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Category Archives: Computer history
The Origins of the Internet (Video)
Computer magazine’s multimedia editor Charles Severance interviews Katie Hafner about the history of the APRANET project as described in her 1996 book, Where Wizards Stay Up Late: The Origins of the Internet.
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Feeding Information to Machines to Speed Up Processing
Today in 1886, the first Linotype machine in the U.S. was installed at the Tribune newspaper in New York City. Invented by Ottmar Mergenthaler, a Linotype machine could produce five lines per minute compared to the one line per minute typically … Continue reading
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The Founding Document of Modern Computing Published
Today in 1945, John von Neumann published “A First Draft of a Report on the EDVAC.” Campbell-Kelly and Aspray call it in Computer: The History of the Information Machine “the technological basis for the worldwide computer industry.” In A History of Modern Computing, Paul … Continue reading
The IBM Idea Launched, Defying Management Gurus for 102 Years
Today in 1911, the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company was incorporated. It changed its name to IBM in 1924. Many commentators on IBM’s centenary two years ago attributed its longevity to the power of idea or ideas. In “Ideas make IBM 100 years … Continue reading
Bob Metcalfe on Ethernet at 40
See also my interviews with Metcalfe here and here
Posted in Computer history, Computer Networks
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When Mauchly Met Atanasoff: Creating the Digital Computer
Today in 1941, John Mauchly visited John Atanasoff at Iowa State University. During the next five days he learned everything he could about what became to be known as the Atanasoff-Berry Computer (ABC) which he first heard about when Atanasoff visited Philadelphia … Continue reading
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Big Data Analysis at the NSA, 1962
The IBM 7950, also known as Harvest, was a one-of-a-kind adjunct to the Stretch computer which was installed at the US National Security Agency (NSA). Built by IBM, it was delivered in 1962 and operated until 1976, when it was … Continue reading
Posted in Big Data, Computer history
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Alan Turing 1912-1954
Today in 1954, Alan Turing died from cyanide poisoning. An inquest determined that his death was suicide; his mother and some others believed his death was accidental. Turing is widely considered to be the father of computer science and artificial intelligence. Check … Continue reading
Lovelace and Babbage Meet, Fly on Imagination’s Wings
One hundred eighty years ago today (June 5, 1833), Ada Byron (later Countess Lovelace) met Charles Babbage when visiting his house to see a portion the Difference Engine, or what her mother, Lady Byron, called his “thinking machine.” James Gleick writes in The Information: A … Continue reading
Theory of the Internet Born
Today in 1961, Leonard Kleinrock submitted his MIT PhD thesis proposal, “Information Flow in Large Communication Nets, (PDF)” establishing, in his words, “the underlying principles of data networks that are the basis of the Internet.” (PDF) See also The Internet Goes Live
Posted in Computer history, Internet
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The Story of Information 