Learn an interesting fact to share with friends and increase your Geek Cred!
In 1962, Mariner 2 made the first flyby of another planet, Venus. Mariner 2 was a backup for the Mariner 1 mission. Mariner 1 failed shortly after launch to Venus. Learn more at http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraftDisplay.do?id=1962-041A.
Geek Fact for December 14th Read More »
In 1982, Atari released the 1200XL home computer. Priced starting at $900, the Atari 1200XL featured a 1.79MHz MOS 6502C processor, 64KB RAM, and 256 color capability. Learn more at http://www.atarimuseum.com/computers/8BITS/1200xl/1200xl.html.
Geek Fact for December 13th Read More »
In 1901, Guglielmo Marconi sent the first transatlantic radio signal. The signals were sent from Cornwall, England to St. John’s, Newfoundland. Learn more at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/1701461.stm.
Geek Fact for December 12th Read More »
In 1882, physicist Max Born was born. Max Born’s studies of the wave function led to a reassessment of the original quantum theory. Learn more at http://www.nndb.com/people/507/000071294/.
Geek Fact for December 11th Read More »
In 1889, George Eastman received a patent for the first flexible celluloid film, Soon after being granted the patent, George Eastman introduced roll film, which moved photography into the mainstream. Learn more at http://www.madehow.com/inventorbios/19/George-Eastman.html.
Geek Fact for December 10th Read More »
In 1960, the Sperry Rand Corporation unveiled the Univac 1107. The Univac 1107 was the first computer to use thin film magnetic memory technology. This technology employed a four millionths of an inch thick layer of iron-nickel alloy on glass plates. Learn more at http://www.ed-thelen.org/comp-hist/BRL61-u2.html.
Geek Fact for December 9th Read More »
In 1975 , Byte Shop, the first retail computer store chain in the United States, opened in Mountain View, California. The Byte Shop is most famous for placing an order for the first fifty Apple I computers from Apple Computer. Owner Paul Jay Terrell’s order not
Geek Fact for December 8th Read More »
In 1945, Percy Spencer patented the microwave oven. Percy Spencer was working on developing a radar machine that involved microwave radiation for the Raytheon Manufacturing Corporation when he accidentally discovered that microwaves could heat food. Learn more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Percy_Spencer.
Geek Fact for December 7th Read More »
In 1768, the first edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica was published. Encyclopedia Britannica, Latin for British Encyclopedia, eventually became the oldest continuously published English-language encyclopedia. Learn more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Encyclopædia_Britannica.
Geek Fact for December 6th Read More »
In 1893 , the first electric car is built in Toronto, Canada. The result of a collaboration between patent attorney Frederick Featherstonhaugh, engineer William Still and carriage maker John Dixon, Featherstonhaugh drove his electric car for 15 years. Learn more at http://blogs.autonet.ca/time_machines/general/canadas-first-cars/.
Geek Fact for December 5th Read More »
In 1998, the Space Shuttle Endeavour was launched on the first mission to begin assembling the International Space Station (ISS). Two days later, the U.S.-built connecting node, Unity, was coupled with the Russian-built control module, Zarya, which means Sunrise, and the space station was a
Geek Fact for December 4th Read More »
In 1968, Control Data Corporation (CDC) announced the CDC 7600 supercomputer, considered by many to be the first true supercomputer. The CDC 7600 was capable of 15 million computations per second and placed CDC as the leader in the supercomputer industry. Learn more at http://www.computerhistory.org/VirtualVisibleStorage/artifact_main.php?tax_id=03.04.01.00#5.
Geek Fact for December 3rd Read More »
In 1993, NASA launched the Space Shuttle Endeavour with an IBM ThinkPad 750 on board. On a mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope, the crew used a notebook computer in space for the first time. The IBM ThinkPad 750 was used to observe color
Geek Fact for December 2nd Read More »
In 1936, Bell Labs tested coaxial cable for televisions for the first time. Coaxial cable was invented and patented by English engineer and mathematician Oliver Heaviside. Learn more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coaxial_cable.
Geek Fact for December 1st Read More »
