This Day in Computer History: September 19

This Day in Computer History: September 19
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This Day in Computer History :-)

1982

Research Professor Scott E. Fahlman of Carnegie Mellon University posted the landmark suggestion that users on the local bulletin board use symbols, which would later become known as emoticons, to express emotions during discussion threads. The idea would spread like wildfire, but its origin would be lost for the better part of two decades, until the original post was retrieved by Jeff Baird from the October 1982 server backup tape. The now-famous original post read:

19-Sep-82 11:44 Scott E Fahlman : - ) From: Scott E Fahlman I propose that the following character sequence for joke markers: : - ) Read it sideways. Actually, it is probably more economical to mark things that are NOT jokes, given current trends. For this, use : - (

1988

Apple Computer released the Macintosh IIx. The system featured a 16MHz Motorola 68030 CPU, a 16MHz Motorola 68882 FPU, either 1MB or 4MB of RAM (upgradeable to 128MB), a 1.4MB SuperDrive, and an 800KB floppy drive. It was the first system to feature the DOS-compatible SuperDrive, which will become one of the line’s key features, as it increasing the system’s ability to inter operate with PC systems. The IIx also features the premiere of the System 6.0.1 operating system. Code-name: Spock and Stratos Price: $7,769 or $9,300 (40MB hard drive)

1991

AT&T acquired NCR, a technology manufacturer specializing in retail systems, for $7.4 billion.

1995

The thirty-five thousand-word anti-technology manifesto written by the much-publicized Unabomber was published in the The New York Times and the Washington Post, under threat of the bomber.

1996

Apple Computer released the System 7.5.5 Macintosh operating system.

Microsoft released Windows NT version 3.51.1057 SP5, an update to the Windows NT 3.51 operating system, the last version of Windows able to operate on an Intel 80386 CPU.

1999

The website of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is deface by the hacking group “The United Loan Gunman”.

2001

The programming language Ruby 1.6.5 was released.

2005

Microsoft acquired Alacris, a relatively unknown developer of identity and access management applications, and adopted its primary software product as Microsoft’s Active Directory.

2006

Apple released an updated version of its fifth generation iPod. The update features a brighter screen, gapless playback, redesigned earphones, a search feature, and support for iPod games. The 60GB capacity models were upgraded to an 80GB capacity, and the price of both models were reduced by fifty dollars, to $249 (30GB) and $349 (80 GB), respectively.

Microsoft began testing its new video-sharing service, Soapbox, which the company hopes will compete with the popular YouTube website.

This post is part of the series: A Chronology of Computer History: This Day in History

This series provides a daily account of what happened on this day in the history of computing and technology. Discussing developments, breaking news, new releases and global implications that occurred as a result of these ground breaking events.

  1. This Day in Computer History: September 2
  2. This Day in Computer History: September 3
  3. This Day in Computer History: September 4
  4. This Day in Computer History: September 5
  5. This Day in Computer History: September 6
  6. This Day in Computer History: September 7
  7. This Day in Computer History: September 8
  8. This Day in Computer History: September 9
  9. This Day in Computer History: September 10
  10. This Day in Computer History: September 11
  11. This Day in Computer History: September 12
  12. This Day in Computer History: September 13
  13. This Day in Computer History: September 14
  14. This Day in Computer History: September 15
  15. This Day in Computer History: September 16
  16. This Day in Computer History: September 17
  17. This Day in Computer History: September 18
  18. This Day in Computer History: September 19
  19. This Day in Computer History: September 20
  20. This Day in Computer History: September 21
  21. This Day in Computer History: September 22
  22. This Day in Computer History: September 23
  23. This Day in Computer History: September 24
  24. This Day in Computer History: September 26
  25. This Day in Computer History: September 27
  26. This Day in Computer History: September 28
  27. This Day in Computer History: September 29
  28. This Day in Computer History: September 30