| 1917 | Nov | Tadao Kashio is born in Nangoku City, in Japan. (13) |
| 1920 | Feb 7 | An Wang is born in Shanghai, China. (1) |
| 1923 | Nov 8 | Jack Sinclair Kilby is born in Jefferson City, Missouri. (2) |
| 1927 | Dec 12 | Robert Norton Noyce is born in Burlington, Iowa. (2) |
| 1937 | Oct 28 | Marcian Hoff is born in Rochester, New York. (3) |
| 1939 | William Hewlett obtains his degree in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University. (5) | |
| Jan | William Hewlett and David Packard found Hewlett-Packard in the garage of a Palo Alto house with an investment of $538. (3) (4) (5) | |
| 1943 | Apr | Tadao Kashio founds Kashio Seisakujo - a metal shop. (13) |
| 1945 | An Wang immigrates to the US. (1) | |
| 1948 | Jun | Dr. An Wang obtains his Ph.D. Degree in Applied Physics at Harvard University. (1) |
| 1949 | Sep | Tadao Kashio sees an electric calculator for the first time in a business show in Tokio, and with his brother Toshio decides to build a solenoid calculator. (13) |
| Oct 21 | An Wang files his patent application for a "Pulse Transfer Controlling Device." (1) | |
| 1950 | Hewlett-Packard, with 200 employees, had grown to be one of the largest manufacturers of test and measurement electronic instruments. (5) | |
| Jack Kilby gets an EEMS from the University of Wisconsin. (2) | ||
| Tadao Kasio's brothers, Kasuo and Yukio joins efforts with Tadao and Toshio, and complete the development of their first solenoid calculator. (13) | ||
| 1951 | Jun 22 | Dr. An Wang founds Wang Laboratories with $600 of his savings. (1) |
| 1953 | Robert Noyce obtains his Ph.D. in Physics at the MIT. (2) | |
| 1955 | May 17 | Dr. An Wang is granted patent 2,708,722 for a "Pulse Transfer Controlling Device." (1) |
| Jun 30 | Wang Laboratories is officially incorporated. (1) | |
| 1956 | Mar | Dr. An Wang assigns his patent to IBM. (1) |
| Kashio brothers redesign the solenoid calculator to use relays. Prototype weighed 120 kg and was 1 meter wide. (13) | ||
| 1957 | Dr. Robert Noyce founds with other friends Fairchild Semiconductor Corp. (2) | |
| Jun 1 | Kashio brothers found Casio Computer Co., Ltd. to manufacture relay calculators, and introduce its first model, the Casio 14-A, based in 342 relays. (13) | |
| 1958 | Jack Kilby joins Texas Instruments. (2) | |
| 1959 | Jack Kilby from Texas Instruments and Robert Noyce from Fairchild Semiconductor co-invent the Integrated Circuit. (2) (10) | |
| Apr | Casio introduces its second relay calculator, the Casio 14-B, with square root function. (13) | |
| 1960 | Mar | Casio introduces a scientific relay calculator, the Casio 301. (13) |
| 1961 | Fairchild Semiconductor introduces the first commercial Integrated Circuits. (2) | |
| 1962 | Mar | Casio introduces a programmable scientific relay calculator, the Casio AL-1. (13) |
| Ted Hoff obtains his Ph.D. Degree in Electrical Engineering at Stanford University. (3) | ||
| 1963 | Sumlock Comptometer, in England, produces the first all-electronic calculator, the ANITA (A New Inspiration To Arithmetic). (1) (12) | |
| 1964 | Wang Laboratories designs the LOCI (Logarithmic Calculating Instrument), the first scientific electronic calculator. (1) | |
| Jul | Sharp Corp. of Japan introduces the first transistorized calculator, the SHARP CS-10A, which weighed 55 pounds. Price: $2500. (1) (8) (13) | |
| Jack Kilby and Texas Instruments are granted patent Patent No. 3,138,743 for "Miniaturized Electronic Circuits." (Integrated Circuits). (2) | ||
| VEGA - first Soviet electronic calculator (14) | ||
| 1965 | Wang Laboratories launches the WANG 300, their first electronic calculator. Price: $1,700. (1) | |
| Aug | Casio introduces its first electronic calculator, the Model 001, and stops making relay calculators. (13) | |
| Sep | Jack Kilby from Texas Instruments decides to build a hand-held calculator based on the Integrated Circuits invented by him in 1959. (8) (10) (12) | |
| 1966 | Wang Laboratories launches the WANG 370. (1) | |
| 1967 | Wang Laboratories launches the WANG 380 one of the first calculators able to generate logarithms and exponentials. Price: $3,800. (1) | |
| Mar | Texas Instruments completes the prototype of the 1st hand-held calculator "Cal-Tech." It used a thermal printer to display the results. (8) (12) | |
| Sep 29 | Jack Kilby, Jerry Merryman, and James Van Tassel of Texas Instruments apply for a patent for a hand-held calculator based in the "Cal-Tech." (8) (10) | |
| EDVM - first Soviet electronic scientific calculator. (14) | ||
| 1968 | INTEL is founded by Dr. Robert Norton Noyce and Gordon E. Moore. (3) | |
| Dr. Ted Hoff starts working for INTEL as its 12th. employee. (3) | ||
| Mar | Hewlett-Packard introduces the HP-9100, an electronic scientific desk-top calculator aimed to compete with the WANG 300 series. Price: $4,900. (4) (5) | |
| Bill Hewlett instructs his engineers at Hewlett-Packard to start the design of a scientific pocket calculator. (4) (5) | ||
| 1969 | Mostek is founded in 1969 in Carrollton Texas. (5) | |
| Oct | Casio Computer Co., Ltd. becomes a public corporation in Japan. (13) | |
| Jun | Busicom proposes INTEL the manufacture of a set of IC's designed to build a series of electronic calculators. (3) | |
| Aug | Dr. Ted Hoff explains Masatoshi Shima of Busicom his microprocessor approach. (3) | |
| Wang Laboratories launches the WANG 700 to counteract the competition imposed by the Hewlett Packard HP9100. (1) | ||
| 1970 | INTEL completes the development of the INTEL 4004 4-bit microprocessor for Busicom calculators. (3) (7) (12) | |
| Apr | Canon, Inc. and Texas Instruments introduce the "Pocketronic" in Japan based in the "Cal-Tech" calculator. $395. (8) (10) (12) | |
| Busicom introduces the desktop printing calculator, model 141-PF with the INTEL 4004 chip. (12) | ||
| 1971 | Nov | INTEL launches the INTEL 4004 chip to the market with 2300 transistors. (3) |
| Feb | Canon introduces the "Pocketronic" in the USA. $345. (8) | |
| Sep | Bowmar, a manufacturer of LED displays, introduces the 901B, perhaps the first true pocket calculator, possibly the first with an LED display, and certainly the first manufactured in the U.S. $240. (12) | |
| Sep | Commodore introduces its first calculator (manufactured by Bowmar), the C110. (11) | |
| Dr. An Wang decides to move into a new direction: word processing and computers instead of calculators. (1) | ||
| 1972 | Jan | Commodore introduces the Minuteman 1. (11) |
| Apr | INTEL launches the INTEL 8008 8-bit microprocessor with 3,500 transistors. (3) (7) | |
| Jul 1 | Hewlett Packard introduces the HP-35, the first scientific pocket calculator. $395. (5) (6) (7) (12) | |
| ARISTO, DENNER & PAPE, a slide rule manufacturer since 1872, enters the market of hand held calculators with the ARISTO M27, a four-function calculator based in TI chips. Price: 460 DM. (8) | ||
| Jun | Texas Instruments introduces its first calculator the TI-2500 "Datamath." $120. (8) | |
| Commodore introduces the Minuteman 2. (11) | ||
| Aug | Casio introduces the "Casio Mini" pocket calculator. By 1973 more than 10 million units were sold. (13) | |
| 1973 | Feb 1 | Hewlett Packard introduces the HP-80, a business model. $395. (5) (6) |
| Texas Instruments introduces the SR-50 Slide Rule Calculator - $170. (8) | ||
| May 1 | Hewlett Packard introduces the HP-45, a scientific model. $395. (5) (6) | |
| Aug 1 | Hewlett Packard introduces the HP-70, a business model. $275. (6) | |
| Aug | The USSR State Committee establishes a team to develop a hand-held electronic calculator to be manufactured in the Soviet Union. (9) | |
| Sep | National Semiconductor introduces the model 600 at $29.95. (11) (12) | |
| ARISTO, DENNER & PAPE, introduces the ARISTO M36, a four-function calculator with a memory and swap key. (8) | ||
| Commodore introduces the Minuteman 3. (11) | ||
| Dozens of companies enter the market in the 1972-1973 period. (12) | ||
| 1974 | Jan 19 | Hewlett Packard introduces the HP-65, the first scientific programmable calculator. $795. (5) (6) (12) |
| ARISTO, DENNER & PAPE, introduces the ARISTO M75, a scientific calculator. (8) | ||
| Apr | INTEL launches the INTEL-8080 8-bit microprocessor with 6,000 transistors. (3) (7) | |
| May | The USSR team completes the Elektronika B3-04 prototype. Production starts on the same year. (9) | |
| Jun 25 | Texas Instruments is granted patent 3,819,921 for a "Miniature Electronic Calculator." (8) | |
| The price wars began and Commodore introduces the low-priced 700/800 series, some sold in the $10 range. (11) | ||
| Litronix (2200 series), Casio (FX-10), Sperry Remington (SSR-8), Bowmar (MX-100), and Canon (F-5), enter into the arena. (11) | ||
| Commodore introduces their 1st scientific model the SR-1400. (11) | ||
| 1975 | Jan 1 | Hewlett Packard introduces the HP-55, a reduced version of the HP-65. $395. (5) (6) |
| Feb 1 | Hewlett Packard introduces the HP-21, a small scientific unit. $125. (6) | |
| Aug 1 | Hewlett Packard introduces the HP-22, a small
business unit. $165. (6) Hewlett Packard introduces the HP-25, a small programmable unit. (6) |
|
| Keuffel & Esser manufactures its last slide-rule. (5) | ||
| ARISTO, DENNER & PAPE manufactures its last slide-rule. (8) | ||
| Hundreds of companies manufacture thousands of different models of LED pocket calculators all around the world. (8) | ||
| Elektronika B3-18 - first Soviet pocket scientific calculator. (14) | ||
| Dec 4 | The Smithsonian Museum accepts Texas Instruments donation of the "Cal-Tech" prototype, the first hand-held calculator. (8) | |
| 1976 | Bowmar, once considered the World's largest manufacturer of calculators, files for bankruptcy. (8) | |
| The USSR launches the Elektronika B3-09 and B3-14. (9) | ||
| Mar 1 | Hewlett Packard introduces the HP-91, a "Scientific Portable Printing Calculator." $500. (6) | |
| Hewlett Packard develops the HP-95C - Never sold in the market. (6) | ||
| Jul 1 | Hewlett Packard introduces the HP-25C, HP67, and HP97. (6) | |
| 1977 | Wang Laboratories introduces the VS Wang computer line. (1) | |
| Jul 1 | Hewlett Packard introduces the HP-29C, HP10, and HP92. (6) | |
| Commodore introduces their ultimate specialized calculators: M55, N60, S61 (known as the "Series 60" line). (11) | ||
| The USSR launches the Elektronika B3-19M, the first soviet true RPN calculator and the Elektronika B3-21, the first Soviet programmable calculator. (9) (14). | ||
| Commodore introduces the PET personal computer and at that point backs away from calculators. (11) | ||
| 1978 | ARISTO, DENNER & PAPE withdraws from the calculator market. (8) | |
| Jun | INTEL launches the INTEL 8086 16-bit microprocessor with 29,000 transistors. (3) (7) | |
| 1979 | Jun | INTEL launches the INTEL 8088 16-bit microprocessor. (3) (7) |
| The USSR launches the Elektronika B3-30, with Sharp's LCD
technology. (9) The USSR launches the Elektronika MK-40 - first (and last) Soviet printer calculator. (14) |
||
| 1980 | ||
| 1982 | Feb | INTEL launches the INTEL 80286 16-bit microprocessor with 134,000 transistors. (3) |
| Dr. An Wang retires from his active involvement in Wang Laboratories. (1) | ||
| Elektronika MK-60 - first Soviet calculator with solar power. (14) | ||
| 1984 | ||
| 1985 | Oct | INTEL launches the INTEL 80386 32-bit microprocessor with 275,000 transistors. (3) |
| The USSR launches the MK-52 with EEPROM and external programs (14). | ||
| 1986 | Wang Laboratories reaches sales in the order of 3 billion dollars with 30,000 employees. (1) | |
| The MK-52 was the last Soviet-designed calculator. Soon the production of Soviet calculators was handled by Casio and Sharp in Japan. (9) | ||
| 1987 | MK-85 - first Soviet calculator with BASIC. (14) | |
| 1989 | Apr | INTEL launches the INTEL 80486 32-bit microprocessor with 1,180,235 transistors. (3) |
| Jack Kilby, Jerry Merryman, and James Van Tassel of Texas Instruments are presented the ASME Holley Medal. (10) | ||
| 1990 | Mar 24 | Dr. An Wang dies of cancer. (1) |
| Jun 3 | Dr. Robert Norton Noyce dies. (2) | |
| The war of the pocket calculators was over and a few companies survived, among them were Texas Instruments and Hewlett-Packard in the USA, and Sharp Electronics and Casio, Inc. in the Japan. (8) | ||
| 1993 | Mar | INTEL launches the PENTIUM 32-bit microprocessor with 3.1 million transistors. (3) |
| Tadao Kashio, founder of Casio Computer, Co. Ltd. dies. | ||
| 1995 | Nov | INTEL launches the PENTIUM PRO microprocessor with 5.5 million transistors. (3) |
Sources
| (1) | The Doctor and his calculators | James Redin |
| (2) | A Tale of Two Brains | James Redin |
| (3) | The calculators and the microprocessor | James Redin |
| (4) | PH or HP? | Gene Wright |
| (5) | HP or the death of the Slide Rule | James Redin |
| (6) | HP Calculator History | Wlodek Jedrzejowicz |
| (7) | The Birth of a New Age | Guy Ball |
| (8) | The Calculator Wars | James Redin |
| (9) | "Red" Calculators | Kenton Green |
| (10) | Three Men and a Chip | Irene Kim |
| (11) | Commodore Calculators | Larry Gilbert |
| (12) | How to Collect LED Pocket Calculators | Larry Gilbert |
| (13) | Creativity and Contribution | Tadao Kashio |
| (14) | Soviet Calculators History | Sergei Frolov |
