The Homebrew Computer Club held its first meeting in Menlo Park, California, in 1975.
The club was founded by Gordon French and Fred Moore, who organized a gathering for electronics enthusiasts interested in building and sharing computer equipment. Its first meeting took place on March 5, 1975, at French’s garage.
Homebrew became an important meeting place for early personal-computer enthusiasts in the San Francisco Bay Area. Members exchanged circuit designs, software, and technical advice rather than treating computing as an activity limited to universities or large companies.
The club is closely associated with the development of the personal-computer movement. Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs attended meetings, and the Apple I was demonstrated to club members in 1976. The club itself did not manufacture the Apple I; it provided a community in which early hobbyist computers could be shown and discussed.