Historic Microsoft Headquarters Plaque in Albuquerque, New Mexico

Today, Microsoft is known around the world from its headquarters in Redmond, Washington (near Seattle). But the computer giant wasn't always based in the Pacific Northwest. Microsoft's beginning was in the Southwest, specifically in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Bill Gates and Paul Allen founded their company in 1975. In 1976 it became Micro-Soft (a combination of the words "microcomputer" and "software"). The company remained in the city until 1979, when they moved to Washington. 

Today there is no Microsoft here other than what might exist on the computers that operate out of this strip mall and a plaque that commemorates it as the site of the company's founding.