500-The bead-and-wire abacus, used for adding and subtracting large numbers, is invented in Egypt.

      A.D.

800-Chinese start to use the number zero.

1474-The first patent statute enacted in Venice.

1500-The quadrant, an astronomical and calculational tool, becomes popular in Europe.

1502-The first watch is invented.

1608-The telescope is accidentally invented by Dutch spectacle maker Hans Lippershey.

1617-Scotland's John Napier introduces a system of multiplying by adding numbers and dividing by subtracting. The system, which is called "Napier's Bones," was a mechanical numbering device made of horn, bone, or ivory.

1622-William Oughtred of England invents the circular slide rule.

1623-Germany's Wilhelm Schickard invents the first workable mechanical calculating machine. It's able to add and subtract automatically and multiply and divide semi-automatically.

1624-Professor Henry Briggs of England publishes the first set of modern logarithms, which contains 1,161 errors.

1628-Dutchman Adrian Vlacq fills in the missing pieces to Henry Briggs' work by publishing the first complete set of modern logarithms.

1642-France's Blaise Pascal invents a machine, called the Pascaline, that can add, subtract, and carry between digits. The machine also is used to calculate the exchange rate of national currencies.

1666-Gaspard Schott of Germany creates an Organum Mathematicum, a mathematical mechanical aid that expanded upon "Napier's Bones."

1672-England's Samuel Morland publishes "The Description and Use of Two Arithmetic Instruments," which describes adding machines and a mechanical version of "Napier's Bones."

1674-Gottfried Wilhelm Leibnitz of Germany creates a machine that can add, subtract, multiply, and divide automatically.

1780-American Benjamin Franklin discovers electricity.

1804-Frenchman Joseph-Marie Jacquard completes his fully automated loom, which is programmed by punched cards.

1820-Thomas de Colmar creates the first reliable, useful, commercially successful calculating machine. Over the next 60 years, more than 1,500 of these machines are sold.

1822-England's Charles Babbage begins work on the Difference Engine, which is a device used for producing calculating tablets.

1830s-The electric telegraph is invented in England and the United States.

1833-All work on the Difference Engine ends, after a dispute between Charles Babbage and his partner Joseph Clement. Babbage begins designing the Analytical Engine, a device that he said would be able to solve any equation. He died before the machine was completed.

1853-The Swedish father and son team of George and Edward Scheutz completes construction of an operational Difference Engine modeled after Charles Babbage's plans.

1866-The first successful transatlantic cable is laid, stretching from Ireland to Newfoundland.

1867-The typewriter is invented in the United States.

1875-A company called Tanaka Seizo-sho is established in Japan. The company, which manufactures telegraphic equipment, later merges with another company called Shibaura Seisaku-sho to form Tokyo Shibarura Denki. Today that name has been shortened to Toshiba, a worldwide manufacturer of computer products among other things.

1875-The first properly constructed variable toothed gear, which will result in a break through in the calculating machine industry, is made.

1876-American Alexander Graham Bell is granted a patent for his telephone.

1877-The microphone is invented in the United States.

1883-American Thomas Edison discovers the Edison effect, in which electric current flows through a vacuum.

1884-American Dorr E. Felt begins work on the Comptometer, a calculator that would tally results as numbers were entered.

American Institute of Electrical Engineers (AIEE) was founded.

1886-Ottmar Mergenthaler invents the Linotype machine, which produces complete lines of metal type.

1888-William S. Burroughs patents a printing adding machine.

1890-American Herman Hollerith's method of using punched cards to tabulate data is used in the U.S. census.

1891-Henri Genaille's and Edouard Lucas' rulers, similar to "Napier's Bones," are marketed.

1896-Herman Hollerith starts the Tabulating Machine Co., essentially the world's first computer company.

1901-The first radio message (which is a repeated transmission of three-dot Morse code for S) is sent across the Atlantic Ocean.

1903-Yugoslav-American Nikola Tesla, an employee of Thomas Edison, patents the electrical logic circuits that become crucial to addition, subtraction, and multiplication in later machines.

1911-Four New York manufacturing companies merge to form the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Co. (among them, Herman Hollerith's Tabulating Machine Co.).

1920-Czech playwright Karel Capek coins the term "robot" to describe mechanical workers.

Radio broadcasting begins in Pittsburgh, PA., at station KDKA.

1921-Radio Shack opens its first store in Boston.

1924-The Computing-Tabulating-Recording Co. changes its name to International Business Machines (IBM).

1925-MIT's Vannevar Bush creates the differential analyzer, a large scale analog calculator that can do many kinds of scientific computations.

1927-The television is publicly demonstrated at Bell Telephone Laboratories.

1928-Paul V. Galvin founds the Galvin Manufacturing Corp. in Chicago. The company produces battery eliminators, which allow radios to run on normal household current.

L. J. Comrie uses punched cards to calculate the motions of the moon.

GE broadcasts "The Queen's Messenger," the first dramatic production on television.

1929-Sales of radio sets reach $900 million, up from $60 million in 1922.

1930-Vannevar Bush's Differential analyzer is introduced as the first serious attempt to design a computer that can do many kinds of scientific computations; it is the herald of the modern computer age.

1932-Cambridge physics professor Dr. C. E. Wynn-Williams is the first to use large-scale electronic counters for constructing a binary counter to keep track of events in experiments.

1934-The idea that an automatic calculator would only need a control program, a memory, and arithmetic unit is advanced by Konrad Zuse, a famous German civil engineer.

The Communications Act of 1934 creates the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the agency that will regulate interstate and international communications, including telecommunications.

1936-Alan Turing publishes his landmark paper "On Computable Numbers," in which he outlines what is basically the modern computer.

German Konrad Zuse, who sets up a workshop in his parents' apartment, applies for a patent on this mechanical memory, a simple device based upon pins that can be pushed from one side of a slot to another, denoting binary one or zero.

1937-Michigan born Claude Shannon writes an influential paper that sets the stage for digital computers, linking symbolic logic and electrical circuits.

1938-Konrad Zuse of Germany creates the Z1, one of the first binary digital computers and a machine that could be controlled through a punch tape.

1939-George Stibitz at Bell Telephone Laboratories completes the Complex Number Calculator, which uses Boolean logic to add, subtract, multiply, and divide complex numbers and also provides a foundation for digital computers.

The first Radio Shack catalog is published.

Iowa State College's John Vincent Atanasoff and Clifford Berry have a prototype of the binary-based ABC (Atanasoff-Berry Computer), which is often considered the first automatic digital computer.

Bill Hewlett and David Packard found Hewlett-Packard and produce their first product, a resistance-capacitance audio oscillator that was purchased by Disney to make the sound track for the film "Fantasia". The company would later become famous for its profitable line of desktop printers.

1940-George Stibitz's Complex Number Calculator is the first machine to be used from a remote location, at the American Mathematical Association Meeting.

The National Defense Research Committee is established to organize scientists and engineers for World War II.

Motorola produces a "Handy-Talkie," the first handheld two-way radio, for the U.S. Army Signal Corps.

1941-German Konrad Zuse finishes the Z3, a fully operational calculating machine with automatic control.

1942-John Mauchly, a Professor of physics at Ursinus College in Pa., writes a short paper entitled "The Use of High Speed Vacuum Tube Devices for Calculating."

1943-J. Presper Eckert and John W. Mauchly begin construction of the Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer (ENIAC), the first general purpose electronic digital calculator. The ENIAC is considered by some to be the first electronic computer and was used to calculate ballistic firing tables during World War II.

The Colossus, which was a programmable, digital machine also considered by some to be the first electronic computer, is operational in England.

In England, Dr. C.E. Wynn-Williams agrees to design a wartime code-breaking machine. He calls it "Heath Robinson" after a famous cartoonist known for inventing unique machines.

Motorola's Dan Noble designs a "Walkie-Talkie," the first portable FM two-way radio. As opposed to the lighter "Handie-Talkie," the FM version is a 35-pound backpack version.

An analog flight simulator project called "Project Whirlwind" is developed at MIT.

1944-The relay-based Harvard-IBM MARK I, a program controlled, large scale calculating machine built by a team lead by Howard Aiken, goes to work during World War II providing vital calculations for the U.S. Navy. Grace Hopper becomes its first programmer.

Several copies of the Colossus are installed at London's Bletchley Park, five days before the Allies land at Normandy. Alan Turing will lead the team that uses the machine to crack top-secret German codes.

1945-Hungarian John von Neumann participates in the creation of the Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic Computer (EDVAC), a computer capable of storing programs internally and using electronic speed. Von Neumann is often credited with the concept of storing programs.

Atlantic Monthly publishes Vannevar Bush's landmark essay "As We May Think," which describes a desk that gives instant access to documents, books, and periodicals stored in microfilm.

While working on the construction of the MARK II, Grace Hopper discovers a large moth that has made a relay fail. She tapes the moth in the log book with a note that says, "First actual case of bug being found." Hers is not the first use of the word "bug" in this manner; Hopper was just making a joke.

The flight simulator "Project Whirlwind," started in 1943, is switched from analog to digital electronics.

1946-J. Presper Eckert and John Mauchly unveil ENIAC at the University of Pennsylvania's Moore School or Electrical Engineering. Later the same year, Eckert and Mauchly leave the Moore School to found their own firm, Electronic Control Co., to design the UNIVAC.

Alan Turing, a code-breaker specialist during World War II, designs the Automatic Computing Engine (ACE), and Jim Wilkinson is assigned to help him at the National Physical Laboratory.

John von Neumann pioneers a computer project at the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton, attempting to develop a digital computer.

The Royal Society awards a grant to found a Computer Laboratory at Manchester University, and Tom Kilburn and Frederic Williams join the project to explore the possibilities of creating an electronic, digital computer. The two will build the SSEM (small scale electronic machine).

F. C. Williams applies for a patent on his cathode-ray tube (CRT) storing device, an original form of random-access memory (RAM).

Based upon the ideas behind the EDVAC, construction of the Cambridge Machine, also known as the Electronic Delay Storage Automatic Calculator (EDSAC), is begun.

1947-John Bardeen, Walter Brattain, and William Shockley invent the trans-resistor, or transistor, at AT&T Bell Telephone Laboratories. The transistor has the same capabilities as a vacuum tube but is faster, breaks less often, uses less power, and creates less heat.

The Harvard-MARK II, an expensive machine that is considerably faster than the MARK I, goes into operation, again under the direction of Howard Aiken.

Northrup Aviation completes contract agreement with the Electronic Control Co. for BINAC (BINary Automatic Computer), which among other things was the first computer to use magnetic tape as a secondary memory.

F. C. Williams' memory system, which was patented in 1946, is now in working order.

Norbert Wiener coins the term "cybernetics," which refers to "the science of control and communication in the animal and the machine."

1948-Claude Shannon writes an influential paper founding information theory, which is based upon the idea of the bit being the fundamental unit of data.

The prototype of the SSEM (small scale electronic machine) is in operation at Manchester University. Alen Turing joins the SSEM project, which some consider to be the first electronic computer.

IBM builds the Selective Sequence Electronic Calculator (SSEC), a computer with 12,000 tubes.

Andrew Donald Booth realizes that one of the major problems with the computers designed so far is the lack of storage. He then creates magnetic drum memory, which is two inches long and two inches wide and capable of holding 10 bits per inch.

An agreement is made between Eckert-Mauchly Computer Corp., previously known at the Electronic Control Co., and the U.S. Census Bureau for the production of the Universal Automatic Computer (UNIVAC). The computer will be used to aid the Bureau with its large amounts of statistical gathering.

The National Bureau of Standards, impatient for commercial computers to appear, begins work on the Standards Eastern Automatic Computer (SEAC).

The 604 multiplying punch, based upon vacuum tube technology, is produced by IBM.

Television is starting to divert radio's audiences.

1949-The EDSAC, built by Maurice Wilkes at Cambridge University, makes its first run. Considered by some to be the first electronic computer, the EDSAC is personified by a stored memory.

The National Bureau of Standards Institute for Numerical Analysis starts on the SEAC's counterpart, the Standards Western Automatic Computer (SWAC).

Pilot ACE, a pilot project for the rapid and complex Automatic Computer Engine, is going through production at the National Physical Laboratory in Teddington, England. The design of ACE is largely credited to Alan Turing.

Claude Shannon builds the first machine that plays chess at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The Harvard-MARK III, the first of the MARK machines to use an internally stored program and indirect addressing, goes into operation, once again under the direction of Howard Aiken.

Jay Forrester uses iron cores for the main memory in Whirlwind. This magnetic form of memory will be used practically in 1952 and 1953.

Northrup Aviation receives BINAC from Eckert-Mauchly Computer Corp. BINAC was the first computer to operate in America; however, some say the machine never worked the way it was supposed to.

The SSEM at Manchester University is fully operational.

1950-Hideo Yamachito leads a team that will create Japan's first large electronic computer, the Tokyo Automatic Calculator (TAC).

The SEAC (Standards Eastern Automatic Computer) is delivered to and goes into operation at the National Bureau of Standards. Its memory is capable of storing 512 45-bit words.

The National Physical Laboratory begins operating the Pilot ACE.

The SWAC (Standards Western Automatic Computer is now operational. The western complement to the SEAC, the SWAC is now the fastest computer in the world.

The enhanced Z4 is installed by Konrad Zuse at the Federal Polytechnical Institute (ETH) in Zurich. The Z4 can simultaneously perform an operation and read the next two in line.

Alen Turing, using the Interrogator machine, puts a computer and a human in a room to answer questions. According to his theory, known as the Turing Test, if the computer can pass for a human in its answers, it proves that the computer can think. Still today, no computer has passed this test. Though there is computer that can "learn" now.

1951-Whirlwind, which is used for problems requiring real-time work, is in operation at the U.S. Navy's Office of Research and Invention.

An Wang of China founds Wang Laboratories Inc. in Boston. The company would later become a major computer manufacturer.

The 7-foot by 19-foot SSEM is dismantled because Manchester University needs the space.

The first business computer, a Lyons Electronic Office (LEO), is completed by T. Raymond Thompson, John Simmons, and their team at the Lyons Co.

The first commercial computer, dubbed the "First Ferranti Mark I," is now functional at Manchester University.

The first computer sold commercially in the United States, the UNIVAC, is installed at the U.S. Census Bureau. It's capable of performing 8,333 additions and 555 multiplications a second.

The Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) machine is now in limited operation. The initial test for the IAS involves calculations integral to the design of the hydrogen bomb.

1952-The Harvard-Mark IV, the last of Howard Aiken's machines and the one with an increased speed because of its ferrite magnetic cores, is in operation at Harvard University.

G.W. Dummer, a radar expert from Britain's Royal Radar Establishment presents a paper proposing that a solid block of materials be used to connect electronic components, with no connecting wires.

Andrew Donald Booth and his father sell fairly reliable working magnetic drum memories for use in computers.

MANIAC or ORDVAC, two versions of the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) machine, are now functional.

With only 7% of the votes in, the UNIVAC correctly predicts that Dwight D. Eisenhower will win the presidential race, leading to a widespread realization of the possibilities of computers.

The Ferranti MARK I, also known as the Manchester Electronic Computer MARK II (a copy of the original MARK I, not an improvement), is installed at the University of Toronto.

IBM World Headquarters receives the first IBM 701. The machine has 245 40-bit words of main memory and can perform 2,200 multiplications per second.

The Moore School finally has a finished version of the EDVAC, with a clock speed of one megahertz (MHz).

A complaint is filed against IBM, alleging monopolistic practices in its computer business, in violation of the Sherman Act.

1953-A magnetic memory smaller and faster than existing vacuum tube memories is built at MIT.

The 701 becomes available to the scientific community. A total of 19 are produced and sold.

1954-IBM produces and markets the 650, a useful workhorse computer. The company produces more than 1,800 in an 8-year span.

IBM publishes the first version of FORTRAN (formula translator) and begins work on FORTRAN II. The influential FORTRAN, created by a team lead by John Backus, will be considered the first true high-level programming language.

DEUCE, a flight simulation package, is constructed by English Electric.

Texas Instruments physicist Gordon Teal perfects a way of making transistors out of inexpensive silicon instead of more costly germanium.

1955-Dartmouth College's John McCarthy coins the term "artificial intelligence."

Bell Labs introduces the first transistor computer. Transistors are faster, smaller, and create less heat than traditional vacuum tubes, making these computers much more efficient.

The ENIAC is turned off for the last time. It's estimated to have done more arithmetic than the entire human race had done prior to 1945.

1956-Bell Labs scientists John Bardeen, Walter Brattain, and William Shockley share the Nobel Prize in physics for inventing the transistor.

The first transistorized computer is completed, the TX-O (Transistorized Experimental computer), at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The Livermore Atomic Research Computer (LARC) is under development at UNIVAC, a company that competes with IBM. The LARC will be the last major effort to create a machine based upon the decimal-only memory storage concept.

IBM's 305 RAMAC, the first computer with a hard disk, is shipped.

Manchester University begins the ATLAS computer project, a design for an efficient supercomputer capable of primitive multi-tasking.

A U.S. District Court make a final judgment of the complaint against IBM filed in January 1952, regarding monopolistic practices. A "consent decree" is signed by IBM, placing limitations on how IBM conducts business with respect to "electronic data processing machines".

1957-Kenneth Olsen founds Digital Equipment Corp., which will later become a major network computer manufacturer on par with the like of IBM.

Cornell University begins the first computerized concordance, indexing the work of English poet and critic Matthew Arnold.

The GPS (General Problem Solver) program is written by Allen Newell, H. A. Simon, and J. C. Shaw. This ambitious program is made to potentially solve all problems.

John McCarthy creates the LISP programming language, which is said to represent common sense knowledge and becomes associated with the growing field of artificial intelligence.

Philco delivers the TRANSAC S-2000, one of the first transistorized computers.

Fairchild Semiconductors is formed by eight engineers.

Russia launches the first artificial satellite, named Sputnik.

1958-The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics is renamed the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

President Eisenhower's Christmas address is the first voice transmission from a satellite.

Jack Kilby of Texas Instruments, comes up with the idea of creating a monolithic device (integrated circuit) on a single piece of silicon. Later this year, Jack Kilby completes building the first integrated circuit, containing five components on a piece of germanium half an inch long and thinner than a toothpick.

1958-59-Inventors at Fairchild Semiconductor and Texas Instruments are simultaneously creating the integrated circuit, which combines the necessary components of a computer into one unit, thereby saving space, doing away with the need for wiring components together, and increasing reliability.

1959-The Harvard-MARK I is turned off for the last time.

Most of the manufacturers of scientific machines have adopted the successful FORTRAN language rather than be faced with trying to produce a new language that is as good.

1959-60-Motorola produces the two-way, fully transistorized mobile radio.

1960-IBM's 1400 series machines, aimed specifically at the business market, are being distributed.

The COBOL (Common Business Oriented Language) programming language is invented. One of the unique facets of COBOL is its attempt to stay close to the spoken language.

Psychologist Frank Rosenblatt creates the MARK I Perceptron, which has an "eye" that can learn to identify its ABC's.

1961-The first Stretch computer, a computer with 100 times the power of any computer in production, is delivered to Los Alamos, New Mexico.

Fairchild Semiconductor releases the first commercial integrated circuit.

Hewlett-Packard stock is accepted by the New York Stock Exchange for national and international trading.

Jay Forrester, the author of "Industrial Dynamics," explains how the DYNAMO programming language can help manage a company.

General Motors puts the first industrial robot, the 4,000 pound Unimate, to work in a New Jersey factory.

1962-Fairchild Semiconductor and Texas Instruments begin mass-producing the integrated circuit.

Manchester University installs the first ATLAS computer. One of ATLAS' unique traits is an early form of virtual memory.

For the first time, IBM's U.S. based annual computer revenue (at $1 billion) surpasses its other revenue.

A NASA rocket, the Mariner II, is equipped with a Motorola transmitter on its trip to Venus.

Teletype ships its Model 33 keyboard and punched-tape terminal, used for input and output on many early microcomputers.

The APL (A Programming Language), which is a way of notating mathematical formulas on the computer, is invented.

The New York Times, foreseeing a "global newspaper," sends pages to its edition in Paris via photo facsimile.

Ivan Sutherland creates a graphics system called Sketchpad.

1963-Doug Engelbart invents and patents the first computer mouse.

Integrated circuits make their appearance in a commercial product: the hearing aid.

American Institute of Electrical Engineers (AIEE) merged with the Institute of Radio Engineers (IRE) and re-named to The Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE ).

The American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) is developed to standardize data exchange among computers.

Digital Equipment sells its first mini computer to Atomic Energy of Canada.

1964-Dartmouth University's John Kemeny and Thomas Kurtz develop BASIC (Beginner's All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Language) because they want a simple computer programming language.

PL/1 programming language, a supposed "Super Language," is invented. It is a combination of FORTRAN and COBOL.

The first computerized encyclopedia is invented at the Systems Development Corp.

Motorola equipment is used to retrieve images of Mars.

The picture-phone is first displayed at the New York World's Fair.

Ian Sharp and others found I.P. Sharp Associates in Canada.

Gordon Moore suggest that integrated circuits would double in complexity every year. This later becomes known as Moore's Law.

American Airlines and IBM introduce the Semi-Automated Business Research Environment (SABRE), which computerizes the airline reservation system. It operates in real-time and can transmit flight information in seconds.

1965-Ted Nelson Coins the term "hypertext," which refers to text that is not necessarily linear.

Digital Equipment's PDP-8 is the first mini computer.

Donald Davies invents "packet switching," which is a new concept for computer communications. Packet switching involves breaking down a message or information into small pieces and sending them to a new location over communications lines. The technology will play an integral part in the premise of the Internet.

Harvard and MIT start computer dating services, and Dartmouth begins a computer date rating service.

The number of British patent applications reaches 55,507 up from about 26,000 in 1900 and 100 in 1800.

1966-MIT's Joseph Weizenbaum writes a program, called ELIZA, that makes the computer act as a psychotherapist.

Wayne Pickette creates International Research Corp. Incorporated to research resources and technological improvements for education.

IBM introduces the first disk storage system, the IBM RAMAC 305. It holds 5Mb of data on 50 2-foot wide platters.

The first personal computer club, the Amateur Computer Society, is established by Stephen B. Gray. The group publishes the ACS, which will be considered the first personal computer newsletter.

1967-The first Consumer Electronics Show is held in New York City.

IBM creates the first floppy disk.

The LOGO programming language is developed. LOGO will later be known for its "turtle graphics," a simplified interface useful for teaching children and computer "newbies."

International Research, applies for a Patent for a method of construction Double Sided Magnetic Tape utilizing a MU-Metal Foil Inter layer. A Professor at the University of North Carolina disputes the claim and the Patent is dropped.

1968-Robert Noyce and Gordon Moore leave Fairchold Semiconductors and co-found Intel Corp., which will be known for the microprocessor.

Seiko markets a miniature printer for use with calculators.

International Research Corp. develops the architecture for a computer-on-a-chip modeled on an enhanced PDP-8/S concept.

Douglas C. Engelbart of the Stanford Research Institute, demonstrates his system of keyboard, keypad, mouse, and windows at the Joint Computer Conference in San Francisco's Civic Center. He demonstrates use of a word processor, a hypertext system, and remote collaborative work with colleagues.

1969-Control Data Corp., led by Seymour Cray, releases the CDC 7600, which is often considered to be the first supercomputer.

Unix, a free operating system still in use today, is developed by AT&T Bell Laboratories.

Gary Starkweather, while working for Xerox, invents the laser printer.

A Motorola transponder transmitter is used to relay Neil Armstrong's words from the moon to Earth.

The U.S. Department of Defense sets up the ARPANet (Advanced Research Projects Agency), a network able to withstand partial destruction from bombs or other disasters and still function. This was the Internet in its fledgling stage.

Jean Sammet publishes "Programming Languages: History and Fundamentals," which many consider the standard book about programming languages.

CompuServe, the first commercial online service, is established.

Seiko develops the world's first quartz wristwatch.

At the Xerox's research facility, Gary Starkweather, demonstrates using a laser beam with the exrography process to create a laser printer.

Jerry Sanders and seven others leave Fairchild Semiconductor to form Advanced Micro Devices Incorporated (AMD).

Shakey, a fully mobile but wobbly and slow robot, makes the rounds at the Stanford Research Institute.

Unix is developed at AT&T's Bell Laboratories.

Intel's Marcian Hoff designs an integrated circuit chip that could receive instructions, and perform simple functions on data. The design becomes the 4004 microprocessor.

Bill Gates and Paul Allen, calling themselves the "Lakeside Programming Group" sign an agreement with Computer Center Corporation to report bugs in PDP-10 software, in exchange for computer time.

1970-Intel announces the 1103, a new memory chip containing more than 1,000 bits(1KB) of information. This chip is classified as random-access memory (RAM), which means the user can write instructions into the computer's memory.

The Xerox Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) is established to perform basic computing and electronics research. The PARC was a think tank to come up with ideas for what will be used in the future. Xerox never took any of the great ideas from this group. It developed later on, Ethernet, and GUI (Graphical User Interface) that was used for Apple and Microsoft's software just to name a few. Xerox management never grasped what they had. And other companies used their ideas or people from the PARC made their own companies.

The first ATM (Automated Teller Machine) gets an lukewarm response in Georgia.

1971-The first microprocessor, the Intel 4004, is designed. This single chip contains all the basic parts of a central processor.

The EPROM, a newly developed device, is integrated with the 4004 to enhance development cycles of the microprocessor.

Intel introduces its 4-bit bus, 108 KHz 4004 chip at a price of US$200. Speed is 60,000 operations per second. It uses 2,300 transistors, based on a 10 micron technology. In can address 640 bytes of memory.

The Pascal programming language is invented by Niklaus Wirth. The program, a compact, step-by-step language, is used primarily as a teaching tool.

Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems (MITS) begins producing the first large scale integrated calculator kit in the United States.

1972-Philippe Rouseel invents PROLOG, a new type of programming language, for the Artificial Intelligence Group at the University of Marseilles.

Atari releases Pong, the first commercial video game, with Asteroids soon to follow.

Dennis Ritchie at Bell Labs invents the C programming language. C will become the practical standard in microcomputers and workstations. This language is still highly used.

Radio Shack introduces its first calculator.

The compact disc is invented in the United States.

1973-The term "microcomputer" appears in print.

Intel introduces its 200 KHz 8008 chip, the first 8-bit microcomputer. It accesses 16KB of memory. It uses 3,500 transistors, based on 10 micron technology. Speed is 60,000 instructions per second.

Robert Meetcalfe creates Ethernet, a local-area network (LAN), to link the minicomputers at the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center (PARC). As of 1995, the Ethernet connected more than 50 million computers.

Interactive laser discs make their debut.

Wang Laboratories releases the easy-to-use Wang Word-Processing System, which includes a keyboard, printer, and storage device.

The first operational Alto computer is completed at Xerox PARC.

IBM introduces the IBM 3340 hard disk unit, known as the Winchester. The recording heads rides on a layer of air 18 millionths of an inch from the platter.

1974-Intel's 2 MHz 8080, an 8-bit microprocessor, which is designed for general use, becomes the standard in the microcomputing industry. It can access 64KB of memory. It uses 6,000 transistors based on 6 Micron technology. Its speed is 0.64 MIPS.

The first Toshiba 5.25 floppy disk drive is introduced.

Jack S. Kilby, Jerry D. Merryman, and James Van Tassel of Texas Instruments are granted the patent for the electronic handheld calculator.

Gary Kildall, of Microcomputer Applications Associates, develops the CP/M operating system for Intel 8080 based systems.

Motorola introduces its 6800 chip, an early 8-bit microprocessor used in microcomputers and industrial and automotive control devices.

Brian Kernighan and Dennis Ritchie develop the C programming language.

RCA releases the 1802 processor, running at an amazing speed of 6.4 MHz. It is considered one of the first RISC chips. It is used on a variety of devices, from video games to NASA space probes.

1975-MITS ships one of the first PCs, the Altair 8800 with one kilobyte (KB) of memory, as a $397 mail-order kit. Many where bought sight unseen and had to be put together. There was no guarantee that it would work properly. It was programmed by switches.

Edward Roberts and his company MITS are said to have coined the term "personal computer."

Paul Allen and Bill Gates write the first computer language program for personal computers, which was a copy of BASIC, and was designed for the Altair. Bill Gates drops out of Harvard and founds Microsoft with Paul Allen.

MOS technology MC6501 and the MC6502, which is fast powerful and cheap, is widely used in popular home computers. This technology adds two 8-bit numbers in a millionth of a second.

The Byte Shop, one of the first computer stores, opens in California. About two years later, owner Paul Terrell will sell a chain of 74 Byte Shops for $4 million.

U.S. air traffic control is fully computerized.

1976-Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs found Apple computer, which will become a multimillion dollar company and play a major role in the computer industry. The business was first ran out of a home garage.

Bill Gates publishes a letter in the Altair user newsletter, complaining of illegal copies of BASIC. In reality, the language was written by John Kemeny and Thomas Kurtz at Dartmouth in 1964. Bill Gates "pirated" the concept from them.

Microsoft introduces an improved version of BASIC.

The first convention of computer hobbyist clubs is held in New Jersey.

Intel introduces the 5MHz 8085 microprocessor. It uses 6,500 transistors based on 3 micron technology. Speed is 0.37 MIPS. It supports an 8-bit bus and operates on a single 5 volt power supply.

Bill Gates writes a second open letter to computer hobbyist, condemning software piracy. Later Bill Gates drops out of Harvard.

Texas Instruments introduces the TMS9900, the first 16-bit microprocessor.

Zilog releases the 2.5 MHz Z80, an 8-bit microprocessor whose instruction set is a superset of the Intel 8080.

1977-Apple Computer Inc., Radio Shack, and Commodore all introduce mass-market computers, beginning the PC era and the microcomputer race.

Bill Gates and Paul Allen sign a partnership agreement to officially create the Microsoft company.

Commodore announces that the $495 PET (Personal Electronic Transactor) will be a self-contained unit, with central processing unit (CPU), random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), keyboard, monitor, and tape recorder all in one package.

Radio Shack's TRS-80 Model I microcomputer is introduced. Radio Shack calls a press conference at the New York Stock Exchange to announce its debut, but a bomb goes off three blocks away, and Radio Shack is unable to make the announcement. The TRS-80 uses a Z80 Cpu, 4KB Ram, 4KB Rom, black and white display, and tape cassette for US$600.

Microsoft sells the license for BASIC to Radio Stack and Apple and introduces the Program in Japan.

Apple Computer's Apple II, the first personal computer with color graphics, debuts, and the now-famous Apple logo is designed by Rob Janoff of Regis McKenna Advertising. The computer uses a 6502 cpu, 4KB Ram, 16KB Rom, 8-slot motherboard, game paddles, keyboard, and built-in Basic, for US$1,300.

In Morristown, New Jersey, a computer retail franchise opens under the name Computer Shack. The company is later renamed to ComputerLand, after opposition from Radio Shack, and becomes a leading hardware and software outlet.

A week long computer camp, the first of its kind, takes place in Indiana.

The Altair Software Distribution Company changes its name to Peachtree Software.

1978-Epson introduces the TX-80, which is the first commercially successful dot matrix printer for personal computers.

Microsoft introduces a new version of COBOL.

Apple Computer introduces the Disk II, a 5.25 inch floppy disk drive linked to the Apple II by cable. Price: US$495 including the controller card.

Microsoft and ASCII Corp. in Japan begin an operating agreement, making ASCII Microsoft's first Far East connection.

Intel invents and introduces the 4.77MHz 8086. It uses 29,000 transistors, 16-bit registers, a 16-bit data bus, and using 3 micron technology. Its speed is 0.33 MIPS. costs $360, and can access one megabyte (MB) of memory. Later speeds included 8MHz (0.66 MIPS) and 10MHz (0.75 MIPS).

The 5.25 inch floppy disk is the industry standard.

Ward Christensen and Randy Seuss have the first major microcomputer bulletin board up and running in Chicago.

New York City is home to the first Personal Computer Expo.

Dennis Hayes starts the company, Hayes Microcomputer Products.

1979-Software Arts Inc.'s VisiCalc, the first electronic spreadsheet and business program for PCs, is released. The company never really receives credit for this achievement and very little money from it.

Epson improves upon the TX-80 with another dot matrix printer, the MX-80, which soon becomes an industry standard.

The Motorola 68000, one of the most powerful and versatile 16-bit chips, performs multiplication as a single operation rather than multiple addition operations and adds two 16-bit numbers in 240 billionths of a second.

The Apple II Plus is introduced. It has 48 kilobytes (KB) of memory and sells for around $1,200.

Texas Instruments enters the microcomputer market with the TI 99/4 personal computer, which sells for $1,500. It used programs and games that was on ROM cartridges.

Hayes markets its first modem, which sets the industry standard for modems in years to come. Most modems produced today are Hayes-compatible.

Atari introduces a coin-operated version of Asteroids.

More than half a million computers are in use in the United States.

Intel introduces the 4.77Mhz 8088 cpu. It was based on the 8086, but in a cheaper way. It uses 16-bits internally, but only an 8-bit data bus. It has 29,000 transistors using the 3 micron technology, addresses 1MB of memory. Speed is 0.33 MIPS. A later version operates at 8MHz for a speed of 0.75 MIPS.

Bob Metcalfe founds 3Com Corporation.

Motorola creates the 68000 16-bit microprocessor. It has 68,000 transistors.

A group of Apple Computer engineers and executives is given a demo of Xerox Palo Alto Research Center's (PARC) Alto computer system, in exchange for Xerox buying 100,000 Apple Computer shares for US$1 Million. Steve Jobs falls in love with the operating system Graphical User Interface (GUI). And wants to use it for Apple computers.

Alan Shugart founds Seagate Technologies.

1980-Seattle Computer Products decides to make their own disk operating system (DOS), due to delays by Digital Research in releasing a CP/M-86 operating system.

Apple Computer introduces the Apple III at the National Computer Conference, in California. The Apple III uses a 2MHz 6502A microprocessor, and includes a 5.25 floppy drive. Prices ranges from US$4,500 to US$8,000.

Seagate Technologies announces the first Winchester 5.25 inch hard disk drive.

QDOS 0.10 (Quick and Dirty Operating System) is shipped by Seattle Computer Products.

IBM talks to Microsoft about an operating system for a new PC. Microsoft tells IBM that they don't have an operating system. IBM goes to Digital Research (DR), which had an operating systems for microcomputers, but are ignored by DR. The worst mistake in the history of computing. Microsoft asks for the rights to sell Seattle Computer Products's QDOS to an unnamed client (IBM). MS buys QDOS from Seattle Computer Products for only $50,000 dollars. IBM then hires Microsoft for DOS. Microsoft retains the marketing rights to the Disk Operating System (DOS).

MS-DOS and PC DOS soon become the most popular operating systems.

Microsoft licenses UNIX and starts to develop a PC version, XENIX.

IBM hires Microsoft to develop versions of BASIC, FORTRAN, COBOL, And Pascal for the PC being developed by IBM.

The first Tandy Color Computer is introduced.

John Bell invents the first easy database program, the Personal Filing System (PFS), to run on Apple II computers.

Digital Research releases CP/M-86 for Intel 8086 and 8088 based systems.

Intel announces the iAPX-432 32-bit microprocessor. Intel later builds the 80286 as a step between the 8086 and the 432.

More than one million computers are in use in the United States.

1981-IBM joins the personal computer race with its IBM PC. It uses a 4.77MHz 8088 cpu, 64KB Ram, 40KB Rom, one 5.25 inch floppy drive (160KB capacity) and PC-Dos 1.0 for about US$3,000. A fully loaded version with color graphics costs US$6,000.

BITNET, one of the first wide area networks, is founded to serve academic institutions. It will become the largest computer network before being over-shadowed by the internet.

Microsoft establishes a national retail sales network and formally incorporates, becoming Microsoft Inc.

Xerox introduces the graphical Star workstation, which greatly influences the later development of Apple's future operating system as well as Microsoft's Windows. The Star is the first GUI (graphical User Interface) made. It uses WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get). Apple is given a demonstration of the GUI by Xerox's management (with opposition from its creators) and is able to take full advance of designing a GUI for themselves. Microsoft "pirates" from Xerox and Apple's advancements of the GUI.

Hayes introduces the Smartmodem 300 with its standard setting AT command set and an operating speed of 300 bits per second (BPS).

The Hewlett-Packard Superchip, the first 32-bit microprocessor, adds two 32-bit numbers in 55 billionths of a second.

Commodore ships the VIC-20 with 5KB Ram expandable to 32KB, 6502A cpu and a full size 61-key plus four function key keyboard. It will soon to be the world's more popular computer, at $299.95

Logitech, a computer peripherals company, is founded in Apples, Switzerland.

Hayes releases the Smartmodem 1200, which transfers data at 1,200 bps.

Tim Patterson quits Seattle Computer Products and joins Microsoft.

Osborne Computer Corporation, introduces the Osborne 1 Personal Business Computer at the West Cost Computer Fair. It features a Z80A cpu, 5 inch display, 64KB Ram, keyboard, keypad, modem, and two 5.25 inch 100KB disk drives for US$1,795. It included CP/M, Basic, WordStar, and SuperCalc.

1982-Peter Norton creates Norton Utilities, a file recovery program.

Microsoft releases FORTRAN for the PC, COBOL for MS-DOS, and Multiplan for the Apple II and CP/M machines.

Microsoft establishes a subsidiary in England, Microsoft Ltd., beginning a foreign sales effort.

WordPerfect 1.0, a word processing program that will become one of the market's most popular, is introduced by WordPerfect Corp.

Lotus Development is founded, and Lotus 1-2-3, a spreadsheet program, is introduced.

Compaq Computer Corp. is founded by Rod Canion and other Texas Instruments Inc. engineers. Compaq introduces the first portable clone of the IBM PC and becomes IBM's biggest challenger in the corporate market.

Commodore begins selling the Commodore 64, an improvement of the VIC-20. It contains 64 KB Ram, 20KB Rom, custom sound, color graphics and MS Basic for US$595. In the next year, the price drops from $600 to $200, helping to make it the best-selling computer of all time.

Epson introduces the HX-20, the first notebook sized portable computer.

MS-DOS version 1.25 is released. The install user base for MS-DOS is 232,000.

Apple Computer is the first personal computer manufacturer to hit the $1 billion mark for annual sales.

1983-The PC is Time magazine's "man of the year."

The Apple IIe is introduced. With 54 kilobytes (KB) of random-access memory (RAM), a one megahertz (MHz) 6502 processor, and running Applesoft BASIC, it sells for $1,400.

Microsoft releases Microsoft Word 1.0, a word processing program that will become one of the market's most popular.

Lotus Development Corp.'s Lotus 1-2-3 becomes the spreadsheet software of choice, ousting VisiCalc, the spreadsheet that had first presented a reason for many users to buy a PC.

Tandy, Epson, and NEC all sell notebook computers, but only Tandy's Model 100 becomes popular because of its lower price $499 and easier-to-use interface.

PC-Draw, the first IBM PC-based graphics program, is introduced.

More than 10 million computer are in use in the United States.

1984-Appleworks, a suite of programs containing a word processor, database manager, and spreadsheet, is released.

Microsoft's Bill Gates is featured on the cover of Time magazine.

The 3.5-inch diskette debuts and eventually becomes the industry's preferred diskette size.

Hewlett-Packard's Laser-Jet laser printer, which retails for $3,495, brings high-quality printing to PCs.

Hayes introduces Smartcom II, which is communications software for the IBM PC, to be used with Hayes modems. Software for modems lets users automatically dial or answer calls, transfer and process data, and disconnect calls. Hayes releases a modem capable of sending data at 2,400 bps.

Dell Computer is founded in Austin, Texas. The company will later become a major force in the mail-order computer sales.

The Apple II compact is introduced. With 128 kilobytes (KB) of random- access memory (RAM) and a 3.5-inch diskette drive, the system weighs just 7.5 pounds and costs $1,300.

In a commercial during the Super Bowl, Apple Computer introduces the Macintosh, a computer with a GUI (Graphical User Interface). Instead of typing commands, users select options with a mouse or other pointing device. In six months, sales of "the computer for the rest of us," as the advertisements call it, reach 100,000.

The Computer Museum opens in downtown Boston.

Microsoft introduces MS-DOS 3.0 for the IBM PC AT and MS-DOS 3.1 for networks; Multiplan, BASIC, and MS Word 1.0 for the Macintosh; and Project (a project planning and management applications package), and Chart (a graphics program), for the PC and Macintosh.

The Tandy 1000 personal computer is introduces and becomes the best-selling IBM-compatible computer of the year.

IBM introduces the Enhanced Graphics Adapter (EGA) video card with higher resolution, more colors, and a quicker response than previous video cards.

University of Southern California professor Fred Cohen creates alarm when he warns the public about computer viruses.

Seiko introduces the first wristwatch computer.

1985-Microsoft and IBM begin collaborating on a next-generation operating system (OS/2).

The computer company Gateway 2000 is founded in Sioux City, Iowa. The company later becomes a major force in mail-order computer sales.

IBM releases the Topview graphical environment, the precursor to OS/2's graphical interface.

Intel introduces the 80386, a 16 megahertz (MHz) processor that incorporates 275,000 transistors. The processor sells for $299 and is able to access four gigabytes (GM) of memory.

Aldus Corp. introduces PageMaker for the Macintosh, a program that lets users mix type and graphics on a page. The combination of this software and the new Apple LaserWriter laser printing begin the era of desktop publishing.

Microsoft Windows 1.0 is shipped. selling for $100, it provides an easier interface for users to navigate.

Microsoft introduces more than 20 new computer languages, operating system versions, software products, and computer books.

Quarterdeck's DESQview is the first software to bring multitasking and windowing capabilities to DOS applications.

In A Vision, the first graphics program for Microsoft Windows, in introduced; Micrografx is the first independent vendor to market a Windows-based product.

The Nintendo Entertainment System makes it debut.

1986-Apple introduces Mac Plus. It contains one megabyte (MB) or random-access memory (RAM), sells for $2,600, and includes a new keyboard with cursors and a numeric keypad.

Compaq introduces the first 386-based PC-compatible, beating IBM to the 80386 market.

More than 30 million computers are in use in the United States.

IBM introduces its first laptop computer, the PC Convertible, which has 256 KB of RAM, two 720-inch diskette drives, and sells for $2,000. However, it's Toshiba's laptop clone that becomes the hit.

Microsoft is listed on the New York Stock Exchange. It sells shares to the public at $21 each, making Bill Gates the world's youngest billionaire.

1987-Hayes demonstrates its ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) adapter, which is a modem for ISDN lines, providing speeds up to four times greater than the fastest modem on a telephone line.

Microsoft purchases Forethought Inc., the company that developed the presentation software PowerPoint. PowerPoint becomes available for Macintosh and PC and as part of Microsoft Office.

Microsoft introduces Windows 2.0 and Microsoft Works. Works is an integrated applications package for new users and includes a word processor based on MS Word, a spreadsheet based upon Multiplan and Excel, and a database.

Microsoft and IBM release OS/2 1.0 and claim it will replace MS-DOS.

Microsoft stock hits $100 per share.

The expandable MacSE is introduced at $2,900.

IBM introduces the PS/2 personal computer, which has improved graphics, a 3.5-inch diskette drive, and a proprietary bus called Micro-Channel Architecture (MCA). This move was to separate IBM from clone makers and to try to become the leader in the microcomputer industry. They do not let clone manufactures copy MCA. This was IBM's biggest mistake.

IBM sends clone manufactures letters demanding retroactive licensing fees.

The Computer Security Act is passed, requiring that federal agencies develop computer security plans to protect sensitive, but unclassified, information and start security training programs.

1988-About 45 million PCs are in use in the United States.

Apple files a copyright infringement (of the Macintosh operation system) lawsuit against Microsoft for Windows 2.03 and Hewlett-Packard for New Wave (a graphical interface kit).

Microsoft introduces PC Works and OS/2 LAN Manager for networked PCs and Microsoft Publisher, a desktop publishing program for novice users.

The installed base for MS-DOS is 29,550,000.

1989-Tim Berners-Lee proposes a way to let scientists browse each other's papers to the European Particle Physics Laboratory (CERN). The language and protocol he develops leads to the creation of the World Wide Web (WWW).

Creative Labs introduces SoundBlaster, a sound card for the PC with an 11-voice FM synthesizer with text-to-speech, digitized voice input/output, a MIDI port, a joystick port, and bundled software.

GRiD Systems Corp. announces the GRidPAD, the first pen-based computer.

More than 100 million computers are in use worldwide.

Intel releases the 486DX processor, with 1.2 million transistors and multitasking capabilities. It is the first truly pipelined x86 and has a math coprocessor or Floating Point Unit (FPU) built in.

Hayes announces an enhancement of the AT command set for modems to accommodate Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) technology.

Quarterdeck is granted a patent for creating a way to display more than one DOS application on-screen inside Windows.

Poqet announces the Poqet PC, the first pocket-sized MS-DOS-compatible computer.

Microsoft releases Windows 3.0, a complete rewrite of previous versions and one in which most desktop users will eventually spend most of their time. Windows 3.0 uses a graphical user interface (GUI), and Microsoft sells more than 3 million copies of Windows 3.0 in one year.

Motorola introduces the 68040 processor, with 1.2 million transistors and multitasking capabilities. It also has a memory management unit and FPU built in.

1990-Microsoft releases its first product for the Russian market, Russian DOS 4.01. The World, which is the first commercial provider of Internet dial-up access, comes online.

Creative Labs introduces the SoundBlaster Pro. The 8-bit stereo sound system, which includes a CD-ROM interface, a digital and analog mixer, 20-voice FM synthesis, a MIDI port, a Joystick port, and stereo recording for line-in and CD audio, is accepted at the stereo sound standard for multimedia PCs. SoundBlaster becomes the best-selling add-on board for the personal computer market.

Quarterdeck releases its memory management software, QEMM386 version 5.1. It becomes the fastest selling software program in the United States.

The Multimedia Personal Computer (MPC) standards are developed by Tandy and Microsoft. These standards denote the specifications a computer needs to be considered capable of running multimedia software.

Microsoft and IBM stop working together to develop operating system. Microsoft wanted to advance the GUI in one way, but IBM had its own plans. Another large mistake of IBM's management.

The first issue of PC Novice is published.

1991-Gopher (a menu-driven, search-and-retrieval tool that helps internet users locate information online) is developed at the University of Minnesota.

In an effort to bring lower-cost 486 performance to the mainstream user, Intel introduces the 486SX chip. The chip has 1.18 million transistors but without a FPU (or math coprocessor) on board.

The World Wide Web (WWW) is launched. Tim Berners-Lee, a scientist at the European Particle Physics Laboratory (CERN) in Geneva, develops the Web as a research tool.

Following its decision not to develop operating systems cooperatively with IBM, Microsoft changes the name of OS/2 to Windows NT.

Although IBM had expected to sell a maximum of 250,000 person computers, sales surpass 60 million units in the business market. However, the year marks the company's first revenue decline in almost half a century.

Logitech ships its 10 millionth mouse.

Although the GRiD Systems Corp.'s GRiDPAD and MicroSlate Inc.'s Datellite 300 are the only two computers currently available that recognize handwriting and allow data to be input using a special pen, the push for handwriting recognition gains momentum as 30 companies announce plans to develop similar computers.

Creative Labs releases a multimedia upgrade kit that includes a CD-ROM drive, the SoundBlaster Pro sound card, a MIDI kit, and a variety of software applications. The kit includes all the tools needed to meet the MPC standards.

Sony, Philips, and Microsoft introduce CD-ROM extended architecture, which makes it possible to text and video to be narrated in CD-ROM software.

Dec's Alpha 21064 with 1.7 million transistors is released. The chip is Superscalar and superpipelined 64-bit architecture. It is a RISC cpu.

1992-Bill Gates is now the second richest man in the United States, with a net worth estimated at more than $4 billion.

Microsoft introduces Windows 3.1. It sells more than 1 million copies within the first two months of its release.

IBM introduces OS/2 2.0.

The number of host computers on the Internet passes the 1 million mark.

Microsoft and IBM agree to sever all ties that connect the two companies but sign a separation document that allows source-code sharing for current operating systems until September 1993.

Intel releases the 486DX2 chip with a clock-doubling ability that generates a higher operating speed. The cpu has 1.2 million transistors and is the first x86 chip with external bus running at half the core speed.

Radio Shack releases the Tandy Sensation! MPC, the first personal computer based upon the MPC specification.

1993-Fifty World Wide Web (WWW) servers are know the exist as of January.

President Bill Clinton puts the White House online with a WWW addresses for the president, vice president, and first lady.

Microsoft releases Windows NT 3.1, Windows for Workgroups 3.11, MS-DOS 6.0, and Microsoft Office 4.0. MS-DOS 6.0 includes the DoubleSpace compression utility. Stac Electronics sues Microsoft for patent infringement in regards to the DoubleSpace utility.

Intel releases the Pentium Processor. The 60 MHz processor incorporates 3.2 million transistors and sells for $878.

AMD releases the AMD 486 with 1 million transistors.

The PowerPC 601 with 2.8 million transistors is released. This cpu revives Macintosh's line. The PowerPC 601 is a hybrid design that borrows bus logic form Motorola's 88100 RISC chip and is intended to run Mac OS, OS/2, and Windows NT.

Cyrix releases the Cyrix 486DX with 1.1 million transistors.

Gateway 2000 sells its millionth computer.

Mosaic, the first graphical Web browser, is released by the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) at the university of Illinois.

John Scully is named president of Apple Computers Inc. Scully is best known for encouraging Apple to invent and sell a palmtop computer called the Newton. Scully was hired by Steve Jobs which will haunt Jobs later.

The internet experiences massive growth. The WWW grows 341,634%; gopher grows at a rate of 997%.

IBM announces a year-end loss of $8.1 billion.

The Environmental Protection Agency, among with 50 computer companies, establishes Energy Star guidelines, which aim to decrease the amount of power that PCs use when they're idle.

1994-Marc Andreessen and James H. Clark found Netscape Communications and release Netscape Navigator browser software, which provides an easy, point-and-click method of navigating the Internet.

Commodore Computers, which sold the famous Commodore 64 personal computer, files bankruptcy.

The Internet celebrates its 25th anniversary.

Microsoft purchases Softimage Inc., a Montreal-based supplier of Hollywood special effects tools, for $130 million in stock. Softimage Inc.'s tools were involved in creating the special effects for "Jurassic Park" and other films.

After Stac Electronics successfully sues Microsoft for patent infringement in regarding the DoubleSpace utility included in MS-DOS 6.0 and 6.2, Microsoft releases MS-DOS 6.21 which has no disk compression utility. Later that year, Microsoft releases MS-DOS 6.22 with the DriveSpace disk compression utility.

Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard, U.S. West, Telstra, Deutsche Telekom, NTT, Olivetti, Anderson, and Alcatel join forces in an effort to develop the hardware and software necessary for the actualization of interactive television.

Microsoft and Visa International enter an agreement whereby Microsoft will develop software that will allow for electronic shopping.

IBM releases OS/2 Warp 3.0. It will sell 4 million copies during the next year.

Microsoft releases the beta version of its new operating system, mysteriously referred to only as "Chicago." Chicago will later be released as Windows 95.

Because of questions regarding potential antitrust violations surrounding the distribution of its operating systems, Microsoft signs a consent agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice and the European Union to cease its discounting practices related to MS-DOS and Windows. Microsoft was able to collect money from distributors from their operating systems even if the distributor did NOT use MS. And if you did not agree to this, you were charged alot more for the ones you did sell.

DEC releases the Alpha 21164 with 9.3 million transistors.

1995-Apple finally allows other companies to clone the Macintosh computer. This proves to be a little bit too late for become the PC leader.

Hewlett-Packard, Borland, Dell, And Lotus are among 50 companies in the PC industry who agree to sell and service their products over THE Microsoft Network.

Microsoft releases Microsoft Bob, a graphical user interface designed for the home user. In the first six months, a mere 30,000 units are sold.

Following the formation of DreamWorks SKG, the new entertainment studio headed by Hollywood monguls Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg, and David Geffen, Microsoft announces that is has formed a joint venture with the company, called DreamWorks Interactive, will develop and create entertainment multimedia software for home consumers.

A number of Internet-related companies go public. Netscape has the most successful initial public offering (IPO), opening at $28 per share and closing at $58 per share. By the day's end, the company, which gave away its Web browser and never made a profit, had increased its worth to $2.2 billion. This was the first largest NASDAQ IPO share value ever.

Microsoft and General Electric's NBC television network form a partnership to develop interactive television programs.

After Microsoft announced its intentions to purchase Intuit, the U.S. Department of Justice files suit to stop Microsoft. As a result, Microsoft withdraws its offer.

Microsoft releases Windows 95, Microsoft Office 95, and the online Microsoft Network. More than 1 million copies of Win95 are sold in the first four days of its release. Microsoft claimed to be the first in many features of Win95, but in reality were created over 20 years ago.

Operation Home Front allows U.S. soldier in the field to communicate via the Internet with stateside family members.

Intuit, the maker of the financial software Quicken, announces that it is working with 19 financial institutions, including American Express, Chase Manhattan Bank, and Wells Fargo, to develop on online link that will let customers with modems dial into their accounts.

Although it cost Intel nearly $475 million to do so, the processor manufacturer destroys 1.5 million mathematically flawed Pentium chips. At first, Intel would not admit that there was a problem with the cpus.

A New York judge rules that Prodigy Services, Co. is responsible for the content of a libelous message posted by a subscriber. Because Prodigy claimed it tried to censor some obscene material, the court ruled that the service was responsible for all material posted.

Cyrix releases the Cyrix 5x86 (a hybrid 486DX) with 1.9 million transistors and the Cyrix 6x86 with 3 million transistors.

Intel releases the Pentium Pro (P6) chip with 5.5 million transistors. The cpu features a new dual-cavity package with L2 cache on-board running at full cpu speed and is optimized to run 32-bit code.

1996-IBM and Sears sell the Prodigy online service to a group of investors called Internet Wireless.

AT&T introduces Worldnet, which provides AT&T customers in certain cities with Internet access and five free hours of use each month.

The computer Deep Blue beats chess master Garry Kasparov in two chess matches (although Kasparov went on to win the series). Deep blue is proved that computers may be able to come to "thinking" and helping humans solve complex problems in many industries.

"Java" and "telephony" are the buzzwords on the Internet. Java allows small applications, called applets, to be run on Web sites, expanding the capabilities of the WWW. Telephony lets users talk to each other over the Internet without playing long-distance telephone charges.

The America's Carriers Telecommunication Association (ACTA), acting on behalf of U.S. regional long-distance carriers, ask the FCC to subject Internet telephony to the same access charges that other long-distance carriers pay.

Bill Gates has a net worth of $18 billion, which makes him the richest man in the United States.

NBC and Microsoft offer Intercasting just in time for the 1996 Summer Olympics. Intercasting combines the flexibility of the Internet with the programming content of television to create an interactive viewing experience.

Sony enters the PC market with the release of VAIO, a multimedia computer aimed at the home-entertainment market.

President Clinton signs into law the Communications Decency Act (CDA) as part of the Telecommunications Bill, which bans the diffusion of obscene materials on the Internet. The CDA is later declared unconstitutional. Court cases are still pending.

After German officials claim that 200 of CompuServe's online newsgroups violate German obscenity laws, CompuServe incorporates parental control tools into its interface and restores access to the 200 banned newsgroups.

The ENIAC, considered by some, the world's first general-purpose computer, celebrates its 50th anniversary.