A Summary of Tom Kilburn's Achievements
Here is a summary of Tom Kilburn's achievements, the full biography. The links in the summary go to the shorter version below, and the headings in the shorter version link to the corresponding headings in the full biography.
- 1942-46 - War Work on Radar at TRE Malvern Member of F.C. Williams' electronic problem-solving group at TRE.
- 1947-48 - The Williams-Kilburn Tube and the Baby 1947 First effective storage device for electronic computers (2048 bits on a CRT) -- 1948 (June) "Baby", first working electronic stored-program computer ("ESPC")
- 1948-51 - The Manchester and Ferranti Mark 1s 1948 Oct Basic design of Manchester Mark 1 -- 1949 Apr Intermediary Version working (first full-sized ESPC) -- Oct Full Manchester Mark 1 working (first ESPC with address registers and two-level store) -- 1951 Feb First Ferranti Mark 1 delivered (first production ESPC).
- 1951 ... - The Computing Service Tom Kilburn takes over leadership of computer development from F.C. Williams. Computing Service started for wide range of organisations (becomes an independent service late 1960s).
- 1951-55 - MEG and the Transistor Computer 1953 First? transistorised computer working -- 1954 First? floating-point computer, MEG -- 1955 Expanded TC version (turned into production MV950 in 1956). MEG becomes production Ferranti Mercury 1957.
- 1956-64 - MUSE/Atlas 1956 MUSE project started; aim 1,000 times faster than Mark 1s. Massive innovative effort moving from early '50s computer state to mid '60s. Effort required on 3 fronts: hardware techniques, operating systems and multi compiler production -- 1959 Ferranti joins project, renamed Atlas -- 1962 Atlas starts working -- 1963 Software fully working. Arguably most powerful and sophisticated computer in the world. In general the innovation matches simultaneous leading-edge projects in US, but is carried out largely independent of them. Main unique features Virtual Memory and (Brooker's) Compiler Compiler.
- 1964 ... - The Department of Computer Science First UK (European?) Computer Science department.
- 1966-74 - MU5 New machine with architecture dedicated to high-level language requirements. c. 1970 Makes major contribution to new ICL 2900 series architecture. Working 1972, with major O/S and compiler production system (under Derrick Morris) fully operational 1973.
- 1975-81 - Later Years C.S. department grows and diversifies; (o)100 students/year.
- Honours and Awards (E.g.) 1965 Fellow of the Royal Society; 1973 C.B.E. -- plus many from Universities and Computer organisations.