February 21

1984
IBM files a lawsuit against Eagle Computer for copyright violation of the BIOS used in the IBM PC. Eagle agrees on the same day to cease shipments of the infringing computers.

Marshall F. Smith is appointed as the new president and CEO of Commodore International by Irving Gould, replacing Jack Tramiel. Smith has managerial experience in the steel industry but none in the computer industry.

Timex withdraws from the home computer business.

Nintendo releases the Disk System for the Famicom in Japan. The system is a disk drive to run software. Disks can be rewritten with new games at special vending machines. Price: US$100

1986
Nintendo releases the Legend of Zelda video game

1990
A Chicago task force raids the home of Robert Izenberg in Austin, Texas.

1995
Steve Fossett lands in Leader, Saskatchewan, Canada becoming the first person to ever make a solo flight across the Pacific Ocean in a balloon.

1996
Cox Enterprises announces it will buy a one-third interest in Digital Domain, a computer-generated special effects company, in order to promote the use of special effects in media. The deal is a significant step in the convergence of computer, entertainment, media companies, and software that had become a pronounced business trend.

Soyuz TM-23, launched into orbit.

1997
Borland International, Inc. reveals a plan to cut three hundred jobs or about thirty percent of the company’s work force.

Empire Strikes Back, special edition, premieres in theaters.

Nintendo announces that it plans to reduce the manufacturer’s suggested retail price of the Nintendo 64 in Japan by one third, from twenty-five thousand yen (about US$203) to sixteen thousand nine hundred yen (about US$137).

Nintendo, Inc. files suit against the Taiwanese semiconductor chip manufacturer, Winbon Electronics Corporation, alleging that Winbon illegally manufacturers and distributes disk copiers and counterfeit Nintendo video game software.

1998
The Humblebums website is hacked by Noid/TechVoodoo.

The Jacksonville University website is annonymously hacked.


2001
At the Macworld Expo in Tokyo, Japan, Apple Computer introduces the iMac Special Edition, available in Flower Power, Dalmatian Blue, or Graphite designs. It features a 500 or 600 MHz PowerPC G3 processor, 64 or 128 MB RAM, 256 kB Level 2 cache, a CD-RW drive, and a 15-inch monitor. Price: US$1199-1499.

At the Macworld Expo in Tokyo, Japan, Apple Computer introduces the new Nvidia GeForce3TM graphics processor for Macintosh computers.

2002
AMD discloses the details of the AMD-8000 series chipset, which, in conjunction with AMD’s next generation processor architecture, codenamed Hammer, is expected to be groundbreaking advancement in the performance of future computing platforms.

Cuba issues a 65 centavos postage stamp depicting a personal computer.

2003
The Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrates during reentry into the Earth’s atmosphere, killing all seven astronauts aboard.

2011
Alibaba.com CEO and COO resign due to a probe launched for fraud.