1914
Transcontinental telephone service begins with a telephone conversation between Thomas A. Watson in San Francisco and Alexander Graham Bell in New York City in which they repeat their historic conversation from 1876.
1958
President Dwight Eisenhower signs the the National Aeronautics and Space Act into law, creating the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The act was introduced very soon after the launch of the Soviet satellite Sputnik 1. Visit the official NASA website.
1985
Bill Gates of Microsoft sends John Sculley of Apple Computer a memo suggesting the licensing of the Mac OS and prospective companies who might create Mac clones.
1993
A federal court jury in San Francisco decides Atari Games infringed a Nintendo patent for the security system in the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). Atari Games immediately announces that it will appeal the decision.
1996
Microsoft releases the Windows NT 4.0 operating system.
Mpath Interactive acquires Catapult Entertainment Inc. in an effort to establish a place in the online video game market.
Prodigy Services Company is renamed after being formally taken over by the investor group led by Greg Carr. Paul DeLacey is named Chief Executive Officer of Prodigy, Inc. Former Prodigy president, Ed Bennett, becomes the chairman of the new firm, known as Prodigy Ventures, Inc.
1997
Yahoo! announces its first stock split, a 3-for-2 common stock split.
1998
Two Cloverdale, California boys, both sixteen, plead guilty to charges that they hacked into government and military computers to extract unauthorized passwords and other information. Bill Zane, owner of Netdex, the Santa Rosa Internet Service that the boys used to launch their attacks, expressed the opinion that the punishment to ban unsupervised access to the Internet until the age 21 is not strong enough.
A United States Federal Judge orders Microsoft to hand over the source code for Windows ‘95 and other operating systems related to a pending lawsuit filed by Caldera, a small software company based in Utah.
1999
Ideallab! announces plans to ship an additional twenty thousand free personal computers to qualified applicants. Founder Bill Gross, attributes the overwhelming response from previous recipients and the initial feedback from advertisers for the decision to expand their base. Recipients also agree to use FreePCNet for Internet access which forces them to be exposed to offers and advertising.
Sega releases the virtual pet video game Seaman for the Sega Dreamcast in Japan. The “Seaman” of the title is apparently some form of freshwater fish (the color and shape of the fins suggest that it is a Carp) with a very lifelike human face. Along with its human face, it possesses human mannerisms and behavior to which the player must regulate and respond.
2001
Nintendo releases Pokémon Crystal for the Game Boy Color in North America. ESRB: E (Everyone)
2002
Conspiracy Entertainment releases the action game Enclave for the XBox in the US. ESRB: M (Mature)
Sony Computer Entertainment (SCEA) releases The Mark of Kri for the PlayStation 2 in North America. It is thought of by some as a silent classic because of its lack of advertising. With an art team comprised mostly of former 2D animators, The Mark of Kri offers a jarring juxtaposition of “cartoony” character designs and over-the-top violence. ESRB: M (Mature)
Version 3.05 of the O’Caml programming language is released. Visit the official O’Caml website.
2003
Nintendo releases Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour for the GameCube in North America. ESRB: E (Everyone)
Version 2.00 of the Apple Public Source License is released. The Apple Public Source License is the open source and free software license under which Apple’s Darwin operating system was released. Read the text of the license.
Version 2.3 of the Python programming language is released. Python is a very high level general purpose language designed for readability. Visit the official Python website.
2004
Square Enix releases the roleplaying game Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls for the Game Boy Advance in Japan. It is a compilation of two Square Co. console role-playing games for the Nintendo Family Computer: Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy II. Visit the compilation’s official website.
Sunrise Interactive releases the racing game Future GPX Cyber Formula: Road to the Evolution for the GameCube in Japan.
2005
Astronomers Mike Brown, Chad Trujillo, and David Rabinowitz of the California Institute of Technology announces the discovery of Eris, a possible tenth planet in our solar system. Its diameter is estimated at 2,100 miles, or about half again the size of Pluto. Its orbit is eccentric and inclined at about forty-five degrees to the main plane of the solar system. It was originally named 2003 UB313 on a photograph taken on October 31, 2003.
Sony Pictures releases the action film Stealth, directed by Rob Cohen and starring Josh Lucas, Jessica Biel, and Jamie Foxx, to 3,495 US theaters. Stealth will go on to be a colossal box office failure, loosing US$99.6 million and becoming one of the biggest box office losses of all time. In the film, the Navy develops a fighter jet piloted by an artificial intelligence. The jet is placed on an aircraft carrier in the Pacific to learn combat maneuvers from human pilots, but when the computer develops a mind of its own, it’s the humans who are charged with stopping it before it incites a war. Produced on a budget of US$135 million, the film will gross US$13,251,545 domestically in its opening weekend. IMDB listing MPAA Rating: PG-13 Running Time: 2 hrs 1 min
The Battlestar Galactica episode “Fragged” first airs. (No. 203) In it, Tigh, overwhelmed by the responsibilities of command, deals with the growing political tension throughout the fleet.
GameTap announced that Myst Online: Uru Live will feature free “Visitor” access areas, which require no subscription to access. To explore further content requires a subscription fee. Closed public beta testing of Myst Online: Uru Live will begin in August 2006.
The Stargate Atlantis episode “Runner” first airs. (No. 203) In it, a lead as to the whereabouts of Ford gets Sheppard and Teyla captured by Ronon Dex, a man who they find out is a runner, hunted by the Wraith. When they offer to help, the team must face off against their old ally, and possibly gain a new one. Gateworld entry
The Stargate SG-1 episode “Origin (Part 3)” first airs. (No. 903) In it, Daniel and Vala follow a mysterious man to find answers to their questions, and they discover the Ori. The Ori are, like the Ancients, ascended beings but evil. When the Ori know of life in another galaxy, they begin to send their missionaries, the Priors, through the Stargate. GateWorld entry
Webcomics Nation, a webcomic hosting and automation service for online cartoonists, is launched. The site is an ad-supported site offering cartoonists unlimited web space for US$7 a month. Visit the official Webcomics Nation website.
Wizards of the Coast releases the ninth edition core set of the Magic: The Gathering card game. The set includes 359 cards: 110 common, 110 uncommon, 110 rare, 20 basic land, and 9 starter cards. Visit the set’s official website.
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