CHM Blog

Remarkable People

Hidden Figures No Longer

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Throughout computing history, there are many inspirational stories of how technology came about through hard work, determination, and overcoming odds. Unfortunately, many of these stories have not been told until recently. One of these untold stories concerns the inspiring women behind the early days of NASA who pitche

From the Collection, Software History Center

NeXT: Steve Jobs’ dot com IPO that Never Happened

Tuesday, February 7, 2017

Had Steve Jobs’ first company not bought his second, history likely would have been very different. Apple might not exist today. No iPhone. But what could have happened to NeXT?

CHM Live

There Is No “I” in Software: How GitHub Helps Teams Code

Tuesday, January 24, 2017

Google, NASA, and the White House are just a few of the superstars you can find on social coding site GitHub. With 19 million users, the company features everything from open source fonts to code allowing nonprofits to save and analyze electronic health records in Africa. Developers around the world use GitHub to share

Curatorial Insights

Computers & The Oscars—Best Animated Short Film

Monday, January 23, 2017

Outside of my life as a curator, I work with several film festivals as a film programmer. I am heavily invested in the Oscars every year, and most deeply involved with the Oscar for Best Animated Short Film. Having seen every Oscar nominee in the category since 1980, and nearly two-thirds of all the rest, I can say tha

Education

Merging Learning and Design: The Makings of CHM’s New Education Center

Tuesday, January 10, 2017

This is the first post in an ongoing series about the making of the Computer History Museum’s Education Center.

Behind the Scenes

A Look Back at 2016 on @CHM

Friday, January 6, 2017

The start of a new year is always an exciting time, a time when the world brims with potential, a time when anything is possible. It’s also a time to reflect on the last year, accomplishments and achievements, what worked and what didn’t.

CHM Live

The Preservation Game: How Social Media Saved Bletchley Park

Tuesday, December 27, 2016

In 2003, Dr. Sue Black encountered a sight that made her ashamed to be British. She was visiting Bletchley Park, the home of 10,000 men and women who worked to decode German messages during World War II. Although the work done at this historic location is estimated to have saved 22 million lives and is often referred t

Exponential Center

Fairchild, Fairchildren, and the Family Tree of Silicon Valley

Tuesday, December 20, 2016

Through an unprecedented series of technical, business, and cultural innovations, Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation spawned hundreds of ventures that established Silicon Valley as a world center of entrepreneurial activity and technological leadership. Although the firm’s market valuation never exceeded $2.5 billion,

Remarkable People

Remembering Erich Bloch (January 9, 1925–November 25, 2016)

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

Though Erich Bloch was less visible to most of the computing community, his contributions most likely impacted your life. As a pioneer who made his first contribution as the project engineer on the legendary IBM Stretch and who was responsible for manufacturing the IBM System/360, his work changed the fortunes of IBM t

CHM Live, Exponential Center

The Next Billion: A Conversation with Kiva Executive Chair Julie Hanna

Thursday, December 8, 2016

During our wide-ranging discussion, Julie shared her insights on important questions, including: How are entrepreneurs changing the lives of the next billion? How is technology being used as a force for democratization of access and opportunity? Where are hot spots around the world for entrepreneurship and what can Sil