Since the 1960s, BASIC has introduced countless beginners to computer programming. Here's how the language got started, the paths it cleared for Windows and Apple, and where you can still find it ...

While remembering a Kodak moment of holding a foot-long piece of paper featuring the code, Gates indicated that Altair BASIC was inspired by the January 1975 copy of "Popular Electronics" magazine.

Ahead of Microsoft's 50th anniversary this week, co-founder Bill Gates has released the company's original source code.