][{{cite web |url=https://www.theverge.com/2016/6/13/11920072/microsoft-linkedin-acquisition-2016 |title=Microsoft to acquire LinkedIn for $26.2 billion |newspaper=Theverge.com |date=13 June 2016 |access-date= June 13, 2016}}][{{cite news |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/microsoft-to-acquire-linkedin-in-deal-valued-at-26-2-billion-1465821523 |title=Microsoft to Acquire LinkedIn for $26.2 Billion |newspaper=The Wall Street Journal |date=13 June 2016 |access-date= June 13, 2016|last1=Greene |first1=Jay }}] |
| 2016 | October 26 | Products | The Surface Studio and Surface Dial are announced[{{cite web|last1=Baig|first1=Edward|title=Microsoft Surface Studio turns PC into draft tablet: First look|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/columnist/baig/2016/10/26/microsoft-surface-studio-turns-pc-into-draft-tablet-first-look/92764984/|website=USA TODAY|access-date=27 November 2016|date=26 October 2016}}] |
| 2016 | November 2 | Products | Microsoft Teams, a cloud-based team collaboration tool, is launched as part of Office 365[{{cite news|last1=Kelly|first1=Samantha Murphy|title=Microsoft Teams takes on Slack|url=https://money.cnn.com/2016/11/02/technology/microsoft-teams/index.html|access-date=7 April 2017|work=CNNMoney|date=2 November 2016}}] |
| 2017 | June 29 | Acquisitions | Microsoft bought Israeli cloud startup Cloudyn, a company that helps customers manage their cloud billing across multiple clouds.[{{cite news|title=Microsoft confirms Cloudyn acquisition, sources say price is between $50M and $70M
]|url=https://techcrunch.com/2017/06/29/microsoft-finally-pulls-trigger-on-cloudyn-deal/|access-date=29 June 2017|work=TechCrunch|date=29 June 2017}} |
| 2018
|August
|Company
|Microsoft partners with a Japanese company, Toyota Tsusho, to create fish farming tools using the Microsoft Azure application suite for IoT technologies that are related to the management of water. |
| 2019
|November 2
|Services
|Microsoft releases a new version of Microsoft Edge.[{{Cite web|url=https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/edge|title=Download New Microsoft Edge Browser|last=Microsoft|website=Microsoft Edge|language=en-US|access-date=2020-03-26}}] Also, a new logo of Microsoft Edge was introduced.[{{Cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-edge-new-logo-vs-old-logo-2019-11|title=It looks like Microsoft is finally ditching the Internet Explorer branding for good with a revamped logo that looks like a wave|last=Meisenzahl|first=Mary|website=Business Insider|access-date=2020-04-21}}] |
| 2020
|February 12
|Products
|Microsoft announced the beta version of Windows 10X.[{{Cite web|url=https://www.windowscentral.com/windows-10x|title=Here's everything you need to know about Windows 10X|date=2020-02-18|website=Windows Central|access-date=2020-03-26}}] |
| 2020
|June 26
|Company
|Microsoft has announced that all stores will be closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[{{Cite web|title=Microsoft to permanently close all of its retail stores|url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/6/26/21297400/microsoft-retail-stores-closing-cities-open|access-date=2020-07-24|website=www.theverge.com|date=26 June 2020|language=en}}] |
| 2020
|November 10
|Products
|Microsoft launches the Xbox Series X and Series S. |
| 2021
|May 18
|Products
|Microsoft cancels Windows 10X, which was planned to be released in 2021. The company said that they would be "accelerating the integration of key foundational 10X technology into other parts of Windows and products at the company".[{{cite web |url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/5/18/22442421/microsoft-windows-10-x-canceled-official |title=Microsoft confirms Windows 10X is dead |last=Warren |first=Tom |date=May 18, 2021 |website=The Verge |access-date=August 28, 2022}}] |
| 2021
|October 5
|Products
|Microsoft releases Windows 11, the first major release since 2015, with a new logo. |
| 2023
|October 13
|Acquisitions
|Microsoft acquires Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion. Franchises include Warcraft, Diablo, Overwatch, Call of Duty, and Candy Crush. |
| 2025
|May 5
|Services
|Skype is retired in favor of Microsoft Teams. |