Events
June 1957 - Casio releases the first compact
calculator, the Model 14-A.Oct 1961 - The Bell Punch/Sumlock
Comptometer ANITA is released, a 30+
pound calculator using vacuum tubes.June 1963 - The ANITA is superseded by the full-
transistor design of the Friden EC-130.Late 1965 - The Olivetti Programma 101,
considered to be the first personal
computer/calculator, is released.Also late 1965 - The ELKA 6521 designed by
Bulgaria is produced; it is the first calculator
with a square root function.1967 - An engineer at Texas Instruments begins
work on the first handheld calculator.Jan 1971 - The Sharp EL-8 is released. It is one of
the closest things to a pocket calculator at the
time.Early 1971 - Texas Instruments continues
innovation in calculators and works on
"calculators on a chip" using integrated circuits (ICs).Also early 1971 - The first true pocket calculator,
the LE-120A "HANDY", is released by Busicom. It
is also the first calculator using an LED display, a
single IC, and replaceable batteries.Feb 1972 - HP releases the HP-35, the first
scientific pocket calculator for the public.1976 - 4-function pocket calculators only cost a
few dollars.Periods
Throughout 1964 - Various other full-transistor
calculators are produced.1973-1977 - Texas Instruments works on various
pocket calculators, starting with the SR-10 and
leading up to the TI-30.1980s & 1990s - HP and TI, the leading calculator
manufacturers, compete and 1-up each other
constantly with new functions and abilities for
their calculators.
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