February 6, 1959 – Kilby Files Patent for Integrated Circuit
On February 6, 1959, Jack St. Clair Kilby filed his patent application for the integrated circuit, less than six months after the idea came to him. Kilby first demonstrated a multivibrator circuit of discrete silicon elements in late August 1958 to his then-new employer Texas Instruments. As a new employee, he was not yet entitled to the mass summer vacation that was customary among TI employees at the time. During this relatively quiet time around TI, Kilby first came up with the idea of the IC. In September 1958, Kilby demonstrated the first IC to TI management. The company was supportive, but the reaction from potential users, specifically military organizations, was mixed. After much debate, a small group within the Air Force picked up on the IC.
February 13, 1980 – Apollo Computer is Incorporated
On February 13, 1980, Apollo Computer Inc. is incorporated in Chelmsford, Massachusetts, by William Poduska (a founder of Prime Computer) and others. In the 1980s, Apollo develops and produces Apollo/Domain workstations, small but powerful computers mostly used for engineering. In 1989, Hewlett-Packard Company acquired Apollo in a $476 million deal.
