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Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) Founded
Today in 1947, the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) was founded as the Eastern Association for Computing Machinery at a meeting at Columbia University in New York. From ACM’s website: Its creation was the logical outgrowth of increasing interest in … Continue reading
Posted in Computer history
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ERMA: A milestone in bank automation
Today in 1959, Bank of America received the first ERMA (Electronic Recording Machine, Accounting) system. From Wikipedia: In 1950, Bank of America was the largest bank in California, and led the world in the use of checks. This presented a serious problem … Continue reading
They Saw it as Destiny
Louis H. Sullivan, the father of the modern skyscraper, said this about Chicago in 1875, as it emerged from the Great Fire of 1871 and the Economic Panic of 1873: As everybody said: “Chicago has risen phoenix-like from its ashes.” … Continue reading
The computer software bug makes its first appearance
Today in 1947, operators of the Mark II traced the cause of the computer’s malfunction to a moth caught in a relay and wrote in their logbook “First actual case of bug being found.” See also Debugging the Origin of the … Continue reading
Youth Solves a Typewriter Problem
Today in 1906, the New York Times reports that “Youth says he solved a typewriter problem” by inventing the automatic carriage return. “Springs cause the carriage to slide back to starting point when end of a line Is reached,” said … Continue reading
Posted in Automation, This day in information, Writing
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Farnsworth Succeeds in Transmitting Images Electronically
Today in 1927, 21-year-old Philo T. Farnsworth succeeded in transmitting through purely electronic means an image of a line with a device he called an “image dissector.” From the IEEE Global History Network: “Farnsworth’s Image Dissector worked pretty well, but it was … Continue reading
Posted in Television, This day in information
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Interface Message Processor Proposed
Today in 1968, Larry Roberts and Jerry Elkind finished writing a proposal for building the first Interface Message Processor (IMP) and submitted it to ARPA.
Posted in Computer history, Internet
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U. S. Copyright Clause Born
Today in 1787, the language of Article I, Section 8, Clause 8 of the United States Constitution, known as the Copyright Clause, was proposed to the Constitutional Convention. It empowers the United States Congress To promote the Progress of Science and useful … Continue reading
Posted in Copyrights, This day in information
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