Apollo Guidance Computer [1965 TV Program]

This 1965 MIT Science Reporter television program serves as a remarkable time capsule, capturing a pivotal moment in the history of space exploration and computer technology. Presented by MIT in association with WGBH-TV Boston and produced for NASA, the program provides an in-depth look at the Apollo guidance computer and navigation equipment, a technological marvel …

The future as envisioned in 1967: The year 1999

In 1967, as space-age fantasies ignited imaginations across the globe, the then Philco-Ford, now Ford Motor Company, attempted to capture the future’s heart and soul in a brief cinematic journey. The film titled “1999 AD” catapulted its audience three decades into the future, offering a tantalizing glimpse of everyday life for a quintessential American family, …

The first “actual” computer bug was found on September 9, 1947

On September 9, 1947, a team of computer scientists and engineers operating Harward University’s Mark II electromechanical computer started getting an error. They traced the error and found a moth trapped in a relay. The moth was carefully removed and taped to the logbook with a note saying “first actual case of bug being found”. …

IBM PC (Personal Computer) was released on August 12, 1981

On August 12, 1981, the Personal Computer, (model 5150, commonly known as the IBM PC) was released. This machine (and its descendants) started the PC revolution. It was a very small machine that could not only process information faster than those millions-of-dollars huge computers of the 1960s but also hook up to the home TV …

The first E-mail from Space was sent on August 9, 1991

On August 9, 1991, two STS-43 astronauts aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis, Shannon W. Lucid and James C. Adamson sent the first e-mail from space. The astronauts used an Apple Macintosh portable computer and AppleLink, a popular service for Mac and Apple IIGS users before the commercialization of the Internet, offered from 1986 to 1994. …

Atari was founded on June 27, 1972

On June 27, 1972, Atari Inc. was founded in Sunnyvale, California by American businessman and electrical engineer Nolan Bushnell (born February 5, 1943) and American electrical engineer Ted Dabney (May 2, 1937 – May 26, 2018). One the most recognized and celebrated brands in the world, the company is a pioneer in arcade games, home …

Manchester Baby, the world’s first electronic stored-program computer ran its first program on June 21, 1948

On June 21, 1948, Manchester Baby, the world’s first electronic stored-program computer ran its first program.

Charles Babbage Unveiled the Difference Engine on June 14, 1822

On June 14, 1822, English polymath Charles Babbage (26 December 1791 – 18 October 1871) announced his invention of the Difference Engine on 14 June 1822, in a paper to the Royal Astronomical Society. The title of the paper was “Note on the application of machinery to the computation of astronomical and mathematical tables”. It …

UNIVAC I, the world’s first commercial computer was unveiled on June 14, 1951

On June 14, 1951, UNIVAC I (UNIVersal Automatic Computer I), the world’s first general-purpose electronic digital computer was unveiled. running on a 2.25 MHz clock, it was capable of completing 1,905 instructions per second.