This day in history...

Jack Kilby

The Computer History Museum maintains a fascinating and informative "This Day in History" web archive. Make a habit of checking it out to see the people and events in computing history that have helped shape the modern world. Today (Feb 5) for example: "Jack Kilby of Texas Instruments files a patent application called miniaturized electronic circuits for his work on a multi-transistor device. The patent was only one of 60 that Kilby holds. While Kilby has the earliest patent on the integrated circuit, it was Robert Noyce, later co-founder of Intel, whose parallel work resulted in a practical device. Kilby's device had several transistors connected by flying wires while Noyce devised the idea of interconnection via a layer of metal conductors. Noyce also adapted Jean Hoerni's planar technique for making transistors to the manufacture of more complex circuits."