On this day 61 years ago, on January 12, 1964 (November 28, 1963 lunar calendar), Jeff Bezos, founder of the Amazon Corporation of the United States, was born. Jeffrey Preston "Jeff" Bezos (born January 12, 1964 -), born in New Mexico, USA, is the founder and current chairperson and CEO of Internet Tech Giants Amazon, one of the major shareholders of the Washington Post, and the 1999 Time Magazine Person of the Year. Bezos was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. His mother's ancestors lived in Texas, and over the generations they established a 25,000-acre (101 square kilometers or 39 square miles) ranch in Cotulla. Bezos' maternal grandfather was the regional head of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission in Albuquerque. He retired early and lived on a ranch. As a young boy, Bezos worked on the ranch with his maternal grandfather every summer. As a child, Bezos showed his amazing talent in mechanics. As a toddler, he tried to disassemble his crib. Bezos's mother was still young at the time, and his marriage to his biological father fell apart within a year. When Bezos was 5, her mother remarried Miguel Bezos, a Cuban man who immigrated to the United States at the age of 15. Miguel accepted Bezos and moved the family to Houston, Texas, where Bezos' stepfather became an engineer at Exxon. Bezos attended Oak River Elementary School here, completing grades 4-6. During his summers, he often went to his grandfather's ranch, where he "laid pipes, inoculated cows, and repaired windmills." Bezos often showed an interest in technology. Once he operated an electronic clock to keep his little cousin locked out of his room. He converted his father's garage into a laboratory. In high school, the family moved to Miami, Florida, where Bezos attended high school. Here he joined the "Student Technology Training Program" at the University of Florida, where he won the "Silver Knight Award" in 1982. He was also a high school student representative. He attended Princeton University. He originally wanted to study physics, but then decided to study computers, and was elected to the ¦Õ BK club. He also received a bachelor's degree in "electrical engineering and computer science." According to one of Amazon's founders and others who know him, Bezos is a "free will." In July 2012, Bezos and his wife jointly donated $2.50 million to support same-sex marriage in the United States. Founding Amazon In 1994, Bezos wrote the plan for founding Amazon during a drive across the United States (New York to Seattle). He first announced the company in his garage. After he learned about the amazing development of the Internet, especially (en: QuillCorp. v. NorthDakota), he quit his well-paid job at a hedge fund. According to Forbes, Amazon's stock stopped its downward trend in 2011, rising 55% and adding $6.50 billion to his web value. Bezos is known for his attention to detail in business. As the Portfolio.com website describes it, "He's a carefree super-rich guy and a famous hands-on guy.... A president who wants to know everything. Everything from the details of the contract to how he's quoted in Amazon's press release."