There was no version control available to me when I started programming BASIC on a BBC Model B in 1987. :) It's a bit of a different story in 2010. I would sincerely hope that anyone who aspires to be a professional developer would be aware that there is a thing called a version control system, and that using one is a Very Good Idea for all but the most trivial of programming tasks.
Many people who write code never aspired to be professional developers. Lots of people started by just trying pick up enough to quickly solve a small problem they where having while doing the thing they where actually interested in, then someone noticed that they knew how to program a bit, one thing leads to another and next thing they know they're spending most of their time programming.