Category Archives: Computer history

Fumbling the Future, Inventing the Present, Understanding the Past

Posted on March 17, 2011 by GilPress

Moshe Vardi, the Editor-in-Chief of Communications of the ACM (CACM), has done a great public service by asking IBM to declassify and publish online an IBM report originally published in 1989. It summarized the work of 20 IBM Research Division … Continue reading →

Posted in Computer history, IBM, Yesterday's Futures | 7 Comments

First Internet Domain Name and a New Era for IT

Posted on March 15, 2011 by GilPress

Today in 1985, the first Internet domain name, symbolics.com, was registered.  

Posted in Computer history, Standards, This day in information | Leave a comment

This Day In Information: The IT Industry in 1971

Posted on March 1, 2011 by GilPress

Today in 1971, Time magazine published an article on the computer industry, titled “A Growth Industry Grows Up.”  

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This Day In Information: Boston Computer Society Established

Posted on February 17, 2011 by GilPress

Today in 1977, 13-year-old Jonathan Rotenberg established the Boston Computer Society (BCS), an organization for personal computer users which will eventually grow into the largest such organization in the world.

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This Day In Information: CBBS, First Social Network

Posted on February 16, 2011 by GilPress

Today in 1978, the first public dial-up Bulletin Board System, the Computerized Bulletin Board System, or CBBS, went online.

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This Day In Information: ENIAC Dedicated

Posted on February 15, 2011 by GilPress

Today in 1946, the Electronic Numerical Integrator And Computer (ENIAC), was formally dedicated.

Posted in Computer history, This day in information | 1 Comment

This Day in Information: Watson Renames CTR as IBM

Posted on February 14, 2011 by GilPress

Today in 1924, the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company (CTR) changed it name to International Business Machines Corporation (IBM).

Posted in Computer history, IBM, This day in information | 3 Comments

This Day In Information: First Sputnik Moment

Posted on February 7, 2011 by GilPress

Today in 1958, in response to the launch of the Soviet Union’s Sputnik 1 four months earlier, the U.S. Department of Defense issued Directive 5105.15, establishing the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA).

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This Day In Information: IBM’s SSEC and Creating the Public Image of Computers

Posted on January 27, 2011 by GilPress

Today in 1948, IBM’s Selective Sequence Electronic Calculator (SSEC) was announced and demonstrated to the public.

Posted in Computer history, Social Impact, This day in information | 3 Comments

This Day In Information: SAGE

Posted on January 16, 2011 by GilPress

Today in 1956, the development of the Semi-Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE), is disclosed to the public. “Looking back at the development of the computers supporting the SAGE, the origins of many key computer innovations are readily apparent.

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