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transistor
1st point-contact transistor was built by John Bardeen and Walter Brattain. It replaced the vacuum tube that was too large, used too much power, pumped out too much heat, and was unreliable. -
Automatic Programming
Grace Murray Hopper pioneered the idea of automatic programming and explored new ways to use the computer to code. -
A-0
Grace Hopper developed the 1st compiler called A-0, which translated mathematical code into machine, or readable code. An important step in crating modern programming languages. -
Proposal of programs written in words
Hopper proposed the idea of programs written in words rather than symbols. She was told it wouldn't work. -
1st Silicon Transistor
Gordon Teal and his team at Texas Instruments developed the 1st silicon transistor. Previously only germanium transistors existed and they needed to be replaced because the military needed something more reliable and work in extreme conditions. -
FLOW-MATIC
Hopper's team was running FLOW-MATIC, the 1st programming language that used word commands instead of mathematical symbols. It was used for data processing purposes. This made it possible for people without engineering or math backgrounds to access computers. -
Integrated Circuit
Jack Kilby made the integrated circuit, making the microchip possible. -
COBOL
Grace Hopper took part in the Conference on Data Systems Languages with the goal to develop a common business language that could be used across industries and sectors. The finished product was COBOL (Common business-oriented language). And by the 1970's COBOL was said to be the most extensively used computer language in the world.