1961
The IBM Data Processing Division (DPD) introduces the IBM 1710 industrial control system. The system, which will be widely used in paper mills and oil refineries, is designed for systems that interpret data from frequent samples. Visit the official IBM website.
The Soviet spacecraft Sputnik 9 is launched, completes one orbit, returns to Earth, and is successfully recovered. The spacecraft carries a dog named Chernushka, which is Russian for Blackie, a dummy cosmonaut, several mice, and a guinea pig. Read more about the history of Soviet Canine Cosmonauts at About.
1965
The IBM Data Processing Division (DPD) introduces the IBM 2260. Read a history of the IBM 2260 Display Station. Visit the official IBM website.
1984
Intel and IBM announce a licensing agreement under which IBM will manufacture processors based on Intel designs for its own systems.
1985
Police raid two homes in Cherry Hill Township, New Jersey and a third in Voorhees Township to shut down the Hackers’ Heaven bulletin board system (BBS), seize approximately thirty-five thousand dollars worth of hardware, including the computer on which the system was hosted, and question a number of the board’s local users, who will later be dubbed by the media Cherry Hill Gang. No immediate arrests are made, but the next day, prosecutor will announce plans to charge nearly twenty members of an alleged hacking group with using personal computers to make free long-distance calls through Dial America, a long distance telephone service in Camden, New Jersey. All of the groups are males, and the oldest is twenty years old.
1986
In the Sunday, March 9 issue of the Staten Island Register, a weekly paper with a circulation of about 19,500, an article written by Scott Hettrick entitled, Zap! Video games are making a comeback is published. Tom Sloper, the director of video games at Atari, who is responsible for making Pac-Man a part of the English language, says The game business is back. In the same article, Michael Katz, executive vice president of marketing declares that Atari has sold out of 7800 and 5200 units and will no longer produce the 5200, which was first released in 1982.
The Soviet spaceprobe Vega 2 flies by Halley’s Comet at a distance of approximately 8,030km.
1991
NASA launches the Space Shuttle Discovery on the seventieth US manned space mission. (STS 39)
1993
Apple Computer, International Business Machines IBM, Motorola, and four other computer companies form PowerOpen Association Inc., to promote new computer chip technology for next generation personal computers. The association will test conformanity to the the PowerOpen environment, which will eventually lead to Apple’s Power PC.
1995
The First Circuit Court of Appeals reverse the July 1992 District Court ruling that Borland International infringed on copyrights held by the Lotus Development Corporation when it developed the spreadsheet application Quatro Pro to compete with Lotus 1-2-3. The Appellate court rules that the features alleged to be infringing on copyright are a method of operation and thus not subject to copyright. The decision will later be affirmed by the Supreme Court in a 4-to-4 tie vote.
1996
A two-year agreement between Compuserve and Time Warner under which Time Magazine’s content will be provided to Compuserve members goes into effect.
1997
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) website is hacked and defaced with racial slurs by a fourteen year old high school freshman. Visit the official NCAA website.
1998
The Learning Company of Cambridge, Massachusetts, an educational software publisher, announces intentions to acquire computer game publisher Mindscape from Britain’s Pearson for US$97.5 million in cash and US$52.5 million in stock.
The website of Cheesi Software is hacked.
The website of IndoMarco Adi Prima is hacked by BoKePH MeMeNDeZ & CYBeR BuG.
The website of the City of Poquoson, Virginia is hacked by Zyklon.
The website of Learning Link is hacked anonymously.
The website of Keystone Central School District in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania is hacked by Zyklon. Zyklon defaces the site with the message, I love you Crystal!
The website of the Physics Department of the Brookhaven National Laboratory is hacked by Toxic ‘n Xnec.
The website of the United States’ Naval Space Command is hacked by The Noid and TechVoodoo.
1999
The four millionth internet domain name, riedelglass.com, is registered.
The Internet Sacred Text Archive (ISTA) website is launched with the mission of preserving electronic public domain texts with cultural value. Visit the official Internet Sacred Text Archive website.
United States Vice President Al Gore gives an interview on CNN’s Late Edition in which he states, During my service in the United States Congress, I took the initiative in creating the Internet. The statement immediately creates an uproar in the media and across the internet. Gore will be widely ostracized for the statement.
2000
Nintendo, Inc. agrees to provide protective sports gloves to approximately 1.2 million American consumer who purchased the Mario Party video game for the Nintendo 64 to settle a complaint raised by New York Attorney General’s offices alleging that players had sustained injuries as the result of using the system’s joystick to play the game. The estimated cost of the settlement could run as much as US$80 million or as little US$20,000, depending on the number of consumers who actually request the gloves. Nintendo also agrees to pay the state’s legal fees, which total approximately US$75,000. The Attorney General’s office had receiving nearly one hundred complaints from consumers, ranging from friction burns to minor lacerations. The injuries occurred when children playing one of several segments of the game -Cast Aways, Deep Sea Divers, Paddle Battle, Pedal Power, or Tug O’War – are required to rapidly rotate the joystick to win.
Compaq Computer unveils the iPaq H3670 handheld computer, featuring 64MB RAM and the Pocket PC OS. It will be released in early April. Price: US$649
Compaq Computer unveils the iPaq H3635 handheld computer, featuring a Compact Flash slot and the Pocket PC OS. Price: US$599
2005
The CherryOS PowerPC emulator is publicly released for Windows.
Sega acquires British video game developer Creative Assembly. Visit the official Creative Assembly website.
2008
At SXSW, Sarah Lacy interviews Facebooks’ Mark Zuckerberg. This becomes a rather interesting interview as the crowd starts getting annoyed with Sarah’s interview style. The interview is one of the biggest at SXSW.
Martin Buckley – Novel product Manager – leaves Novell for Microsoft.
During the Microsoft – Yahoo bid, Yahoo asked News.corp to counter-offer. Newscorp came back in saying it won’t stand in the way.
2009
YouTube removes all premium music videos in the U.K.
Clearwire appoints William T. Morrow as CEO
A Phillidelphia Eagles employee is fired after using Facebook to let people know his position about the Eagles player trade to Denver.