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IEEE History

A look back at key moments in the history of engineering, technology, and the IEEE

The original semiconductor laser team at IBM Research, from left to right: Gerald Burns, Marshall I. Nathan, Gordon Lasher, Frederick H. Dill Jr., and William P. Dumke.

Inside the Three-Way Race to Create the Most Widely Used Laser

GE, IBM, and MIT’s Lincoln Lab announced the advance days apart

14 Jul 2024

6 min read

The Institute History of Technology IEEE History Article

Edith Clarke: Architect of Modern Power Distribution

The first U.S. woman EE designed the Hoover Dam’s turbine system

10 Jul 2024

4 min read

a large white disc shaped satellite pointing up into the sky against a hilly landscape

The Institute History of Technology IEEE History Article

50 Years Later, This Apollo-Era Antenna Still Talks to Voyager 2

DSS-43 is the only antenna that can communicate with the probe

18 Apr 2024

5 min read

brown and beige box with curved end in front with a keyboard and screen and two pieces sticking out on top right side

The Institute Guest Article IEEE History

The Legacy of the Datapoint 2200 Microcomputer

The machine laid the foundation for personal computers from Apple and IBM

16 Apr 2024

4 min read

portrait of two men standing with their hands on a small beige and gray box while looking at the camera

The Institute Guest Article History of Technology IEEE History

How Engineers at Digital Equipment Corp. Saved Ethernet

Their groundbreaking learning bridge technology increased LAN performance

07 Apr 2024

7 min read

A red haired man sits at a computer with a render of cowboy Woody from Toy Story on the screen

The Institute Magazine IEEE History Article History of Technology June 2024

The Story Behind Pixar’s RenderMan CGI Software

Used to create Toy Story, the tools revolutionized animation

21 Mar 2024

9 min read

An illustration of a robot and a representation of a brain wave.

The Institute IEEE History Article Robotics History of Technology

35 Years Ago, Researchers Used Brain Waves to Control a Robot

The achievement has paved the way for other EEG-controlled devices such as drones

16 Dec 2023

4 min read

close-up of ethernet cable with clear fibers in the background

The Institute Magazine IEEE History Article History of Technology March 2024

Ethernet is Still Going Strong After 50 Years

The technology has become the standard LAN worldwide

16 Nov 2023

3 min read

The Institute IEEE Member News News IEEE History

Happy IEEE Day!

Engineers worldwide celebrate innovation and collaboration “for a better tomorrow”

03 Oct 2023

1 min read

The Institute IEEE Member News Women’s History Month IEEE History Spectrum Collections Careers Profile

This USC Professor Is Developing an Artificial Brain

Alice Parker is working on how to mimic disorders such as schizophrenia

06 Sep 2023

4 min read

drawing of a hand holding out a bar to two squares attached to a pole

The Institute History of Technology IEEE History Article

The Pioneer Behind Electromagnetism

Ampère’s theory was fundamental to electronic inventions such as motors and generators

11 Jul 2023

3 min read

a book that reads “Over 100 Years of the IEEE Medal of Honor” against a blue background

The Institute Magazine IEEE History Article June 2023

IEEE’s Medal of Honor Ebook Explores 100 Years of Innovation

It celebrates recipients such as Intel’s Robert Noyce

07 Feb 2023

4 min read

black and white image of a man in a suit standing next to a large x-ray machine

The Institute Magazine September 2023 IEEE History Article History of Technology

How This Record Company Engineer Invented the CT Scanner

The machine, made to image the human brain, won him a Nobel Prize

12 Jan 2023

4 min read

Two women programmers preparing a computer to be demonstrated.

The Institute November 2022 Magazine Women’s History Month Article Spectrum Collections IEEE History History of Technology June 2023

The Women Behind ENIAC

A new book tells the story of how they broke a computer-science glass ceiling

21 Nov 2022

6 min read

An electrical tower against a cloudy sky

The Institute History of Technology IEEE History Article

How Microwave Radar Brought Direct Phone Calls to Millions

The Trans-Canada Microwave System also made live TV possible

13 Oct 2022

4 min read

an old computer in a display box surrounded by other old computers

The Institute December 2022 IEEE Member News Magazine IEEE History History of Technology News

Take a Trip Through Switzerland’s Museum of Consumer Electronics

IEEE members get free admission and can help curate exhibits

16 Sep 2022

4 min read

Looking through the opening of an MRI machine

The Institute Biomedical IEEE History Article

The Superconducting Shields Behind MRIs’ Triumph

Actively shielded magnets brought the machines from iron-walled rooms to the mainstream

25 Aug 2022

4 min read

Five gray towers with switch boards and other tools.

The Institute Magazine IEEE History Article History of Technology March 2023

The Birth of Random-Access Memory

The Manchester “Baby” was the first electronic digital computer to store a program

21 Jul 2022

4 min read

A Fresnel lens at the Seguin Island Light Station in Maine.

The Institute History of Technology IEEE History Article

Before Ships Used GPS, There Was the Fresnel Lens

This bright idea revolutionized lighthouses and saved lives

16 May 2022

3 min read

Photo of a smiling man with a large camera with several cameras in front of him.

The Institute Magazine Article IEEE History History of Technology September 2022

The First Digital Camera Was the Size of a Toaster

Kodak’s camera displayed photos on a TV screen

06 Apr 2022

4 min read

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© Copyright 2024 IEEE — All rights reserved. A not-for-profit organization, IEEE is the world's largest technical professional organization dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity.