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Elektro at the World's Fair
Elektro was a robot made by Westinghouse. It responded to voice commands and was presented at the World's Fair.
This interests me mainly because I think it's very impressive how robots are created and they've been invented even before forms of media were created. -
Curt Herzstark designs Curta Calculator
The Curta Calculator was designed by Curt Herzstark, an Austrian engineer, while he was imprisoned by the Nazis in WWII. His invention was later known as the smallest four function calculator. I thinks this is really interesting not only because it's an invention but also because of the conditions they were created. -
A Logic Named Joe is Published
A Logic Named Joe is a short story created by Will F. Jenkins. In this story, Jenkins presents computers named as "Logics" and one of them malfunctions and releases private information. We often see movies or other things showing robots as machines being perfectly controlled and then malfunctioning. It seems like that idea has existed for a long time and even if it's fiction there can be a truth in it. -
First Computer Program to run on a Computer
Frederic Williams, Tom Kilburn, and Geoff Toothill, all researchers of University of of Manchester, were working on an experimental machine known as the "Manchester baby". Kilburn wrote the first program and was run on June 21 of 1948. I think it's so surprising that this is basically the father of all programs. -
Squee: The Robot Squirrel
Created by Edmund Berkeley, Squee's job consisted in hunting "nuts", or better saying, tennis balls. Its original prototype is kept permanently in The Computer History Museum. It catches my eye that a robot can do such a good job without being controlled with a controller. -
Direct Keyboard Input to Computers
This was first experimented at MIT. Doug Ross said that connecting an electrically controlled typewriter to an MIT computer could work as a keyboard input. 5 months later, that was proven to be useful. I think this is quite important because this made it much easier to use keyboards and now using them is so simple. -
First Computer Scanned Image on SEAC
Robert Kirsch had created a rotating drum scanner. This made it possible for him to scan a picture of his son, being the first scanned picture in a computer. For me, this was a huge step in digital pictures and things that are very easy now were a big challenge before. -
Quicksort algorithm
In Moscow, C.A.R. Hoare made the algorithm known as Quicksort. This algorithm is now one of the most used. I think this is one of the biggest accomplishments in computer science because this algorithm is the most used by computer scientists and programmers. -
Victor 3900 desktop calculator
This calculator was developed by Victor Comptometer Corporation. It was the first calculator that used MOS for logic and memory and performed multiple function. Unfortunately, due to its uniqueness, the parts were unreliable and that limited its sales. Even if it didn't make a huge market I think it's pretty cool mainly because it was a unique calculator. -
Star Trek debuts with multiple computation devices
Star Trek, one of the most popular fictional series, consisted on technologies like voice recognition, handheld computing, and others. Such technologies influenced tons of writers and filmmakers. Even technologists, who are still trying to create some of the things shown. Being a lover of fictional series, it impresses me that a fictional series can make such a big impact of technology. -
Computer Space is released
Influenced by SpaceWar! by Steve Russell and other space games, Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney designed the game known as Computer Space. It had a simple design and still had complicated gameplay. Even though the game didn't sell much, it was featured in different films. I like the fact that because of other big games, other things can also be influenced and therefore creating new inventions. -
C programming language is released
C programming language was created by Dennis Ritchie and his team on Basic Combined Programming Language (BCPL). C is as of now used all across the world. This is quite interesting for me because thanks to this language, many things can be programmed. -
Atari introcudes its Model 400 and 800 Computers
These atari models were shortly made after the Atari VCS console. The model 400 worked as a gaming console and the 800 worked more as a computer. I think Atari is one of the greatest gaming console and I like the fact that they made various computers and models. -
IBM Introduces its Personal Computer (PC)
Also known as the IBM Model 5150, this personal computer used Microsoft's MD-DOS operating system. It gained a wide adoption and popularity. This topic interested me because this computer became very big that it was even copied by others. -
CD-ROM
What is now known worldwide as a Compact Disk or CD was first made by Sony and Philips. After they released Grolier's Electronic Encyclopedia in 1985, computer and electronics companies worked in setting a standar for the disks so any device or computer could have access to it. For me, this was very interesting because CD's are so common these days and thanks to this we can do many sorts of things from watching a movie to saving files in them. -
Microsoft Introduces Word
Originally named Multi-Tool Word, Microsoft released Word, Microsoft gave 450,000 disks containing a demo of the program in November's issue of PC World Magazine. It wasn't until Windows to be introduced in 1989 that Word was a worldwide standard. This caught my attention for Microsoft Word is basically the most common program for writing documents today. -
The C++ Programming Language is Published
Bjarne Stroustrup made the C++ language vastly known when he published his book: "The C++ Programming Language". His motivation was to create a language that would make more complicated programs while combining features of BCPL with structures of Simula. Just like the C language, this language is also quite common and I think it's great that a more complicated language was created. -
Nintendo Releases the Gameboy handheld game console
Using removable game cartridges, the Gameboy handheld console became into one of the most popular all around the globe. One of its most popular releases was the game of Tetris. I'm a lover of video games myself and I love the fact that the Gameboy was a unique console and it turned into the most bought. -
Photoshop is released.
Created by Jon and Thomas Knoll, photoshop turned into Adobe's most popular program. The software is the most known image editor. Adobe bought a license for it in 1989 and released it in 1990. I think this was another big step for digital pictures because photoshop became into the most popular program for image editing. -
Doom is released
Doom became into a very popular first person shooter game and its players were the first to customize the game through "modding". Although it turned very popular, there was a big criticism of Doom for being a violent game. I believe it is quite eye-catching that a game like doom caused a big impact on people due to its violence therefore getting a lot of negative critisism. -
Entertainment Software Rating Board
Due to the violent games released at the time, such as Mortal Kombat, Night Trap, and Doom, many of the biggest game providers created the ESRB to rate videogames. These ratings were made for a guide to parents and consumers. I think that the ESRB Rating was a good idea because we can now what kind of themes the game has. This was quite interesting for me because it was violent games the ones that lead to this. -
Bitcoin
Satoshi Nakamoto published Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System. In it, he explained the usage of "bitcoins". Users run software that searches for blocks of data. Then the transaction can be used online like cash in the real world. Bitcoin gained popularity in 2013 and it's now globally known and used. I think bitcoin is one of the biggest marketing ideas and it's very surprising that we can do many things with just some digital money. -
Gamergate
In August of 2014, it was revealed that a game designer known as Zoe Quinn had inappropriate relationships with a game journalist and a big controversy was created on social media. Anita Sarkeesian and Brianna Wu got into this topic, and got hate and threats. The hashtag gamergate was created and people either sided with it or didn't. The ones who didn't accused gamergate supporters for being "misogynistic" and gamergate supporters stated that it was about ethics in game journalism.
