April 10, 1943 – Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania begin working on the Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer (ENIAC). This work would be kept in secret since it was meant for military purposes. Once completed, it would become the first large-scale computer to run at electric speed. The ENIAC was able to make calculations at a rate one thousand times faster than any other computer before it.
In 1946 on Valentine’s Day, the world began a love affair with the ENIAC upon its unveiling at the University of Pennsylvania. The famous computer weighed 30 tons and took up over 1,500 square feet. It also comprised of around 18,000 vacuum tubes and calculated at an incredible speed for the time of 5,000 operations per second.
Read more about the Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer.
