A brief history of the creation and evolution of a fundamental tool that changed the computer world forever.
Exactly sixty years ago, on May 1, 1964, at 4 a.m., a quiet revolution in computer technology took place on the campus of Dartmouth College, located in New Hampshire, USA. Mathematicians John Kemeny and Thomas Kurtz successfully launched a program for the first time in the new programming language BASIC, which they developed for the General Electric GE-225 mainframe. This event marked the beginning of the democratization of computing and inspired many generations of programmers.
BASIC, or "Beginner's All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code", is an interpreted programming language that runs line — by-line. The simple and clear syntax with keywords in English made it an ideal choice for beginners in writing code.
Before BASIC was created, computers were large, expensive, and difficult to use, and programming required physically connecting wires and switching levers. The first programming languages, such as Fortran and COBOL, were extremely complex and intended only for professionals. However, Kemeny and Kurtz aimed to make computers and programming accessible to everyone, which led to the creation of BASIC.
With the development of personal computers in the 1970s, BASIC also began to spread rapidly. Paul Allen and Bill Gates adapted the language for the Altair 8800, which was one of the foundations for the creation of Microsoft, and Steve Wozniak developed the BASIC interpreter for Apple I, which later became a key part of Apple II.
Despite the decline in practical use of the language in our time, BASIC is not dead — it continues to evolve. The language remains popular among retrocomputing enthusiasts, and its legacy lives on in languages such as Visual Basic and Microsoft Small Basic, which are used for educational purposes to teach the basics of programming.
The creation of the BASIC programming language was an important milestone in the history of computer technology, which opened programming to the general public. The simplicity and accessibility of BASIC allowed many people to get acquainted with the world of programming, which in the future led to the rapid development of the personal computer and software industry.
Exactly sixty years ago, on May 1, 1964, at 4 a.m., a quiet revolution in computer technology took place on the campus of Dartmouth College, located in New Hampshire, USA. Mathematicians John Kemeny and Thomas Kurtz successfully launched a program for the first time in the new programming language BASIC, which they developed for the General Electric GE-225 mainframe. This event marked the beginning of the democratization of computing and inspired many generations of programmers.
BASIC, or "Beginner's All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code", is an interpreted programming language that runs line — by-line. The simple and clear syntax with keywords in English made it an ideal choice for beginners in writing code.
Before BASIC was created, computers were large, expensive, and difficult to use, and programming required physically connecting wires and switching levers. The first programming languages, such as Fortran and COBOL, were extremely complex and intended only for professionals. However, Kemeny and Kurtz aimed to make computers and programming accessible to everyone, which led to the creation of BASIC.
With the development of personal computers in the 1970s, BASIC also began to spread rapidly. Paul Allen and Bill Gates adapted the language for the Altair 8800, which was one of the foundations for the creation of Microsoft, and Steve Wozniak developed the BASIC interpreter for Apple I, which later became a key part of Apple II.
Despite the decline in practical use of the language in our time, BASIC is not dead — it continues to evolve. The language remains popular among retrocomputing enthusiasts, and its legacy lives on in languages such as Visual Basic and Microsoft Small Basic, which are used for educational purposes to teach the basics of programming.
The creation of the BASIC programming language was an important milestone in the history of computer technology, which opened programming to the general public. The simplicity and accessibility of BASIC allowed many people to get acquainted with the world of programming, which in the future led to the rapid development of the personal computer and software industry.
