Steve Jobs RIP (1955-2011): A Tribute to the World's Greatest Tech Visionary

On October 5, 2011 Apple released a statement that Steve Jobs, its iconic founder and former CEO, had passed away. Over the last thirty years, the energetic 56-year-old has grown to be as emblematic of Apple as the company's Macintosh logo and a figurehead of Apple's continuous innovation.

A poster-child for Silicon Valley counterculture, Jobs dropped out of college in 1972 and started Apple on April Fools' Day of 1976 out of his parents' basement. At once ingenious and irreverent, the rangy Jobs could usually be seen in his trademark black turtleneck and faded denim jeans, doing away with the podium and script and transforming technology presentations into interactive, dynamic experiences. Under Jobs, Apple grew from humble beginnings in the late 1970s to attain a value of $380 billion as of September 2011, with shares at times trading as high as $410.

Apple released a statement on Wednesday saying: We are deeply saddened to announce that Steve Jobs passed away today. Steve's brilliance, passion and energy were the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives. The world is immeasurably better because of Steve. Jobs leaves behind his wife, Laurene, their three children, and a fourth daughter from a previous marriage.

Start the slideshow to see some of Steve Jobs' greatest accomplishments over the years.