Intel, founded in 1968 by Gordon Moore and Robert Noyce with backing from Arthur Rock, became a central company in Silicon Valley and modern computing. Initially focused on semiconductor memory, it achieved a major breakthrough in 1971 with the Intel 4004, widely recognized as the first commercial microprocessor. As personal computers expanded in the 1980s, microprocessors became its defining business, and its x86 chips powered most major PCs. Its partnership with Microsoft Windows helped shape the PC market, while branding and processor lines such as Pentium made it widely known. Though challenged by competitors after 2000, Intel remained one of the semiconductor industry’s leading firms into the 2020s.