Fifty years since the birth of the modern computer
17 June 1998 - 17 June 1998
United Kingdom
A golden anniversary conference, being held to celebrate the first successful operation, on 21 June 1948, of the world's first stored-programme computer, will be hosted by the University of Manchester, UK, from 17 to 19 June 1998.
The first stored-programme computer, known as the Small-Scale Experimental Machine (SSEM) or the "Baby", allowed a user to store and run any programme on it, setting it apart from any previous machine. A second, more powerful machine - the Manchester Mark 1 - was developed from the Baby, and by 1949, this was being used by scientific researchers in the University of Manchester. By 1951, general purpose computers, developed from these first machines, were available commercially.
The three-day event will be launched on 17 June with a presentation on the background to the first computer, and an address from Professor Tom Kilburn, who helped successfully run the first programme. The first machine has been reconstructed, and will be switched on on 17 June. The second day will focus on the computing achievements of the University of Manchester, and the links forged with industry to ensure innovative designs become products. The final day will look at current research in the department, and future developments from both academic and industrial perspectives.
A whole range of events have been organized to complement the main conference, and these will look at many aspects of the development of computers. Full information on all these events can be found on the Website set up for the 50th anniversary, at:
http://www.computer50.org/(opens in new window)
For further information, please contact:
University of Manchester
Department of Computer Science
1998 Conference Office
Professor Hilary Kahn or Mrs. Suzanne Briscoe
Oxford Road
Manchester M13 9PL
United Kingdom
Fax +44-161-2756280
E-mail: anniv98@cs.man.ac.uk
URL: http://www.computer50.org/(opens in new window)
The first stored-programme computer, known as the Small-Scale Experimental Machine (SSEM) or the "Baby", allowed a user to store and run any programme on it, setting it apart from any previous machine. A second, more powerful machine - the Manchester Mark 1 - was developed from the Baby, and by 1949, this was being used by scientific researchers in the University of Manchester. By 1951, general purpose computers, developed from these first machines, were available commercially.
The three-day event will be launched on 17 June with a presentation on the background to the first computer, and an address from Professor Tom Kilburn, who helped successfully run the first programme. The first machine has been reconstructed, and will be switched on on 17 June. The second day will focus on the computing achievements of the University of Manchester, and the links forged with industry to ensure innovative designs become products. The final day will look at current research in the department, and future developments from both academic and industrial perspectives.
A whole range of events have been organized to complement the main conference, and these will look at many aspects of the development of computers. Full information on all these events can be found on the Website set up for the 50th anniversary, at:
http://www.computer50.org/(opens in new window)
For further information, please contact:
University of Manchester
Department of Computer Science
1998 Conference Office
Professor Hilary Kahn or Mrs. Suzanne Briscoe
Oxford Road
Manchester M13 9PL
United Kingdom
Fax +44-161-2756280
E-mail: anniv98@cs.man.ac.uk
URL: http://www.computer50.org/(opens in new window)