A new map showcases Philadelphia’s rich computing history

Many people know that Philadelphia is home to the world’s first fully electronic programmable computer.

ENIAC — for Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer — was developed at the University of Pennsylvania in 1946. What you might not know: That famous number cruncher was just the beginning of computer development in Philadelphia.

“Philly is definitely the birthplace of electronic computing,” Jim Scherrer told Technical.ly. He is the founder of Compuseum, a non-profit organization focused on computer history and education. “So ENIAC started this dawn of the computer age, and we haven’t looked back.”

To show the region’s importance in computing history, Scherrer and the Compuseum created a map that marks relevant landmarks around southeastern Pennsylvania.

In addition to ENIAC, some of the locations and milestones highlighted on the map include:

Eckert and Mauchly Computer Corporation — the world’s first computer company (Philadelphia)
6502 Chip — the first computer chip in the Apple Computer line (Valley Forge)
Philco Transac — the fastest transistorized computer (Lansdale)
Illiac IV — the largest and most expensive computer ever made (Paoli)
Selectron — the first memory device for computers (Lancaster)
Commodore — the best-selling personal computer of all time (West Chester)
Philco SB Transistor — the first transistor in a computer (Lansdale)
Unisys — merger of two computer companies, acquisition of Univac computers (Blue Bell)
401 N. Broad St. — one of the first Internet hubs (Philadelphia)
Swarthmore College Student Dan Kohn — First Online Credit Card Transaction, (Swarthmore)
SunGard Backup — the largest backup and storage repository (Wayne)

Compuseum has been working on the map for about a year, debuting it on World Computer Day in February.

Map of the Philadelphia area highlighting significant historical sites associated with the early development of computer technology.

Compuseum map version completed for World Computer Day (Jim Scherrer)

You can discuss the map and history at Compuseum’s May 8 Philly Tech Week event, “The Big Three Early Computing Innovations of Southeastern PA.” The discussion will focus on the RCA Selectron memory tube, the Philco Transac and the Illiac series, with insights and details from several experts in computer history.

The map itself is a work in progress, according to Scherrer, who is still accepting suggestions for notable landmarks to add. His goal is to make computer history more digestible and accessible to the public.

“A picture is worth 1,000 words,” Scherrer said. “And there really isn’t much of a map to quickly expand your vision of a topic or concept.”

Sarah Huffman is a member for 2022-2024. for Report for America, an initiative of The Groundtruth Project that connects young journalists with local newsrooms. This point of view is also supported by the Institute for Journalism Lenfest.

Companies: University of Pennsylvania

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