One of the world’s first computers, the Harvard Mark I, celebrated its 80th anniversary

The Harvard Mark I computer created by Howard Aiken was first launched at Harvard University in August 1944. It took four years to develop with the support of the War Department. The machine was the first programmable computer in the U.S. – for its time it was a real breakthrough, offering the possibility of complex mathematical calculations.

The computer performed three addition and subtraction operations in 1 second. It took 6.0 seconds to multiply complex numbers and more than 15 seconds to perform division. More complex mathematical operations required up to 60 seconds of time. Despite this “slowness”, the machine was successfully used by the military in the design of torpedoes and underwater target detection equipment, in the development of radar systems and other important equipment.

The computing capabilities of the Harvard Mark I were also used to calculate the nuclear bomb detonated over Hiroshima. The most difficult task performed on it was solving a set of differential equations known as Bessel functions. The computer worked until 1969, giving way to more modern and powerful models. It is now housed in Harvard’s science and technology complex in Allston.