1789
The first American novel, The Power of Sympathy or the Triumph of Nature Founded in Truth by William Hill Brown, is published in Boston, Massachusetts by Isaiah Thomas.
1888
Charles Babbage’s son, Henry Provost Babbage, uses the mill portion of the Analytical Engine he constructed from his father’s drawings to compute multiples of Pi in order to prove that the design is functional.
1920
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), a non-profit organization that defends and the constitutional rights of individuals, is formed. The organization will have a significant impact on a number of fundamental issues surrounding the internet, the media, and the communication industry in general. Visit the official ACLU website.
1942
New York Mayor Fiorello Henry LaGuardia bans pinball games in New York City, comparing them to slot machines and labeling them games of chance. LaGuardia will have thousands of the machines busted up and dumped into the ocean. Over seven thousand pounds of scraps material from the machines, including three thousand pounds of steel balls. The ban will continue through to 1976.
1954
The first atomic submarine, the USS Nautilus, is christened by First Lady Mamie Eisenhower and launched on the Thames River in Groton, Connecticut. The propulsion system of the Nautilus makes the ship the first “true” submarine. Vessel previously termed “submarines” were, in fact, only submersibles powered by diesel engines which consumed vast amounts of oxygen. However, the Nautilus can remain submerged for months on end.
1957
NBC records and later broadcasts the second inaugural ceremonies of US President Dwight D. Eisenhower. It is the first national broadcast of a previously recorded event.
1966
The International Business Machines (IBM) Data Processing Division (DPD) announces plans to install six IBM System/360 Model 90 supercomputers in 1967 and one per month beginning in January 1968.
1979
Neptune becomes the outermost planet when the elliptical orbit of Pluto brings it closer to the Sun than Neptune’s own orbit.
1985
The January 21st issue of U.S. News & World Report features a story entitled “Consumer Electronics: Smaller, Cheaper, Better”. In the story, it is reported that the Atari ST computers represent “a quantum leap in computer value.”
1986
International Business Machines (IBM) announces the IBM RT (or IBM 6150) series of personal computers, notable for being one of the earliest systems to feature 32-bit RISC (reduced instruction set computer) technology. (The RT in IBM RT, in fact, stands for “RISC technology”.) It also features 1MB RAM, a 1.2MB floppy, a 40MB hard drive, and the AIX (Advanced Interactive eXecutive) operating system. Price: US$11,700
1998
America Online (AOL) acquires Personal Library Software.
The website of Bash Computing is hacked by “LordJon” of “th3 Hacker Alliance”. View an archived version of the defaced website.
The website of Legi-Slate is hacked by the “No|d Crew”. View an archived version of the defaced website.
The website of Umeå Universitet is hacked by “ToxicEdge”. View an archived version of the defaced website.
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