What Happened on July 14th

Computer pioneer and MIT professor Jay Forrester was born. With Robert Everett, Forrester led one of the most important early computer projects, the Whirlwind.

Completed in 1951, the Whirlwind could store 2,048 16-digit words with its 4,500 vacuum tubes taking up more than 3,000 square feet of space. Forrester called the computer a reliable operating system, as it was capable of running 35 hours per week at 90-percent utility.