1633
Galileo Galilei is tried before the Inquisition of the Catholic Church on charges of heresy for teaching his theory that the Earth orbits the Sun.
1891
The first gasoline-powered car debuts in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States.
1938
The Radio Manufacturers Association adopts standards for a US television system and submits proposals to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
1940
Genevieve Grotjan completes the decryption of the Japanese Purple code.
1951
Production of the first receivers for the CBS Broadcasting, Inc. (CBS) sequential color system begins at the Air-King electronics manufacturing subsidiary of Hytron Radio and Electronics Corporation, which is owned by CBS. CBS bought Hytron, according to president Frank Stanton, “to assure at least some source for colour receivers to the public.” The sets go on sale at Gimbels store in New York, priced at US$499.95. Rival manufacturer Allan B DuMont will later claim that only two hundred units were manufactured and that only half of them were sold.
1952
Alfred Hershey and Martha Chase publish a report confirming that DNA holds hereditary data.
1954
The first program written in the FORTRAN programming language is run. FORTRAN, which is an acronym for “FORmula TRANslator,” was invented at IBM for technical and scientific applications by a group led by John Backus. The purpose of FORTRAN is to simplify the programming process by allowing programmers to use simple algebraic expressions in their code.
1967
The Marine & Broadcasting Act comes into force, effectively banning pirate radio in UK.
1968
The Star Trek episode “Spock’s Brain” first airs. In it, Captain Kirk pursues aliens who have stolen Spock’s brain. It is the fifty-sixth episode, production number 61, and the first episode of the third season. Memory Alpha entry
1977
NASA launches the Voyager 2 spacecraft on a mission to fly past Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Visit the official NASA Voyager website.
1979
The science fiction television series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century premieres on the NBC network in the US. Inspired by the massive success of Star Wars two years earlier, a pilot film was released to theaters earlier in the year. Box office success led NBC to commission the series. The pilot episode is a modified version of the theatrical release, which omits some scenes, including a popular reference by Twiki to his “freezing his ball bearings off” and the death of the evil henchman “Tiger Man,” who would later appear in the series. The series and the film that acts as its pilot are based upon the Buck Rogers character that had been featured in comic strips and novellas since the twenties. It will run for thirty-seven episodes across two seasons. TV.com entry
1984
Data General introduces the Data General/One Personal System portable computer, featuring MS-DOS, CP/M-86, Unix, 128KB RAM, and one floppy drive. It is the first portable computer with a full-size LCD display. Price: US$2,895 Weight: 10 pounds
1987
The first e-mail message sent from China is sent to Germany.
1988
Apple Computer and Quantum Computer Services announce AppleLink, a graphical online service for Apple computer users.
1989
Apple Computer releases version 6.0.4 of the System 6 operating system for the Macintosh IIci and Macintosh Portable.
Apple Computer unveils the Macintosh Portable, featuring a 16MHz Motorola 68000 CMOS processor, 1MB RAM, a 40MB hard drive, a 3.5-inch 1.4 MB SuperDrive floppy drive, a keyboard, a trackball, and a 9.8-inch active matrix 640×400 monochrome LCD screen. The system runs for about 8 hours on a lead-acid gel battery pack. Price: US$6,500 Weight: 17 pounds
1991
Sega releases Rent-A-Hero for the Dreamcast in Japan.
1993
The Star Trek: The Next Generation episode “Descent (Part 2)” first airs. (No. 701) In it, the Borg are being led by Lore, who controls Data by feed him negative emotions. Memory Alpha entry
1995
AT&T announces that it will split into three companies over the course of the next fifteen months. The three companies will be: AT&T, which will provide communication services, Lucent Technologies, a systems and technology company that will manufacture communications products, and the NCR Corporation, which will create financial and retail systems.
Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) reports that it has developed a solution to reports that the PlayStation game console may not function on older televisions.
Version 2.0 of the Red Hat Linux operating system is released. Visit the system’s official website.
1996
Nintendo releases the platform game Kirby Super Star for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) in the US. ESRB: KA (Kids to Adults)
The website of the CIA is hacked by the hacking group “Power Through Resistance”. View an archived version of the defaced website.
1998
The website of Docklands is hacked by “Safety^, Ez|ne & Bug^”. View an archived version of the defaced website.
1999
Microsoft announces plans to discontinue the “Modem BBS” option within LiveUpdate Wednesday, December 1, 1999.
Microsoft announces an alliance with a network of electronic commerce Internet Web Sites to create an auction site to compete with eBay, Inc. According to Scott Randall, founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of FairMarket, Inc., the firm that created the alliance, the new auction system will function like a virtual warehouse for almost one hundred sites that will link their own auctions.
Wal*Mart Stores, Inc. reveal plans to open computer-repair centers in ten of its stores under a lease agreement with Computer Doctor, a franchiser and owner of thirty-eight stores in the United States. The combined stores generate almost US$10 million in sales annually.
2000
Hasbro Interactive releases Frogger 2: Swampy’s Revenge for personal computers and the Dreamcast, Game Boy Color, and PlayStation. Visit the game’s official website. ESRB: E (Everyone)
Microsoft hosts a press conference in San Francisco, California to reveal that the official marketing name for their forthcoming Xbox game system will also be Xbox. Also released is a list of 156 Xbox developers including Activision, Eidos, Namco, and Sierra.
2001
Eidos Interactive releases the real-times tactics game Commandos 2: Men of Courage for Windows in North America. ESRB: T (Teen)
Natsume Co., Ltd releases the roleplaying game Lufia: The Legend Returns for the Game Boy Color in the US. It is the third game in the Lufia series and the first one to appear on a handheld gaming system. Visit the game’s official website. ESRB: E (Everyone)
Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) releases the racing game Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec for the PlayStation 2 in Europe. It will become the best selling game for the PlayStation 2. Visit the game’s official website. PEGI: 3+
Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) releases the versus fighting game X-Men: Mutant Academy 2 for the PlayStation. ESRB: T (Teen)
2002
International Business Machines (IBM) announces that it has shipped ten million “Gekko” PowerPC processors for Nintendo’s GameCube.
Microsoft buys the British game developer Rare for US$375 million.
Nintendo releases Doshin the Giant for the GameCube in Europe.
2004
The BBC reports that more than thirty thousand computers a day are being recruited into “bot nets” that spread spam and viruses.
EA Sports releases Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005 for personal computers, the GameCube, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2, and Xbox in the US. ESRB: E (Everyone)
Nintendo announced that the Nintendo DS will be released in North America on November 21, 2004 for the price of US$149.99.
Nintendo releases the racing game F-Zero: GP Legend for the Game Boy Advance in North America. Visit the game’s official website. ESRB: E (Everyone)
THQ releases the real-time strategy game Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War for Windows. It is based on Games Workshop tabletop game, Warhammer 40,000. Visit the game’s official website. ESRB: M (Mature)
2005
Activision releases the X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse for personal computers and the GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox, and in the US. It is a sequel to X-Men Legends. In it, Apocalypse kidnaps Professor X and Polaris, and the X-Men and the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants unite to save them. Cyclops, Storm, and Wolverine join Magneto, Mystique, and Sabretooth on their mission to defeat Apocalypse. Visit the game’s official website. ESRB: T (Teen)
Atari releases the Indigo Prophecy (also known as Fahrenheit) video game for Windows, the PlayStation 2 and Xbox in the US. In it, New York City is stunned by a series of mysterious murders that follow the same pattern: ordinary people become possessed and kill absolute strangers in public. Lucas Kane becomes another one of these murderers when he suddenly kills a stranger in a men’s bathroom. Lucas must uncover the supernatural forces behind his crime before the police find him-or he loses his sanity. Visit the game’s official website. ESRB: AO (Adults Only)
EA Sports releases the football game Madden NFL 06 for the PlayStation Portable (PSP) in the US. ESRB: E (Everyone)
EA Sports releases Tiger Woods PGA Tour 06 for personal computers, the GameCube, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable (PSP), and Xbox in the US. ESRB: E (Everyone)
Electronic Arts releases the fighting game Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects for the GameCube, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable (PSP), and Xbox in the US. Visit the game’s official website. ESRB: T (Teen)
Microsoft the real-time strategy game Kingdom Under Fire: Heroes for the XBox in North America. Visit the game’s official website. ESRB: M (Mature)
Midway releases the Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks video game for PlayStation 2 and Xbox in the US. Visit the game’s official website. ESRB: M (Mature)
Namco releases the third-person puzzle game We Love Katamari for the PlayStation 2 in the US. ESRB: E (Everyone)
Sony Computer Entertainment releases Genji: Dawn of the Samurai for the PlayStation 2 in North America. The game is loosely based on The Tale of the Heike, an epic account of the struggle between the Taira and Minamoto clans for control of Japan at the end of the 12th century. ESRB: M (Mature)
THQ releases the Game of the Year edition real-time strategy game Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War for Windows. It is based on Games Workshop tabletop game, Warhammer 40,000. Visit the game’s official website. ESRB: M (Mature)
Tecmo releases Ninja Gaiden Black for the Xbox in the US. ESRB: M (Mature)
Ubisoft releases Myst V: End of Ages for Windows in the US. It is the fifth and final installment in the Myst computer game series. It is the first Myst game to be rendered in real-time 3D. Visit the game’s official website. ESRB: E (Everyone)
With the release of Opera 8.5, Opera Software announces that all future version of the Opera browser will be available free of charge without advertisements, although the company still sells support contracts. Version 8.5 includes automatic client-side fixing of websites that don’t render correctly and a number of security fixes. Visit the application’s official website.
2006
1C Company and Playlogic International release the roleplaying game Age of Pirates: Caribbean Tales for Windows in Europe. Visit the game’s official website.
Microsoft holds a conference before the Tokyo Game Show, at which they announce the Platinum Hits line of games for the Xbox 360 in North America. Price: UK£24.99 US$29.99
Version 2.9.0 of phpMyAdmin, a tool written in PHP to administrate MySQL over the Internet, is released. Visit the application’s official website.
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