Fortran, short for Formula Translation, was developed at IBM by a team led by John Backus, and the first compiler was delivered in 1957 for the IBM 704 computer. It was the first widely used high-level programming language, allowing scientists and engineers to write mathematical formulas in a form close to ordinary notation rather than in machine code. Skeptics doubted that a compiler could produce code as efficient as that written by hand, but Fortran proved them wrong, and its success showed that high-level languages were practical. It became the dominant language of scientific and numerical computing, and newer versions are still used in areas such as weather forecasting, physics and engineering simulations.
Before and after
- from 1957 to 1961Sputnik programme
- 1957Construction of Central Stadium Yekaterinburg
- 1957Founding of European Economic and Social Committee
- 1957Founding of International Atomic Energy Agency
- 1957Creation of Fortran
- 1957Rise of Situationist International
- 1957Founding of Council of the European Union
- 10 January 1957Death of Gabriela Mistral
- 14 January 1957Death of Humphrey Bogart
More in Science & technology
- 1949Discovery of berkelium
- 1955Discovery of mendelevium
- 14 February 1961Discovery of lawrencium
- 8 December 1994Discovery of roentgenium
- 1996Discovery of copernicium
- 2006Discovery of nihonium
The era
This moment belongs to the Contemporary world (1945 CE to today), the world since 1945. You can also browse everything in the 20th century.