The history of computing at CERN is about hardware, software, people, network, communications, accelerators, data-handling...

This section is an eclectic stockpile of material covering various aspects of the computing history at CERN. It is by no means a complete history, and new elements are added all the time as they come to light. 

For photographs, see the IT Archive Galleries and the 'Photos from..." (in the column to the right of this page). The "IT Archive Galleries" is work-in-progress; more material is being added all the time as we dig deep into forgotten archives.

For more information on CERN's computing history, contact Cath Noble for help.

Overview

See the excellent presentation by David Williams from CHEP 2004 for a comprehensive and revealing look at Computing at CERN since CERN's inception in 1954.

Video/Film

In the Heart of CERN, 1967 (14mins onwards for computing-specific perspective)

Control Data 6600, 1965

Computing at CERN in 1965

Data Communications at CERN in 1974 (official)

Day to Day Communications at CERN in 1974 (unofficial)

SPS control system showing the first touch-screen, 1975

Wim Klein (CERN's "Human Computer") 1976

Data Processing at CERN, 1988

(more films from CDS and some vintage History of CERN 1952-2004)

"From the time" - selected newletters and reports

CERN Computer Newsletter, no. 1, 15 February 1966

The CERN Computer Centre, 1974 (CERN Computer Newsletter)

CERNet - a computer-to-computer communications network, 1977

CERNET and the Computer Centre, 1978

Data Handling, 1979

By the people who were there