Colossus was a series of electronic computers built in Britain during the Second World War to help break the Lorenz cipher, used by the German High Command for its most important messages, which the British called Tunny. The first was designed by the Post Office engineer Tommy Flowers, with the mathematicians Max Newman and others, and worked at Bletchley Park from early 1944. It compared the encrypted text with a stream generated by the machine, using thousands of vacuum tubes, and was programmable by switches and plugs, though not in the modern sense. Ten were in use by the end of the war. The existence of the machines remained secret until the 1970s, and most were dismantled.
Before and after
- 31 December 1942Battle of the Barents Sea
- from 1943 to 1944Bengal famine of 1943
- from 1943 to 1945Alsos Mission
- 1943Rise of objectivism
- 1943Creation of Colossus
- 7 January 1943Death of Nikola Tesla
- 15 January 1943Construction of The Pentagon
- from 29 January 1943 to 30 January 1943Battle of Rennell Island
- from 10 February 1943 to 13 February 1943Battle of Krasny Bor
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The era
This moment belongs to the Modern era (1914 CE to 1945 CE), world wars and a changing world. You can also browse everything in the 20th century.