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Chronicling Our Technological World
I think it’s fair to say that personal computers have become the most empowering tool we’ve ever created. They’re tools of communication, they’re tools of creativity, and they can be shaped by their user.
— Bill Gates, cofounder, Microsoft
Explore CHM’s informative and engaging timelines to learn something new about key events, people, documents, and artifacts in the history of computing.
Timeline of Computing History
The moth shown on the left was taped into the Harvard Mark II computer logbook by pioneering computer scientist Grace Murray Hopper in 1947. She jokingly wrote, “First actual case of bug being found” underneath the insect. While common today, the term “bug” was used as early 1876 by Thomas Edison to describe any problem or error in an invention he was working on.
This comprehensive chronology of technology and culture includes important people, inventions, and events of the computing revolution as well as untold stories and hidden histories.
The Silicon Engine
Why is Silicon Valley in California? In 1956, Bell Labs’ star scientist William Shockley left New Jersey and headed west to found his own company. His talented team soon deserted their mercurial boss to start Fairchild Semiconductor and its innovative silicon chips spawned a vibrant new industry.
From the first documented semiconductor effect in 1833 to the transition from transistors to integrated circuits in the 1960s and 70s, explore milestones in the development of the extraordinary silicon chips that power the information age.
Internet History, 1962 to 1992
Who were the first “internet” users? The University of California at Los Angeles, the Stanford Research Institute, the University of California at Santa Barbara, and the University of Utah were connected on the ARPANET, the technical foundation for the internet, in 1969.
Trace the early history of our connected world in this timeline.
The Storage Engine
How many bits of data can fit into an area the size of a postage stamp with today’s magnetic storage techniques? More than 1 trillion.
From simple punched cards, to magnetic tape, CDs, and thumb drives to the all pervasive “cloud,” storage devices have evolved through a complex history of technological innovation and intense worldwide competition. Learn about important people, processes, and products in computer data storage.
This Day In History
From early uses of computers in elections to the public unveiling of the groundbreaking Apple Macintosh, find out what happened on this day in computing history.
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