The MITS Altair 8800 microcomputer was designed in 1974 and was sold by mail
order through advertisements in Radio-Electronics, and in other magazines. It is
widely recognized as the spark that ignited the microcomputer revolution.

Microsoft’s Bill Gates

The first programming language for the Altair 8800 was Microsoft‘s founding
product, Altair BASIC.

Breaking its 55-year tradition of naming a “Man of the Year”, Time magazine
proclaimed the personal computer “Machine of the Year”. The was the first time
a non-human received the honors since Charles Lindbergh was named in 1927. 

 
Aviator Charles Lindbergh was TIME’s first Man of the Year.

      
                                                                                    Tim Maguire

Edward Moran’s Unveiling of the Statue of “Liberty Enlightening
the World” (as it was originally known).  

William Henry "Bill" Gates III is 59 years old today.

The IBM Personal Computer, model number 5150, was created by a
team of engineers and designers under the direction of Don Estridge
of the IBM Entry Systems Division in Boca Raton, Florida. The initial
price of the first PC was $1,565, about the cost of a decent used car
in those days.

Because the IBM PC was meant to be sold to the general public but
IBM didn’t have any retail stores, they were sold through catalogue
retailer Sears & Roebuck.    

   .

The first custom concept store opened in the company’s hometown
of  Fort Worth, Texas. 

Radio Shack Corporation (formerly Tandy Corporation) is a franchise of
electronics retail stores in the United States, as well as parts of Europe,
South America and Africa. The company was started as Radio Shack in
1921 by two brothers,Theodore and Milton Deutschmann, who wanted
to provide equipment for the fans of amateur, or ham, radio. 

Radio Shack was purchased by the Tandy Corporation in 1962. It was
originally a leather goods corporation, and renamed Tandy Radio Shack
& Leather. Tandy eventually divested itself of its non-electronic product
lines.

The company issued its first catalog in 1939. as it entered the high-fidelity
music market. In 1954, Radio Shack began selling its own private-label
products under the brand name Realist, but was subsequently sued and
consequently changed the brand name to Realistic.

Radio Shack was created in Boston by brothers, Theodore and
Milton Deutschmann who had emigrated from London.