Computer History - February

• Java Technology Project Starts

  Sun Microsystems initiates the Java technology project, originally called Oak, which would become one of the most influential programming platforms.

  February 01, 1991

• Symbolics.com First .com Domain

  Symbolics Inc. registers the first .com domain name, Symbolics.com, marking the beginning of commercial internet domain registration.

  February 01, 1985

• Amelio Replaces Spindler at Apple

  Gil Amelio replaces Michael Spindler as CEO of Apple Computer, beginning a transitional period that would eventually lead to Steve Jobs' return.

  February 02, 1996

• Facebook Launches

  Mark Zuckerberg launches TheFacebook from his Harvard dormitory, initially available only to Harvard students before expanding globally.

  February 02, 2004

• Vaporware Term Announced

  The term vaporware is announced publicly, describing software announced but never delivered, becoming a common industry criticism.

  February 03, 1986

• Iowa Caucus App Fails

  An app commissioned by the U.S. Democratic party fails to report Iowa caucus votes properly, sparking renewed debate about digital voting reliability.

  February 03, 2020

• Ken Thompson Born

  Ken Thompson, designer and implementer of the original UNIX operating system and co-creator of the Go programming language, was born.

  February 04, 1948

• Twitter Deepfake Commitment

  Twitter announces commitment to detect and label deepfakes and other deceptive media on its social media platform.

  February 04, 2004

• Jack Kilby Files IC Patent

  Jack Kilby files a patent for the integrated circuit, one of the most important inventions in electronics history.

  February 06, 1959

• RadioShack Files Bankruptcy

  RadioShack, once a major electronics retailer and early personal computer vendor, files for bankruptcy after decades of operation.

  February 06, 2015

• Busicom Founded

  Japanese calculator manufacturer Busicom is founded, which would later commission Intel to create the 4004 microprocessor.

  February 07, 1941

• Android Bluetooth Vulnerability

  A major Android vulnerability CVE-2020-0022 is announced, allowing nearby attackers to take over devices running Android 8 or 9 with Bluetooth enabled.

  February 07, 2020

• John von Neumann Dies

  Mathematician John von Neumann dies at age 53. His stored-program architecture became the foundation for most modern computers.

  February 08, 1957

• Harvard Mark I Patent Filed

  A patent application is filed for the Harvard Mark I, one of the first large-scale automatic digital computers.

  February 08, 1945

• David Wheeler Born

  Computer scientist David Wheeler, inventor of the Wheeler Jump subroutine technique and pioneer of high-level programming, was born.

  February 09, 1927

• Mac OS X Public Beta Ends

  Apple ends the public beta program for Mac OS X, preparing for the official release of the UNIX-based operating system in March.

  February 09, 2001

• Deep Blue Defeats Kasparov

  IBM's Deep Blue defeats chess world champion Garry Kasparov in their first game, marking a milestone in artificial intelligence.

  February 10, 1996

• Satellites Collide in Orbit

  Communications satellites Iridium 33 and Cosmos 2251 collide in orbit, the first accidental hypervelocity collision between satellites requiring computer tracking.

  February 10, 2009

• Samsung Galaxy S20 Unveiled

  Samsung unveils the Galaxy S20, S20 Ultra, and Galaxy Z Flip at its Unpacked keynote, showcasing new foldable display technology.

  February 11, 2020

• Japan Launches Osumi Satellite

  Japan launches its first satellite Osumi, requiring sophisticated computer guidance systems and becoming the fourth nation in space.

  February 11, 1970

• Boston Computer Society Founded

  Jonathan Rotenberg founds The Boston Computer Society, which becomes the largest personal computer user group in the world.

  February 12, 1977

• Charles Darwin Born

  Naturalist Charles Darwin was born. His work on natural selection would later inspire evolutionary algorithms and genetic programming.

  February 12, 1809

• Apollo Computer Incorporated

  Apollo Computer is incorporated, becoming a pioneer in engineering workstations and network computing.

  February 13, 1980

• Unix Time 1234567890

  Unix time reaches 1,234,567,890 seconds since January 1, 1970, celebrated by programmers and systems administrators worldwide.

  February 13, 2009

• ENIAC Unveiled to Public

  John Mauchly and J. Presper Eckert unveil the ENIAC at the University of Pennsylvania, the first general-purpose electronic computer.

  February 14, 1946

• YouTube Founded

  Chad Hurley, Steve Chen, and Jawed Karim found YouTube, which would revolutionize online video sharing and become the world's largest video platform.

  February 14, 2005

• Niklaus Wirth Born

  Computer scientist Niklaus Wirth, designer of Pascal programming language and Turing Award winner, was born in Switzerland.

  February 15, 1934

• Kotlin Programming Language Released

  JetBrains releases Kotlin version 1.0, a modern programming language that would become the preferred language for Android development.

  February 15, 2016

• ENIAC Dedicated

  The ENIAC is formally dedicated at the University of Pennsylvania, beginning its operational life solving ballistics calculations.

  February 16, 1946

• Lorinda Cherry Dies

  Computer scientist Lorinda Cherry, pioneering programmer who worked on Unix tools and writer's workbench, dies at age 77.

  February 16, 2021

• Thomas Watson Sr. Born

  Thomas J. Watson Sr., who built IBM into a major corporation and championed the phrase THINK, was born.

  February 17, 1874

• Chess Supercomputer Deep Blue

  Deep Blue plays its historic match against Garry Kasparov, demonstrating the power of parallel computing and specialized chess algorithms.

  February 17, 1996

• First ComputerLand Store Opens

  The first ComputerLand franchise retail store opens in Morristown, New Jersey, helping make personal computers accessible to consumers.

  February 18, 1977

• OpenBSD 4.0 Released

  The OpenBSD operating system releases version 4.0, continuing its focus on security and code correctness.

  February 18, 2007

• Turing ACE Proposal

  Alan Turing presents his proposal for the Automatic Computing Engine at the National Physical Laboratory in London.

  February 19, 1946

• First Computer Search Warrant

  The first warrant to search a computer storage device is issued by the FBI, establishing legal precedent for digital evidence.

  February 19, 1971

• Turing Suggests Chess for AI

  Alan Turing suggests testing artificial intelligence with the game of chess, laying groundwork for AI research methodologies.

  February 20, 1947

• Pierre de Fermat Born

  Mathematician Pierre de Fermat was born. His work in number theory would become fundamental to modern cryptography and computer security.

  February 20, 1912

• Cox Buys Digital Domain

  Cox Enterprises acquires stake in Digital Domain, a visual effects and animation company pioneering computer graphics for films.

  February 21, 1996

• Ubuntu 7.04 Development Begins

  Canonical begins development of Ubuntu 7.04 Feisty Fawn, continuing the popular Linux distribution's growth.

  February 21, 2007

• Thomas Kurtz Born

  Thomas Kurtz, co-inventor of the BASIC programming language with John Kemeny, was born in Illinois.

  February 22, 1928

• MySpace Domain Registered

  The domain myspace.com is registered, years before it would become one of the first major social networking platforms.

  February 22, 1996

• Derrick Lehmer Born

  Number theorist Derrick Lehmer, pioneer in using computers for mathematical research and prime number discovery, was born.

  February 23, 1905

• Holy Type Day

  Typography enthusiasts celebrate the beauty of font design and digital typography, recognizing the importance of computer font rendering.

  February 23, 2009

• Steve Jobs Born

  Apple co-founder Steve Jobs was born in San Francisco, who would revolutionize personal computing, music players, and smartphones.

  February 24, 1955

• iMac Announcement

  Steve Jobs officially announces the iMac, which would help revive Apple with its colorful design and integrated approach.

  February 24, 1998

• APT Language Demonstrated

  The APT Automatically Programmed Tool language for numerical control of machine tools is demonstrated at MIT.

  February 25, 1959

• Mark Zuckerberg Expansion

  Mark Zuckerberg expands Facebook access to Columbia University and Stanford University, beginning rapid growth beyond Harvard.

  February 25, 2004

• SGI Buys Cray Research

  Silicon Graphics Inc. announces acquisition of Cray Research, merging workstation and supercomputer expertise.

  February 26, 1996

• Algol 60 Report Published

  The revised ALGOL 60 report is published, establishing important concepts for programming language design.

  February 26, 1961

• NSA Harvest Computer Retires

  The National Security Agency's Harvest computer, used for cryptanalysis, is retired after years of classified service.

  February 27, 1976

• GitHub Copilot Preview

  GitHub begins internal testing of Copilot, an AI pair programming tool that suggests code completions using machine learning.

  February 27, 2021

• Forrester Core Memory Patent

  Jay Forrester of MIT receives a patent for magnetic core memory, which becomes the dominant computer memory technology for decades.

  February 28, 1956

• Mary Coombs Dies

  Mary Coombs, one of the first female commercial programmers who worked on LEO computers, dies at age 93.

  February 28, 2021

• Herman Hollerith Born

  Herman Hollerith, inventor of the electric tabulating machine and founder of the company that became IBM, was born on leap day.

  February 29, 1860

• Leap Year Software Bug

  Various software systems experience leap year bugs, demonstrating the ongoing challenge of date handling in computer systems.

  February 29, 2004