1869
Richard Wagner’s opera Das Rheingold, the first of the four operas that comprise Der Ring des Nibelungen, debuts in Munich.
1888
The terms ampere, ohm, and volt are indoctrinated at the Electrical Conference in Paris, France.
1893
The Duryea Brothers publicly demonstrate their automobile, the first to be built in America, two days after it’s completion in Springfield, Illinois. In 1896, the brothers will found the first company in the world to manufacture gasoline powered automobiles.
1955
The first commercial television broadcast in Britain is transmitted by Rediffusion, an Independent Television (ITV) contractor, in London. The first advertisement shown at 9:12pm shows Gibbs SR toothpaste in a block of ice. The ad was produced by AB-Pathé.
1964
The televsion series The Man From U.N.C.L.E., staring Robert Vaughn as Napoleon Solo premieres on the NBC network with the episode “The Vulcan Affair.” The series will run for one hundred five episodes, or just less than four seasons. IMDB entry
1966
The Star Trek episode “Where No Man Has Gone Before” first airs. (No. 02) It is production number two, but it is the third episode in the series to be aired. In it, the Enterprise journeys to the edge of the galaxy, where two crew members develop dangerous psychic powers, and one declares himself a god. Memory Alpha entry
1973
The science fiction television series The Starlost, created by acclaimed author Harlan Ellison, premieres on CTV with the episode “Voyage of Discovery.” The series is set aboard an enormous eight thousand mile long generational colony ship, composed of dozens of isolated biospheres, each home to a population of humans representing a different Earth culture. The story opens generations after the ships launch, following a mysterious catastrophe which has disabled the ship and killed most of its crew, leaving the inhabitants of the biosphere completely oblivious to the fact that their worlds exits with a ship. The series follows a trio of characters from an Amish-like community who are desperately racing to set the ship to rights and correct its course before it collides with a star. The series will run for sixteen episodes. IMDB entry
The Star Trek: The Animated Series episode “One of Our Planets is Missing” first airs. (No. 003) The Enterprise encounters a giant cloud creature that feeds on the energy of the planets that lie in its path. They determine is it heading for Mantilles, home to a Federation colony governed by former Starfleet officer Bob Westley. When Kirk takes the Enterprise into the cloud in an attempt to stop it, the ship loses power and Spock realizes the cloud is an intelligent being. Spock mind melds with the entity and tells it that it is killing life and attempts to persuade it to return to its place of origin. Memory Alpha entry
1975
The Enix Corporation is founded as a producer of Japanese manga, but the company will go on to make its name in video games. Visit the company’s official website.
1980
Paul Allen of Microsoft contacts Rod Black of Seattle Computer Products (SCP), asking to sub-license 86-DOS to a potential customer. The customer will be IBM, which will put the system on its PC line, making Microsoft’s name.
1983
Kevin Poulsen, also known by the handle “Dark Dante”, and Ron Austin are arrested for breaking into the ARPANET. Because he is a minor, Poulsen, age 17, is not prosecuted, while Austin is sentenced to three years’ probation. Visit Poulsen’s official website.
1986
In the case of NEC Corp. v. Intel Corp, a federal judge rules that code used to run computers and other electronic devices can be copyrighted the same as any other printed material, setting perhaps the single most important legal precedent in computer history.
1988
Konami releases the platform game Haunted Castle for the PlayStation 2. It is a remake of the first Castlevania game.
1991
Erik Labs releases version 1.25 of Bimodem, which will be the last official version to be released. BiModem is one of the last file transfer protocols developed for use in BBS systems. This version allows computers running Intel 486 processors access with com ports other than COM1. The protocol will later be developed by third parties.
1993
Version 2.01 of the RemoteAccess BBS is released.
T&E Soft 3D Golf Simulation Augusta National 2 for the Super Famicom in Japan.
1995
Eidos Interactive releases the soccer game Championship Manager 2 for personal computers. ELSPA: 3+
NEC Home Electronics releases Pachio-kun FX for the NEC PC-FX video game console.
Sega releases the turn-based strategy game Iron Storm for the Sega Saturn in Japan. In the game, players reenact World War II battles across Europe and the Pacific theater as American, German, or Japanese soldiers. ESRB: KA (Kids to Adults)
1997
Compaq introduces the Compaq Deskpro 4000N, the first Net PC. It features a 166MHz Pentium processor, a 1.6GB hard drive, 32MB RAM, one PCI slot, and the Windows NT 4.0 operating system. Price: US$1,149
1998
Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) releases the 300MHz K6 processor. Price: US$229 each in quantities of ten thousand
1999
Activision releases the third-person shooter Apocalypse for the PlayStation in Japan. It is most notable for the involvement of actor Bruce Willis, who provides his likeness and voice to the game.
An eBay member posts an online auction for five hundred pounds of marijuana. Bidding reaches US$10 million before eBay officials closed the auction down.
Analysts report that Tuesday’s massive earthquake in Taiwan has disabled the island’s semiconductor industry, and that it will take a minimum of fourteen days to reopen production facilities. The shut down will cost an estimated US$350 million in lost production.
Capcom releases the survival horror game Resident Evil 3: Nemesis for the PlayStation in Japan. The first half of the game occurs in the twenty-four hours prior to Resident Evil 2 and the second half takes place the day after. The storyline expands upon the settings and events of the T-Virus outbreak in Raccoon City, and concludes with the fate of the city and its infected population. The game’s storyline will later become the basis for the 2004 film Resident Evil: Apocalypse.
Konami releases the platform game Goemon’s Great Adventure for the Nintendo 64 in North America. The game will be well receivedl, selling over 160,000 copies worldwide. Many critics favorably compare the game to earlier classic 16-bit games. ESRB: E (Everyone)
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Microelectronics Research, Inc., Michael Rostoker, is arrested at San Francisco International Airport (SFO). According to authorities, Rostoker allegedly had sex with a thirteen-year-old girl in Vietnam in exchange for paying her family US$150,000. The forty-one year old had also allegedly initiated plans to bring her to the United States as a sex slave. Microelectronics Research is a semiconductor subsidiary of Kawasaki Group.
Red Storm Entertainment releases the tactical shooter Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear for personal computers. It is the sequel to the critically acclaimed Rainbow Six game based on the Tom Clancy novel of the same name. Visit the game’s official website. ESRB: T (Teen)
The Rogers University website is hacked by the “bl0w team”.
The United States and Australia jointly announce raids on persons alleged to have “Page-Jacking” unwilling and unsuspecting Internet users browsing legitimate websites and taking them to pornographic locations. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) believes that as many as twenty-five million of approximately one billion pages on the World Wide Web may be directly affected by Page-Jacking. Such sites include several children’s game sites and the Harvard Law Review.
2000
Jason Diekman, age 20, known by the handles “Dark Lord” and “Shadow Knight”, is arrested after Federal agents discovered evidence on Diekman’s computers indicating that he intercepted usernames and passwords from universities, including Harvard University. In a statement made to investigators, Diekman will admit that he had hacked into “hundreds, maybe thousands” of computers, including systems at the California State University at Fullerton, Cornell University, Harvard, the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Stanford, and University of California campuses in Los Angeles and San Diego. On February 4, 2002, Diekman will be sentenced to twenty-one months in federal prison, three years supervised release, and over US$87,000 in restitution.
Microsoft Game Studios releases the racing game Midtown Madness 2 for Windows. Visit the game’s official website.
2002
Electronic Arts (EA) releases the sci-fi massively multiplayer online roleplaying game (MMORPG) Earth & Beyond for Windows. EA will shut down the paid subscription service on September 22, 2004. ELSPA: 11+ ESRB: T (Teen)
2003
Aspyr Media and Electronic Arts release the SimCity 4: Rush Hour expansion pack for the simulation game SimCity 4 for personal computers. ESRB: E (Everyone) OFLC: G PEGI: 3+
EA Games and MacSoft release the expansion pack Command & Conquer: Generals – Zero Hour for the real-time strategy game Command & Conquer: Generals for personal computers. Visit the expansion pack’s official website. ESRB: T (Teen) PEGI: 16+
JoWood Productions releases the strategy game Neighbors from Hell for the personal computer in the US. Visit the game’s official website. ESRB: T (Teen)
2004
Activision releases the real-time tactics game Rome: Total War (RTW) for Windows. The game features large-scale battles of ancient armies with thousands of warriors. The main innovation is a brand new high-quality 3D graphics engine able to render over thirty thousand men on a single battlefield. Another prominent feature is the integration of the strategic and tactical views – the landscape for the battles is the same as seen on that particular spot on the strategic map where the armies meet. The game will garner considerable critical acclaim, receiving numerous awards and nearly universal rave reviews. Visit the game’s official website. ESRB: T (Teen) PEGI: 12+
Intel releases the 2533 MHz Celeron D 325J and Celeron D 326 featuring 256KB Level-2 Caches and 533MHz Front Side Buses.
Intel releases the 2667 MHz Celeron D 330J and Celeron D 331 featuring 256KB Level-2 Caches and 533MHz Front Side Buses.
Intel releases the 2800 MHz Celeron D 335J and Celeron D 336 featuring 256KB Level-2 Caches and 533MHz Front Side Buses.
Intel releases the 2933 MHz Celeron D 340J and Celeron D 341 featuring 256KB Level-2 Caches and 533MHz Front Side Buses.
The science fiction series Lost premieres on the ABC network. It follows the adventures of the survivors of a plane crash as they struggle to survive and escape a mysterious island populated with seemingly paranormal pitfalls and hostile scientists. The show will prove to be both a critical and commercial success, winning numerous awards and swiftly achieving a large fan-base. Visit the series’ official website. TV.com entry
Ubisoft releases the fighting game Advance Guardian Heroes for the Game Boy Advance in Japan.
2005
Activision releases Ultimate Spider-Man for mobile phones, personal computers, the Game Boy Advance, GameCube, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2, and Xbox in North America. The game is based on the comic book of the same name by Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley. It employs what has been dubbed Comic Inking Animation technology, a form of cel shading intended to make the game appear as if it were a living comic-book. Visit the game’s official website. ESRB: T (Teen)
Nintendo releases the platform game Drill Dozer as Screw Breaker for the Game Boy Advance in Japan. Visit the game’s official website. CERO: A (All Ages)
Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) releases the football game AFL Premiership 2005 for the PlayStation 2 in Australia. OFLC: G
Symantec, a leading developer of security software, announces plans to acquire WholeSecurity, a developer of anti-phishing technology.
2006
Eidos Interactive releases the third-person shooter Just Cause Windows, the Playstation 2, Xbox, and Xbox 360 in Europe. Visit the game’s official website. PEGI: 16+
Koei releases Samurai Warriors 2 for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360 in Europe.
Konami releases the roleplaying game (RPG) Suikoden V for the PlayStation 2 in Europe. PEGI: 12+
OneWebDay is first observed. The event is a celebration of the world wide web. To mark the occasion, users are encouraged to share the ways in which the web has affected their lives. The first OneWebDay is kicked off with an event in New York City’s Battery Park, during which technology advocates Craig Newmark, Drew Schutte, and Scott Heiferman speak. Visit the official OneWebDay website.
Universal Pictures releases the science fiction film Children of Men, direct by Alfonso Cuarón and starring Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, Michael Caine, Claire-Hope Ashitey, Pam Ferris, and Chiwetel Ejiofor, to UK theaters. It is based on the 1992 science fiction novel The Children of Men by P.D. James. In it, the world’s youngest citizen has just died at the age of eighteen, and humankind is facing the likelihood of its own extinction as the solution to humanity’s infertility continues to elude scientists. Set against a backdrop of London torn apart by violence and warring nationalistic sects, “Children of Men” follows an unlikely champion of Earth’s survival: Theo, a disillusioned ex-activist turned bureaucrat, who is forced to face his own demons and protect the planet’s last remaining hope, one last pregnant woman. The film was produced on a budget of US$80 million. Visit the film’s official website. IMDB entry
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