Learn an interesting fact to share with friends and increase your Geek Cred!
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.
In 1983, Radio Shack announced the Tandy TRS-80 Model 2000 computer. The Tandy TRS-80 Model 2000 computer featured an 8 MHz Intel 80186 processor, 128KB RAM, two 720KB disk drives, and the MS-DOS 2.0 operating system for $2,999. It was the only computer to have
In 1975, the name “Micro-soft” was first used in a letter from Bill Gates to Paul Allen. Microsoft Inc. incorporated in the state of Washington in 1981 with Bill Gates as President and the Chairman of the Board and Paul Allen as Executive VP. Learn
In 1948 , the first instant camera, Polaroid Land Camera, went on sale at a Boston department store for $89.75. The camera, invented by Dr. Edwin Land, produced a sepia-colored photograph in approximately one minute. Land’s one-step process for developing and printing photographs revolutionized photography. Learn
In 1885, the earliest photograph of a meteor shower, Andromedids, was made. Andromedids had incredible displays of several thousand meteors per hour on November 27th in 1872 and 1885. Currently, there are only displays of less than three meteors per hour around November 14th. Learn
In 1832, Dr. Mary Edwards Walker , the first female surgeon in the U.S. Army, was born. Dr. Walker was the first woman ever awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. Later revoked in 1917 over some confusion about rightful recipients of the award, it was later
In 1905 , the first U.S. advertisement for a radio receiver is published in the journal, Scientific American. The ad was for a telegraph transmitter, priced at $8.50, from The Electro Importing Company, which imported specialized electronic equipment from Europe and helped to supply many of
In 1639, the first known observations and recording of a transit of Venus were made. The observations were made by the English astronomers Jeremiah Horrocks and William Crabtree. Horrocks was able to make three measurements and calculate for Venus its transit path, angular size, and
In 1992, the first smartphone, IBM Simon, was introduced at COMDEX in Las Vegas, Nevada. The IBM Simon Personal Communicator sported many of the features considered standard for smartphones today – a touchscreen (albeit monochrome), icons, email, calendar, predictive typing and even a game, Scramble.
In 1904 , the first U.S. direct current, electric motor patent was issued to Mathias Pfatischer. Alternating current (AC) machines largely replaced DC machines in most applications following the invention of the induction motor. Learn more at http://ecmweb.com/archive/direct-current-motor-basics.
In 1877 , Thomas Edison announced the invention of his “talking machine.” Later dubbed the phonograph, the “talking machine” recorded and played sound using a tin-foil cylinder. Learn more at http://lightandsound.net.au/HistoryOfTalkingMachine.htm .
In 1889, Edwin Powell Hubble was born. A pioneer in extragalactic research, he died on September 28th, 1953. Learn more at http://www.biography.com/people/edwin-hubble-9345936.
In 1981, Radio Corporation of America (RCA) launched the SATCOM 3-R satellite. This satellite was a replacement for SATCOM 3, which vanished upon firing of the apogee motor. SATCOM 3-R was the first of two RCA satellites to be exclusively dedicated for use by the
In 1962, Danish physicist Niels Bohr died at the age of 77. Neils Bohr is best known for his model of the atom. With his model, Bohr explained how electrons could jump from one orbit to another only by emitting or absorbing energy in fixed
