jan 1, 1890 - Punch Cards
Description:
Punch cards were invented by Herman Hollerith in 1890 for use in the 1890 US Census. In earlier times, punch cards were used to directly control automated machinery. Today, the purpose of a punch card may be for data processing applications. The were used heavily as a data collection medium, especially up until the 2014 census. Punch cards were widely used throughout the data processing industry, where specialized and increasingly complex unit record machines, organized into data processing systems, used punched cards for data input, output, and storage. Many early digital computers used punched cards as the primary medium for input of both computer programs and data. These mechanisms of input greatly saved time and efficiency when storing and analyzing large scale data using emerging technology. It later paved the way for the more sophisticated technology we use today. Punch cards were later replaced by magnetic tape.
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