"... the most exciting time was June 1948 when the first machine
worked. Without question. Nothing could ever compare with that."
Tom Kilburn, Autumn 1992 (2)
| 1942-46 |
War
Work on Radar at TRE Malvern Member of F.C. Williams' electronic
problem-solving group at TRE. |
| 1947 |
The
Williams-Kilburn Tube and the Baby
First
effective storage device for electronic computers (2048 bits
on a CRT) |
| 1948 |
June "Baby", first
working electronic stored-program computer ("ESPC")
The
Manchester and Ferranti Mark 1s
Oct Basic
design of Manchester Mark 1 |
| 1949 |
Apr Intermediary
Version working (first full-sized ESPC)
Oct Full
Manchester Mark 1 working (first ESPC with address registers
and two-level store) -- |
| 1951 |
Feb First
Ferranti Mark 1 delivered (first production ESPC).
Tom
Kilburn takes over leadership of computer development from
F.C. Williams. Computing Service started for wide range of
organisations (becomes
an independent service late 1960s). |
| 1953 |
MEG
and the Transistor Computer working |
| 1954 |
Ffloating-point computer, MEG |
| 1955 |
Expanded TC version (turned
into production MV950 in 1956). MEG becomes production Ferranti
Mercury 1957. |
| 1956 |
MUSE/Atlas
project started; aim 1,000 times faster than Mark 1s. Massive
innovative effort moving from early '50s computer state to mid
'60s. Effort required on 3 fronts: hardware techniques, operating
systems and multi compiler production |
| 1959 |
Ferranti joins project, renamed Atlas |
| 1962 |
Atlas starts working |
| 1963 |
Software fully working. Arguably
most powerful and sophisticated computer in the world. In
general the innovation matches simultaneous leading-edge projects
in US, but is carried out largely independent of them. Main unique
features Virtual Memory and (Brooker's) Compiler Compiler. |
| 1964 |
The
Department of Computer Science First UK (European?) Computer
Science department. |
| 1966-74 |
MU5 New
machine with architecture dedicated to high-level language requirements.
1970 Makes major contribution to new
ICL 2900 series architecture. |
| 1972 |
Working with major O/S and
compiler production system (under Derrick Morris) fully operational
in 1973. |
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