Computer History Project

  • Hewlett-Packard is Founded

    Hewlett-Packard is Founded

    David Packard and Bill Hewlett started the company in their garage in California. Their first product was the HP 200A Audio Oscillator, which becomes a popular piece of test equipment for engineers. http://www.computerhope.com/history/196080.htm
  • Eniac Invented

    Eniac Invented

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ENIAC Eniac was the first computer invented. Electronic Numerial Integrator and Computer. Invented for military purposes.
  • Cathode Ray Tube Amusement Device

    Cathode Ray Tube Amusement Device

    Earliest known interactive computer game. Used ray tube technology. Pioneered modern day video games. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathode_ray_tube_amusement_device
  • The First Business Computer Invented

    The First Business Computer Invented

    Lyons Electronic Office is completed by T. Raymond Thompson, John Simmons and their team at Lyons Co. Used by businesses for accounting and other business needs http://www.computerhope.com/history/196080.htm
  • Information Retrieval Language Invented

    Information Retrieval Language Invented

    System later develops to the Pick Database Management System. It is used today on Unix and Windows systems. http://www.computerhope.com/history/196080.htm
  • First Edition of Unix Released

    First Edition of Unix Released

    It includes over 60 commands like: b (compile B program); boot (reboot system); cat (concatenate files); chdir (change working directory); chmod (change access mode); chown (change owner); cp (copy file); ls (list directory contents); mv (move or rename file); roff (run off text); wc (get word count); who (who is one the system). The main thing missing was pipes. http://www.computerhope.com/history/196080.htm
  • Pearl

    Pearl

    Pearl is a computer programming language. Pearl stands for Process and Experiment Automation Realtime Language. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PEARL_(programming_language)
  • Ethernet

    Ethernet

    Family of computer networking technologies for local area networks. Ethernet was commercially introduced in 1980 and standardized in 1985 as IEEE 802.3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethernet
  • ARPANET Crash

    ARPANET Crash

    Advanced Research Projects Agency Network experiences its first major net work crash. This caused it to go down for four hours http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ARPANET
  • Mac

    Mac

    The Mac or Macintosh is a series of personal computers (PCs) designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. Mac was first commercially successful personal computer to feature a mouse and a graphical user interface rather than a command-line interface. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_mac
  • The World

    The World

    The World, the first commercial Internet dial-up access provider comes online. Run out of Brookline Massachusetts http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_World_(Internet_service_provider)
  • Year 2000 Bug

    Year 2000 Bug

    The Year 2000 problem (also known as the Y2K problem, the Millennium bug, the Y2K bug, or simply Y2K) was a problem for both digita and non-digital documentation. Many people believed that the bug would cause the end of the world and that computers would all blow up. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Year_2000_problem
  • Code Red Worm

    Code Red Worm

    The worm spread itself using a common type of vulnerability known as a buffer overflow. It did this by using a long string of the repeated character 'N' to overflow a buffer, allowing the worm to execute arbitrary code and infect the machine. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code_Red_worm
  • iPhone

    iPhone

    First generation of iPhone designed and marketed by Apple Inc. Most popular brand of smartphone used among americans. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPhone_(original)
  • Minecraft Is Released

    Minecraft Is Released

    Minecraft is one of the most popular online games currently played. The game has been released in stages and on multiple platforms. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minecraft
  • iPad 2

    iPad 2

    The iPad 2 is the second generation iPad, a tablet computer designed, developed and marketed by Apple Inc. Used in Burlington High School among students and teachers.