Feature 80 years ago, IBM Harvard University presented one of the world's earliest computers: the Automated Sequence Controlled Calculator (ASCC), later known as the Harvard Mark I.
One day a computer gets a place on a desk (1974) | Retro focus
Harvard Mark 1 – Image: Public domain, Wikimedia
The computer was the brainchild of Howard Aiken, who convinced IBM Corp that the project was a good idea in the late 1930s. IBM's president at the time, Thomas Watson, thought the machine would be a good showcase for Big Blue's capabilities, and with additional funding from the US Navy, IBM began building the machine in 1939.
Construction took nearly four years and was completed in 1943. The computer was dismantled and shipped to Harvard in 1944. It was declared operational in May of that year and officially unveiled at a dedication ceremony on August 7, 1944. Just over 80 years ago.
