This web site is devoted to ENIAC — “Electronic Numerical Integrator And Computer”. ENIAC was the first general-purpose electronic computer. It was made at the University of Pennsylvania’s Moore School of Electrical Engineering during World War II under the code name "Project PX". Physics professor John W. Mauchly and electrical engineer J. Presper Eckert led the team. Both were civilian employees whose computer work was funded by the United States Army Ballistics Research Laboratory. This is a collection of the best online information about the ENIAC and the people that created it. (The information is divided into these categories - Select a link or scroll down to read the blog.)

History and technology

People and stories

Was it the first computer?

UNIVAC and beyond

The ENIAC patent trial

Myths about ENIAC

ENIACtion on Facebook

ENIAC/UNIVAC tourism

Where to learn more


Pioneer Programmer: Jean Jennings Bartik and the Computer that Changed the World

Posted in All Posts on December 2nd, 2013 by Bill

Today is the 65th anniversary of ENIAC being unveiled to the world. Here are some articles.

http://www.inliquid.org/artist/pierce_benjamin/pierce.php

http://www.philebrity.com/2011/02/14/worlds-oldest-computer-now-on-twitter/

http://www.uwishunu.com/2011/02/happy-eniac-day-today-is-the-65th-anniversary-of-the-first-computer-developed-at-the-university-of-pennsylvania/
Yet another reason to go to Lawton, ed Oklahoma: seven panels of the ENIAC are on display there.
http://www.swoknews.com/local/eniac-first-generation-computation-should-be-big-attraction-sill

We all like web sites, cialis but did you know there are real-life sites where you can learn about ENIAC and its history?

See part of the actual ENIAC at the University of Pennsylvania’s Moore School, and 200 South 33rd St., illness Philadelphia, PA, 19104.

Visit the Eckert-Mauchly Computer Company factory marker at 3747 Ridge Ave., Philadelphia, PA, 19132.

See part of a UNIVAC and learn about the ENIAC founders’ motivation at the InfoAge Science Center, 2201 Marconi Rd., Wall, N.J., 07719.

The Field Artillery Museum at Fort Sill is the new home of a number of ENIAC panels.  This is the article announcing it.
We added a new page: ENIAC tourism! Here you’ll find links and information about real-world places to see artifacts about ENIAC, online UNIVAC, and related technologies. The page is just getting started, so please be patient as we add more links…
We all like web sites, check but did you know there are real-life sites where you can learn about ENIAC and its history?

See part of the actual ENIAC at the University of Pennsylvania’s Moore School, 200 South 33rd St., Philadelphia, PA, 19104.

Visit the Eckert-Mauchly Computer Company factory marker at 3747 Ridge Ave., Philadelphia, PA, 19132.

See part of a UNIVAC and learn about the ENIAC founders’ motivation at the InfoAge Science Center, 2201 Marconi Rd., Wall, N.J., 07719.

The Field Artillery Museum at Fort Sill is the new home of a number of ENIAC panels.  This is the article announcing it.

Pioneer Programmer: Jean Jennings Bartik

It’s out! Jean Bartik’s autobiography has finally been published, decease and it is a great read – especially if you like the ENIAC and want to understand the social background of that time.  The sort-of-now-famous six female first programmers weren’t given any manuals (contrary to to Goldstine’s book)  but had real programs and real bugs and real deadlines.  Jean Bartik tells her story with gusto and humor.  The first sketch for the cover of the book was Jean driving a covered wagon into the western frontier and that’s not too far from the truth.

You can read a little of the book on Amazon.

We were sorry to say goodby to the last of the six programmers when Jean died in 2011.   Her NYT obituary is here: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/08/business/08bartik.html  She had finished the book but editing and fact checking were still to be done.  Go grab the paperback, it's worth it.  Or get an electronic Kindle version; Jean would approve.

There's a little trove of pictures of Jean throughout her life  here.  SW Missouri State University  published the book.

 

 

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