Computer History - January

• Heinz Zemanek Born

  Austrian computer pioneer Heinz Zemanek was born. He later developed the Mailufterl, one of the first fully transistorized computers in continental Europe.

  January 01, 1920

• IEEE Computer Society Founded

  The IEEE Computer Group officially becomes the IEEE Computer Society, the world's leading organization for computing professionals.

  January 01, 1971

• Microsoft Named

  Bill Gates and Paul Allen name their partnership Micro-Soft in a letter, combining microcomputer and software. The hyphen was later dropped.

  January 02, 1975

• Grace Hopper Dies

  Rear Admiral Grace Hopper, pioneer of computer programming and developer of COBOL, dies at age 85. Known as Amazing Grace, she created the first compiler.

  January 02, 1992

• Apple Computer Incorporated

  Steven Jobs, Stephen Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne incorporate Apple Computer Inc., marking the official start of one of the world's most influential technology companies.

  January 03, 1977

• Computer Named Machine of the Year

  TIME magazine names the computer Machine of the Year instead of its traditional Man of the Year, recognizing the profound impact of personal computers on society.

  January 03, 1983

• First FORTRAN Execution

  The first successful execution of a FORTRAN program takes place, revolutionizing scientific computing.

  January 04, 1954

• HP-35 Calculator Introduced

  Hewlett-Packard introduces the HP-35, the first handheld scientific calculator, revolutionizing how engineers and scientists perform calculations.

  January 04, 1972

• Jerry Yang Born

  Jerry Yang, co-founder of Yahoo!, was born in Taipei, Taiwan. He later co-created one of the internet's first major search engines and web portals.

  January 04, 1968

• Simula Reference Published

  The first reference to Simula, the first object-oriented programming language, appears in writing by Kristen Nygaard.

  January 05, 1962

• IMDB Domain Registered

  The domain imdb.com comes online, launching what would become the Internet Movie Database, one of the most comprehensive film and television reference sites.

  January 05, 1996

• DALL-E Announced

  OpenAI announces the first version of DALL-E, an AI system that creates images from text descriptions, marking a breakthrough in generative AI.

  January 05, 2021

• Pi Computed to Record Digits

  Computer scientist Fabrice Bellard announces computing pi to 2.7 trillion digits using a desktop computer, setting a world record in an achievement typically requiring supercomputers.

  January 06, 2010

• Amazon Fire TV Milestone

  Amazon announces that its Fire TV video streaming devices exceeded 40 million users globally, marking a significant milestone in streaming media adoption.

  January 06, 2020

• Sketchpad Introduced

  Ivan Sutherland introduces Sketchpad at MIT, the first computer-aided design program and a revolutionary interactive graphics system using a light pen.

  January 07, 1963

• Nikola Tesla Dies

  Inventor Nikola Tesla passes away in New York. His work on alternating current and electromagnetic fields laid groundwork crucial to computing and electrical engineering.

  January 07, 1943

• Altair 8800 Featured

  Popular Electronics magazine features the Altair 8800 on its cover as the world's first minicomputer kit, inspiring Microsoft's founding.

  January 08, 1975

• Hollerith Tabulating Machine Patent

  Herman Hollerith receives US Patent 395,781 for his electric tabulating machine, revolutionizing data processing and leading to the founding of IBM.

  January 08, 1889

• John Mauchly Dies

  Computer pioneer John Mauchly, co-inventor of ENIAC and UNIVAC, dies at age 72. He made fundamental contributions to electronic computing.

  January 08, 1980

• Bitcoin Genesis Block

  Satoshi Nakamoto mines the first Bitcoin block, the Genesis Block, launching the world's first decentralized cryptocurrency and blockchain technology.

  January 09, 2009

• An Wang Files Patent

  An Wang files patent for pulse transfer controlling device, later known as the Wang Switch, crucial for magnetic core memory technology.

  January 09, 1949

• Deep Blue Premieres

  IBM's Deep Blue premieres at the ACM Chess Challenge with world champion Garry Kasparov, foreshadowing AI versus human competition.

  January 10, 1996

• Google Maps Launched

  Google launches Google Maps, revolutionizing navigation and changing how people interact with geographic information.

  January 10, 2005

• Donald Knuth Born

  Computer scientist Donald Knuth was born in Milwaukee. He later authored The Art of Computer Programming and created the TeX typesetting system.

  January 10, 1938

• Silicon Valley Named

  The term Silicon Valley appears in print for the first time in Electronic News, coined by journalist Don Hoefler to describe the semiconductor industry.

  January 10, 1971

• ALGOL Committee Convenes

  The ACM/GAMM committee convenes to develop ALGOL, which became highly influential in programming language design.

  January 11, 1960

• C.A.R. Hoare Born

  Tony Hoare, developer of Quicksort algorithm and pioneering work in formal verification and programming language design, was born in Sri Lanka.

  January 11, 1934

• Aaron Swartz Dies

  Internet activist and programmer Aaron Swartz dies at age 26. He co-founded Reddit and was involved in developing RSS and Markdown.

  January 11, 2013

• HAL 9000 Becomes Operational

  According to Arthur C. Clarke's 2001: A Space Odyssey, the HAL 9000 computer becomes operational at the HAL Plant in Urbana, Illinois.

  January 12, 1997

• Computer Bowl Airs

  The first episode of The Computer Bowl airs, featuring computing pioneers and engineers from East and West Coasts competing in computing trivia.

  January 12, 1988

• Tandy TRS-80 Microcomputer

  Radio Shack begins conceptual work on the TRS-80, which would become one of the first mass-produced personal computers.

  January 13, 1974

• BASIC Language Announced

  John Kemeny and Thomas Kurtz announce the BASIC programming language at Dartmouth, designed to make programming accessible to non-scientists.

  January 13, 1964

• Elk Cloner Virus Created

  Richard Skrenta, age 15, writes Elk Cloner, the first large-scale self-spreading PC virus, disguised as an Apple II boot program.

  January 13, 1982

• Microsoft NSA Security Patch

  Microsoft issues urgent security update for Windows patching a severe NSA-discovered vulnerability allowing certificate forgery.

  January 14, 2020

• Nathaniel Rochester Born

  IBM's 701 chief architect Nathaniel Rochester was born. He later became a pioneer in artificial intelligence research.

  January 14, 1919

• ACM IEEE CS2013 Curriculum

  ACM and IEEE Computer Society launch innovative Computer Science Curricula 2013, introducing new areas including security and parallel computing.

  January 14, 2014

• NCSA Opens

  The National Science Foundation opens the National Center for Supercomputer Applications, later birthplace of Mosaic web browser.

  January 15, 1986

• Atanasoff-Berry Computer Announced

  The Des Moines Register announces the ABC as an electrical computing machine with over 300 vacuum tubes, one of the first electronic computers.

  January 15, 1941

• ACM Founded

  The Association for Computing Machinery is founded, becoming the world's largest educational and scientific computing society.

  January 15, 1947

• Soyuz Spacecraft Docking

  Soviet spacecraft Soyuz 4 and Soyuz 5 perform the first docking of manned spacecraft in orbit, requiring sophisticated computer guidance systems.

  January 16, 1969

• Alphabet Trillion Dollar Valuation

  Alphabet, Google's parent company, joined the four-comma club, achieving a market valuation of over one trillion dollars.

  January 16, 2020

• Hewlett-Packard Founded

  William Hewlett and David Packard found Hewlett-Packard in a Palo Alto garage, which would become a pioneering electronics and computing company.

  January 17, 1917

• Steve Jobs Announces iPhone

  Steve Jobs unveils the first iPhone at Macworld, revolutionizing mobile computing and telecommunications.

  January 17, 2007

• Yahoo Launched

  Jerry Yang and David Filo launch Jerry and David's Guide to the World Wide Web, which would become Yahoo! within months.

  January 17, 1995

• Norway Switches to Digital Radio

  Norway becomes the first country to start switching off FM radio and switching to DAB, a digital broadcasting technology.

  January 17, 2017

• Cray-1 Supercomputer Announced

  Seymour Cray announces the Cray-1 supercomputer, the fastest computer in the world, establishing Cray Research as the supercomputer leader.

  January 18, 1976

• IBM PC Project Begins

  IBM authorizes Project Chess, a secret program to develop a personal computer, leading to the IBM PC announcement in August 1981.

  January 18, 1981

• IBM 704 Announced

  IBM announces the IBM 704, the first mass-produced computer with floating point arithmetic hardware. FORTRAN and LISP were first developed for it.

  January 18, 1954

• First PC Virus in Wild

  The Brain computer virus, created by two Pakistani brothers, begins spreading, becoming the first PC virus to spread in the wild.

  January 19, 1986

• Apple Lisa Introduced

  Apple Computer introduces the Lisa, the first personal computer with a graphical user interface and mouse, priced at $9,995.

  January 19, 1983

• Lotus 1-2-3 Released

  Lotus Development Corporation releases Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheet program, which becomes the IBM PC's first killer application.

  January 19, 1983

• Sinclair ZX80 Released

  Sinclair Research releases the ZX80, the first computer widely available in the UK retailing at less than 100 pounds.

  January 20, 1980

• DeepSeek-R1 Released

  DeepSeek releases DeepSeek-R1, a large language model utilizing chain-of-thought processing similar to OpenAI o1.

  January 20, 2025

• Twitter Bans Donald Trump

  Twitter permanently suspends Donald Trump's account, making him the first president to be banned from a social network.

  January 21, 2021

• Analytical Engine Test

  Charles Babbage's son Henry Babbage successfully demonstrates part of the Analytical Engine mill, showing it can perform basic calculations.

  January 21, 1888

• Commodore 128 Discontinued

  The Commodore 128 computer is officially discontinued. It featured an Easter egg where typing SYS 32800,123,45,6 displayed developer credits.

  January 21, 1996

• Apple Macintosh Airs

  Apple's iconic 1984 commercial directed by Ridley Scott airs during Super Bowl XVIII, launching the Macintosh computer to a massive audience.

  January 22, 1984

• Microsoft Internet Games End

  Microsoft Internet Games service ends for Windows 7, marking the end of an era for classic online gaming on the platform.

  January 22, 2020

• Mozilla Open Source Released

  Netscape announces plans to release Mozilla source code, marking a pivotal moment in the open source software movement.

  January 23, 1995

• Robert Noyce IC Concept

  Robert Noyce conceives the idea for a practical integrated circuit while at Fairchild Semiconductor, independently of Jack Kilby's earlier work.

  January 23, 1959

• Java JDK 1.0 Released

  Sun Microsystems releases the first Java Development Kit version 1.0, codenamed Oak, bringing Java programming to developers worldwide.

  January 23, 1996

• Marvin Minsky Dies

  Artificial intelligence pioneer Marvin Minsky dies at age 88. He co-founded MIT Media Lab and advanced neural networks.

  January 24, 2016

• IBM SSEC Dedicated

  IBM dedicates the Selective Sequence Electronic Calculator, one of the first computers to combine electronic computation with stored programs.

  January 24, 1948

• Macintosh Released

  Apple Computer officially releases the Macintosh 128K, introducing millions to graphical computing with its innovative GUI and mouse interface.

  January 24, 1984

• Sun Microsystems Java Launch

  Sun Microsystems officially launches Java technology, introducing Write Once Run Anywhere to the computing world.

  January 25, 1996

• First Robot Fatality

  Robert Williams becomes the first human killed by a robot at Ford Motor Company's plant, struck by a robotic arm while retrieving parts.

  January 25, 1979

• Computer Defeats Go Champion

  Google DeepMind's AlphaGo defeats European Go champion Fan Hui 5-0, the first time AI defeated a professional player in the full game.

  January 25, 2016

• Electronic Books in Library

  San Francisco Public Library announces plans to offer electronic books alongside paper books, pioneering digital lending services.

  January 26, 1997

• Palm Pilot Ships

  The Palm Pilot personal digital assistant begins shipping, becoming one of the most successful early handheld computing devices.

  January 26, 1997

• Ethernet Memo Written

  Bob Metcalfe at Xerox PARC writes the famous memo describing Ethernet network system, which becomes the most widely-installed LAN protocol.

  January 27, 1973

• Jim Clark Starts Mosaic

  Jim Clark leaves Silicon Graphics to start Mosaic Communications Corporation, which would become Netscape and revolutionize web browsing.

  January 27, 1994

• Lee de Forest Triode Patent

  Lee de Forest files patent for the vacuum tube triode, which would become essential as an electronic switch in the first electronic computers.

  January 28, 1907

• Gordon Bell Born

  Computer pioneer Gordon Bell was born. His work bridged mainframes and desktops, and he was called the Frank Lloyd Wright of computers.

  January 28, 1939

• ARPA Established

  The United States establishes the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency in response to Sputnik, leading to ARPANET and the internet.

  January 28, 1958

• ERMA Contract Signed

  Bank of America and Stanford Research Institute sign contract to develop ERMA pilot model for automated banking.

  January 28, 1952

• ENIAC Disclosure Document

  J. Presper Eckert writes Disclosure of a Magnetic Calculating Machine, describing a theoretical stored-program electronic computer.

  January 29, 1944

• Duke Nukem 3D Released

  The groundbreaking first-person shooter game Duke Nukem 3D is released, pushing boundaries in computer graphics and game engine technology.

  January 29, 1996

• Douglas Engelbart Born

  Computer pioneer Douglas Engelbart was born. He invented the computer mouse and pioneered human-computer interaction, hypertext, and collaborative computing.

  January 30, 1925

• Apple AppleTalk Released

  Apple introduces AppleTalk, offering simplified network communication for Apple computers, popular in schools and small businesses.

  January 30, 1985

• LISP Language Introduced

  John McCarthy and his team introduce LISP, the first AI programming language, distinctive for its simplicity and ability to manipulate symbolic expressions.

  January 30, 1959

• SWAC Finds New Primes

  The SWAC discovers two new Mersenne prime numbers, demonstrating the power of electronic computers for mathematical research.

  January 30, 1952

• FORTRAN Runs at Westinghouse

  The first FORTRAN program runs successfully at Westinghouse, marking a milestone for the first high-level programming language.

  January 31, 1957

• First iMac Released

  Apple releases the first iMac, featuring a colorful all-in-one design that helped revive Apple's brand and reshape personal computing.

  January 31, 1998

• Mosaic Browser Released

  The National Center for Supercomputing Applications releases Mosaic 1.0, the first popular graphical web browser, making the web accessible to millions.

  January 31, 1993