Computer history - 1969
Major computer events in 1969
UCLA released a press release introducing the public to the Internet on July 3, 1969. On August 29, 1969, the first network switch and the first piece of network equipment called IMP (Interface Message Processor) was sent to UCLA. On September 2, 1969, the first data moved from the UCLA host to the IMP switch.
Charley Kline, a UCLA student, tries to send "login," the first message over ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network), at 10:30 P.M. on October 29, 1969, over the first backbone. The system transmitted "l" and then "o" and crashed. This event marked the first message sent over the Internet and the first server crash.
New computer products and services introduced in 1969
Control Data Corporation, led by Seymour Cray, released the CDC 7600, considered by most to be the first supercomputer.
AT&T Bell Laboratories developed Unix in 1969.
David S. Lee invented the daisy wheel printer at Diablo Data Systems.
Intel released its first product, the 3101 Schottky TTL (Transistor-Transistor Logic) bipolar 64-bit SRAM (Static Random-Access Memory). In the same year, Intel released the 3301 Schottky bipolar 1024-bit ROM (Read-Only Memory).
Gary Starkweather, while working with Xerox, invented the laser printer.
Honeywell released the Honeywell 316 minicomputer in 1969.
Intel sells its first commercial product, the 3101 Schottky bipolar 64-bit SRAM chip.
The Smalltalk languages began being developed in 1969.
The IBM System/3 for small businesses was released, the first IBM system to use MST (Monolithic System Technology) logic circuits with smaller punched cards (first major innovation to punched cards since the 80-column "IBM Card" in 1928).
IBM released the 2770 Data Communication System and the 2790 Data Communication System.
IBM introduced the Mag Card "Selectric" Typewriter.
Computer and technology-related events in 1969
The Unibus was developed by Gordon Bell and Harold MacFarland at Carnegie Mellon University.
The Computer Terminal Corporation began shipping the DataPoint 3300, the first computer terminal meant to replace the teleprinter.
The first artificial heart was placed in Haskell Carp on April 4, 1969, for 64 hours until a donor's heart became available.
Steve Crocker released RFC #1 on April 7, 1969, introducing the Host-to-Host and discussed the IMP software.
With IBM computer's help, at 20:18 UTC on July 21, 1969, the Apollo 11 spacecraft landed on the moon, and Neil Armstrong became the first human to walk on the moon.
Ralph Baer filed for a U.S. patent on August 21, 1969, that describes playing games on a television and would later be a part of the Magnavox Odyssey.
The first U.S. bank ATM (Automated Teller Machine) went into service at 9:00 A.M. on September 2, 1969.
CompuServe, the first commercial online service, was established in 1969.
The B programming language was developed at Bell Labs in 1969 by Ken Thomson and Dennis Ritchie.
Charles Sie published a dissertation at Iowa State University describing and demonstrating phase-changing memory called PRAM. Although PRAM was not commercially practical, it's still being developed by companies like Samsung.
Paradyne was founded in 1969.
The field of quantum computing was first proposed in 1969.
The network model was adopted by CODASYL (Conference on Data Systems Languages) in 1969.
Computer companies and organizations founded in 1969
AMD (Advanced Micro Devices) was founded on May 1, 1969.
Comcast was incorporated in 1969.
Information Terminals Corporation was founded in 1969 by Reid Anderson and later renamed to Verbatim.
M&S Computing was founded in 1969, the company would later become Intergraph.
Interpoint was founded in 1969.
Paradyne was founded in 1969.
Computer pioneers born in 1969
Rob Hartill was born on January 30, 1969.
Tony Fadell was born on March 22, 1969.
Adrian Carmack was born on May 5, 1969.
Marc Ewing was born on May 9, 1969.
Sheryl Sandberg was born on August 28, 1969.
Markus Neteler was born on December 21, 1969.
Linus Torvalds was born on December 28, 1969.
Craig Neidorf was born in 1969.
Jennifer Pahlka was born in 1969.
Mikko Hypponen was born in 1969.