Steve Jobs Archive Celebrates 20 Years of his Stanford Speech

Marking the 20th anniversary of his landmark Stanford address, the Steve Jobs Archive has unveiled an extensive digital exhibit titled “Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish.”

The initiative commemorates one of the most iconic commencement speeches in history—delivered by the Apple co‑founder on June 12, 2005—and brings fresh perspective through newly enhanced video and personal artifacts, including his original bullet‑point notes.

Jobs’ speech, lasting just under 15 minutes, has been viewed more than 120 million times and remains a touchstone for graduates, entrepreneurs, and creators worldwide. In the archive, visitors can now explore a crisp HD version of the speech, alongside scans of Jobs’ email drafts and handwritten outlines.

These reveal the evolution of his narrative structure: three pivotal life stories woven around themes of intuition, resilience, and the inevitability of mortality, all anchored by his stirring finale—“Stay hungry, stay foolish”—a phrase he borrowed from the back cover of the Whole Earth Catalog.

The exhibit begins with Jobs’ early years: his decision to drop out from Reed College, which allowed him to take calligraphy classes that indirectly shaped the typography of the first Macintosh. He recounted how, at the time, he had no idea how these seemingly unrelated decisions would influence his later work—but in hindsight, the connection was clear.

The archive also showcases Jobs’ bullet‑points, where he jotted themes like “calling to follow curiosity,” underscoring his methodical yet intuitive approach.

Next, the exhibit delves into the upheaval of being ousted from Apple in 1985. Jobs described it as a devastating yet liberating turning point. In that “brutal” season, he founded NeXT and acquired Pixar—moves that ultimately brought him back to Apple with renewed creative vigor.

Finally, the archive confronts his brush with mortality. He shared how a rare form of pancreatic cancer sharpened his perspective on life and success. Addressing students, he urged them never to live someone else’s life, to trust their intuition, and to accept life’s fragility as motivation, not fear.