15 years without Steve Jobs: how the Apple co-founder transformed the tech world
Today, October 5, marks 15 years since the death of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. His former colleagues and the company's leadership are marking the day by recalling how his legacy still shapes the tech industry.
Fifteen years ago, on October 5, 2011, Apple co-founder Steve Jobs died at his home in Palo Alto, California, at the age of 56, after a years-long battle with a rare pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor.
A legacy beyond one company
Under Jobs's leadership, Apple developed a string of products that often reshaped entire industries — from the Macintosh and iMac computers to the iPod music player, and later the iPhone and iPad. These products defined how millions of people use technology, listen to music, and communicate daily.
Final months and handover
Jobs's health declined sharply in his final years. He underwent a liver transplant in 2009, and in 2011 he took medical leave on several occasions. Less than six weeks before his death, on August 24, he stepped down as CEO, handing leadership of the company to Tim Cook. His last public appearance came that same June, when he presented plans for Apple's new headquarters, later known as Apple Park. His death came just one day after Apple unveiled the iPhone 4S.
Global reaction and tribute
News of Jobs's death drew a massive response worldwide — people left flowers and apples outside Apple stores, along with handwritten messages. The company created a dedicated memorial webpage that gathered more than a million submitted memories and tributes, and it remains accessible today.
On this anniversary, former colleagues also paid tribute to Jobs. Current CEO Tim Cook noted that some people leave a mark on the world, while others change it entirely — writing that Jobs changed the world and, in the process, the lives of countless people, including his own. Apple executive John Ternus, who worked at the company during Jobs's lifetime, said Jobs's insistence on attention to detail and user experience still shapes how the company operates.
Attention has also returned to Jobs's 2005 commencement address at Stanford University, delivered after his diagnosis and surgery, in which he spoke about how awareness of life's limited time had helped him make important decisions — words that took on a far heavier meaning six years later.
