This article is a supplemental part of the History of computing series.

History of computing hardware (before 1960s)

History of computing hardware (1960s-present)

History of operating systems

This article presents a detailed timeline of events in the history of computing. For a narrative explaining the overall developments, see the related History of computing.

Computing timelines: 500 BC-1949, 1950-1979, 1980-1989, 1990-present

Resources:

• Stephen White: A Brief History of Computing, http://ox.compsoc.net/~swhite/history.html. An excellent Computer history site; the above is a modified version of his timeline, used with permission.
• The Computer History Graphing Project tries to build a graphical image of computer history, in particular operating systems, http://comp-hist.sourceforge.net/

See also:

• History of computing hardware - up to third generation (1960s)
• History of computing hardware (1960s-present) - third generation and later
• Programming language timeline
• Operating systems timeline
• Commercial computer apps timeline
• Computer science timeline
• History of the graphical user interface
• History of the Internet

Graphical Timeline

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1. bar:periods

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  barset:hardware_systems
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  bar:section4
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1. bar:periods
2. from:1964 till:1972 text:"3rd Generation" width:16"

1. at:1975 text"Microsoft founded"
2. at:1976 text"Apple Computer founded"
3. at:1983 text"Borland founded"

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  bar:title    from:start till:end text:"History of Computing" fontsize:XL anchor:middle align:center width:25 color:canvas mark:(line,canvas)
  bar:section1 from:start till:end text:"Predictions/(Concepts)"
  bar:section2 from:start till:end text:"First use/(Inventions)"
  bar:section3 from:start till:end text:"Hardware Systems/(Processors)"
  bar:section4 from:start till:end text:"Operating Systems"
  bar:section5 from:start till:end text:"Programming Languages"
  bar:section6 from:start till:end text:"New Application Areas"

  shift:(5,-5)
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  width:8
  barset:quotes
  at:1943 text:"'I think there is a world market for maybe five computers.' Thomas J. Watson, chairman of IBM"
  at:1949 text:"'Computers in the future may weigh no more than 1.5 tons'"
  at:1950 text:"'"We'll have to think up bigger problems if we want to keep them busy.' Howard Aiken"
  at:1950 text:"(Turing Test)~_Alan Turing"
  shift:(5,5)
  at:1965 text:"Moore's law: processor complexity will double every year,~revised in 1975: complexity will double every two years. Gordon E. Moore"

1. barset:skip

  shift:(5,-5)
  at:1977 align:right shift:(-5,-5) text:"'There is no reason anyone would want a computer~in their home' (Ken Olson, Chairman DEC)"
  shift:(5,5)
  at:1981 text:"(Quantum Computer )~_Richard Feynmann

  fontsize:S
  barset:first_use
  shift:(5,-5)
  at:1940 text:"teletype"
  at:1947 text:"(transistor)"
  at:1948 text:"random access memory"
  at:1948 text:"magnetic drum"
  at:1949 text:"registers "
  at:1953 text:"magnetic core memory"
  at:1956 text:"hard disk"
  at:1957 text:"dot matrix printer"
  at:1958 text:"integrated circuit"
  at:1962 text:"spooling,~interrupts ,~virtual memory~paging~(ATLAS )"
  barset:skip
  barset:break
  at:1963 text:"mouse"
  at:1965 text:"time-sharing"
  at:1965 text:"fuzzy logic"
  at:1965 text:"packet switching"
  at:1969 text:"ARPANET precursor~of Internet"
  barset:skip
  at:1969 text:"RS-232"
  at:1970 text:"dynamic RAM"
  at:1971 text:"floppy disk"
  at:1971 text:"microprocessor~(4004)"
  barset:skip
  at:1972 text:"game console~(PONG)"
  barset:skip
  at:1973 text:"TCP/IP 1982 ??"
  at:1973 text:"ethernet"
  at:1975 text:"single-board~computer "
  barset:break
  at:1976 text:"laser printer"
  at:1976 text:"supercomputer~(Cray)"
  barset:skip
  at:1979 text:"compact disk"
  at:1981 text:"WIMP (GUI)"
  at:1981 text:"CGA video card"
  at:1982 text:"MIDI"
  at:1982 text:"RISC cpu"
  at:1982 text:"portable~PC"
  barset:skip
  barset:skip
  at:1983 text:"math~coprocessor"
  barset:skip
  at:1983 text:"PC harddisk"
  at:1984 text:"GNU project"
  at:1984 text:"DNS (Domain~Name Server)"
  barset:skip
  at:1984 text:"[[[Advanced Technology Attachment|IDE]] interface"
  at:1985 text:"Expanded Memory"
  at:1985 text:"Postscript"
  barset:break
  at:1985 text:"EGA video card"
  at:1985 text:"CD_ROM"
  at:1986 text:"SCSI interface"
  at:1987 text:"massive parallel~computing~(Connection Machine)"
  barset:skip
  barset:skip
  at:1987 text:"VGA video card"
  at:1987 text:"PC sound card (AD-LIB)"
  at:1988 text:"optical chip"
  at:1988 text:"EISA bus"
  at:1989 text:"ATA interface"
  at:1990 text:"SVGA video card,~VESA driver"
  barset:skip
  at:1991 text:"ISA bus"
  at:1992 text:"CD-I"
  at:1994 text:"DNA computing"

1. major or well known operating systems selection based on
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_computing_500_BC-1949

  barset:hardware_systems

  at:1940 text:"Model I~Relay Calculator"
  barset:skip
  at:1941 text:"Atanasoff~Berry Computer "
  barset:skip
  at:1941 text:"Z3"
  at:1943 text:"Harvard Mark I"
  at:1943 text:"Relay Interpolator"
  at:1943 text:"Colossus"
  at:1946 text:"ENIAC"
  barset:break
  at:1962 text:"ATLAS "
  at:1964 text:"IBM 360"
  at:1964 text:"DEC PDP-8"
  at:1965 text:"CDC 6600~1st supercomputer"
  barset:skip
  at:1971 text:"electronic~calculator~TI"
  barset:skip
  at:1971 text:"(4004)"
  at:1972 text:"scientific~calculator~HP"
  barset:skip
  at:1972 text:"(8008)"
  at:1972 text:"1st 32-bit~ supermini"
  barset:skip
  at:1974 text:"(8080)"
  at:1974 text:"(MC 6800)"
  at:1974 text:"Altair 8800~personal~computer"
  barset:skip
  barset:break
  at:1976 text:"(Z80)"
  at:1976 text:"(6502)"
  at:1976 text:"Cray-1"
  at:1977 text:"Apple II"
  at:1977 text:"TRS-80"
  at:1978 text:"(8086)"
  at:1979 text:"PET"
  at:1979 text:"(68000)"
  at:1980 text:"VIC-20"
  at:1980 text:"ZX80"
  at:1981 text:"8010 ~'Star'"
  barset:skip
  at:1981 text:"ZX81"
  at:1981 text:"IBM PC"
  at:1982 text:"BBC~Micro "
  barset:skip
  at:1982 text:"C64"
  barset:break
  at:1982 text:"(80286)"
  at:1982 text:"Compaq~Portable"
  barset:skip
  at:1982 text:"ZX Spectrum"
  at:1983 text:"Lisa"
  at:1983 text:"IBM XT"
  at:1983 text:"IBM PC jr"
  at:1983 text:"Macintosh"
  at:1984 text:"LaserJet printer"
  at:1984 text:"IBM AT"
  at:1985 text:"Amiga 1000"
  at:1985 text:"Atari ST"
  at:1986 text:"Amstrad 1512"
  at:1987 text:"Acorn Archimedes"
  at:1987 text:"Connection Machine"
  at:1987 text:"IBM PS/2"
  barset:break
  at:1989 text:"(80486)"
  at:1993 text:"(66 MHz Pentium)"
  at:1998 text:"iMac"
  at:1999 text:"PowerMac"
  at:2000 text:"(1 GHz Pentium)"
  at:2003 text:"PowerPC G5
  at:2003 text:"Athlon 64

1. major or well known operating systems selection based on
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operating_systems_timeline

  barset:operating_systems

  at:1959 text:"GM Research OS for IBM 701"
  at:1961 text:"CTSS"
  at:1965 text:"OS/360"
  at:1965 text:"Multics"
  at:1967 text:"CP/CMS"
  at:1969 text:"ACP"
  at:1969 text:"Unix"
  at:1972 text:"VM/CMS"
  at:1974 text:"MVS"
  at:1976 text:"CP/M"
  at:1978 text:"Apple DOS 3.1"
  at:1978 text:"VMS"
  at:1980 text:"OS-9"
  at:1981 text:"MS-DOS"
  at:1982 text:"SunOS"
  at:1983 text:"Lisa OS"
  barset:break
  at:1984 text:"Macintosh OS"
  at:1985 text:"AmigaOS"
  at:1985 text:"Atari TOS"
  at:1985 text:"Windows 1.0"
  at:1986 text:"AIX"
  at:1986 text:"GS-OS"
  at:1986 text:"HP-UX"
  at:1987 text:"IRIX"
  at:1987 text:"Minix"
  at:1987 text:"OS/2"
  at:1987 text:"Windows 2.0"
  at:1988 text:"OS/400"
  at:1989 text:"NeXTSTEP"
  at:1989 text:"RISC OS"
  at:1989 text:"SCO Unix"
  at:1990 text:"BeOS"
  at:1990 text:"OSF/1"
  at:1991 text:"Linux"
  barset:break
  at:1992 text:"Solaris"
  at:1992 text:"Windows 3.1"
  at:1993 text:"Windows NT 3.1"
  at:1994 text:"Red Hat Linux"
  at:1995 text:"OpenBSD"
  at:1995 text:"OS/390"
  at:1995 text:"Windows 95"
  at:1996 text:"Debian GNU/Linux"
  at:1997 text:"Mac OS 7.6"
  at:1998 text:"Windows 98"
  at:1999 text:"Mac OS 8"
  at:2000 text:"Mac OS 9"
  at:2000 text:"Windows ME"
  at:2000 text:"Windows 2000"
  at:2001 text:"Mac OS X"
  at:2001 text:"Windows XP"
  at:2001 text:"z/OS"
  at:2003 text:"Windows~Server~2003 " shift:(5,1)

1. major or well known programming languages & dev tools selection based on
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_programming_languages
3. generally only first versions are listed

  barset:sys_dev_software
  at:1945 text:"Plankalkül"
  at:1952 text:"A-0"
  at:1954 text:"Mark I"
  at:1954 text:"FORTRAN"
  at:1958 text:"Algol 58"
  at:1959 text:"LISP"
  at:1960 text:"COBOL"
  at:1962 text:"APL"
  barset:break
  at:1962 text:"Simula"
  at:1964 text:"PL/I"
  at:1964 text:"BASIC"
  at:1968 text:"Logo"
  at:1971 text:"Pascal"
  at:1972 text:"Smalltalk"
  at:1972 text:"C"
  at:1972 text:"PROLOG"
  barset:break
  at:1978 text:"VISICALC"
  at:1979 text:"REXX"
  at:1979 text:"DBASE-II"
  at:1983 text:"Ada"
  at:1983 text:"C++"
  barset:skip
  at:1983 text:"Turbo~Pascal "
  barset:break
  at:1985 text:"PARADOX "
  at:1985 text:"PostScript"
  at:1986 text:"Eiffel"
  at:1987 text:"HyperTalk"
  at:1987 text:"SQL"
  at:1987 text:"Perl"
  at:1991 text:"Python"
  at:1991 text:"Visual Basic"
  barset:break
  at:1993 text:"AppleScript"
  at:1995 text:"Delphi"
  at:1995 text:"JavaScript"
  at:1995 text:"Java"
  at:1997 text:"PHP"
  at:2000 text:"D"
  at:2000 text:"C#"
  at:2001 text:"KYLIX"

  barset:applications
  at:1951 text:"electronic music"
  at:1960 text:"compiler compiler"
  at:1962 text:"computer game "
  at:1965 text:"bulletin board"
  at:1965 text:"email (CTSS)"
  at:1965 text:"super computing"
  at:1968 text:"interactive computing~(mouse, windows, hypertext,~full screen word processing)"
  barset:skip
  barset:skip
  barset:break
  at:1969 text:"networking"
  at:1970 text:"flight data processor"
  at:1972 text:"arcade video game"
  at:1977 text:"spreadsheet"
  at:1979 text:"Usenet"
  at:1984 text:"WYSIWIG  word processing"
  at:1989 text:"World Wide Web"
  at:1995 text:"wikis"
  at:1997 text:"Weblog"

1. extra years

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  at:1940 text:40
  at:1950 text:50
  at:1960 text:60
  at:1970 text:70
  at:1980 text:80
  at:1990 text:90
  shift:(-10,-8)
  at:2000 text:2000
  bar:dummy2
  shift:(2,-8)
  at:1940 text:40
  at:1950 text:50
  at:1960 text:60
  at:1970 text:70
  at:1980 text:80
  at:1990 text:90
  shift:(-10,-8)
  at:2000 text:2000
  bar:dummy3
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  at:1940 text:40
  at:1950 text:50
  at:1960 text:60
  at:1970 text:70
  at:1980 text:80
  at:1990 text:90
  shift:(-10,-8)
  at:2000 text:2000
  bar:dummy4
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  at:1940 text:40
  at:1950 text:50
  at:1960 text:60
  at:1970 text:70
  at:1980 text:80
  at:1990 text:90
  shift:(-10,-8)
  at:2000 text:2000
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  at:1940 text:40
  at:1950 text:50
  at:1960 text:60
  at:1970 text:70
  at:1980 text:80
  at:1990 text:90
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  at:2000 text:2000

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