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Computer History
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Prject Whirlwind Begins.
Project Whirlwind begins. During World War II, the U.S. Navy approached the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) about building a flight simulator to train bomber crews. The team first built a large analog computer, but found it inaccurate and inflexible. After designers saw a demonstration of the ENIAC computer, they decided on building a digital computer. By the time the Whirlwind was completed in 1951, the Navy had lost interest in the project, though the U.S. Air Force would eventuall -
Install magnetic core
At MIT, Jay Forrester installed magnetic core memory on the Whirlwind computer. Core memory made computers more reliable, faster, and easier to make. Such a system of storage remained popular until the development of semiconductors in the 1970s. -
Shipped first eleectronic computer
IBM shipped its first electronic computer, the 701. During three years of production, IBM sold 19 machines to research laboratories, aircraft companies, and the federal government. -
Radio Shack is founded
Tandy Radio Shack is founded. Tandy Radio Shack (TRS) was formed by the 1963 merger of Tandy Leather Company and Radio Shack. TRS began by selling a variety of electronic products, mainly to hobbyists. -
Computers Ataccked!?!??!??!??!?!??!?!?
Vietnam War protesters attacked university computer centers. At the University of Wisconsin, the toll was one human and four machines. -
Machine of the Year
Time magazine altered its annual tradition of naming a "Man of the Year," choosing instead to name the computer its "Machine of the Year." -
Thinking Machines
Thinking Machines is founded. Thinking Machines Corporation (TMC) was formed by MIT graduate student Danny Hillis and others to develop a new type of supercomputer. -
Pixar
Pixar is founded. Pixar was originally called the Special Effects Computer Group at Lucasfilm (launched in 1979). -
Simcity
Maxis released SimCity, a video game that helped launch of series of simulators. -
yahoo
Yahoo is founded.