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The University of Manchester is celebrating the anniversary of the world’s first digital computer, marking 60 year’s since its creation.
Dubbed ‘the baby’ by its makers, the computer is a Small Scale Experimental Machine and fills up an entire lab at the University. The machine, which executed its first program on Saturday June 21st 1948, formed the basis by which all PCs, iPods, smart phones and related technologies are built to this day.
To mark the occasion a live demonstration of the elderly computer will take place at the university, together with a special lecture on the ‘relentless march of the microchip’, live uplink to the Museum of Science and Industry and an awards ceremony for the surviving members of the team responsible for the project.
“Sixty years ago The University of Manchester won the race to create the first digital stored program computer,” said professor Alan Gilbert, president and vice chancellor of The University of Manchester. “It was an arresting achievement that put Manchester at the forefront of a global technological revolution. The University has continually built on this legacy of innovation and The School of Computer Science enjoys an international reputation for being at the very cutting edge of research in computer science and new technology.
“With excellent industry links and numerous outstanding technological spin-out companies, the influence of the computer science research being done at The University extends regionally, nationally and internationally.”
