California governor Jerry Brown declared that Sunday, October 16th would be Steve Jobs Day for the state. While strictly for observance, it gives the late Apple co-founder a treatment normally reserved for non-corporate heroes. The day coincides with a private memorial at Stanford and may be synchronized.
Jobs’ receiving a special day, even if minor, reflects sentiments that Jobs was a boon to California. He helped establish the modern concept of Silicon Valley and shifted attention to the state after redefining the computer, MP3 player, smartphone, and tablet markets during his lifetime. Companies like Microsoft and Nokia that once were content to stay in their home states or countries but eventually put at least a satellite presence in California to understand the culture Apple helped create.
Directly, Jobs’ fostering Apple’s record growth led to about 20,000 jobs at Apple corporate, the largest portion of which works out of California, and brought breakthrough revenue into the state.
