This Day in History: October 15: First FORTRAN Reference Manual is Released

And, 57 years later, legacy FORTRAN apps reportedly influence the Delta Airlines decision to select Surface Pro tablets for their pilots

"The first FORTRAN reference manual is released on October 15, 1956, six months before the first compiler's release. Only 60 pages long, with large print and wide margins, that first programming language was miniscule by today's standard. The original FORTRAN development team comprised John Backus, Sheldon Best, Richard Goldberg, Lois Mitchell Haibt, Harlan Herrick, Grace Mitchell, Robert Nelson, Roy Nutt, David Sayre, Peter Sheridan, and Irving Ziller."

Computer History Museum | Exhibits | This Day in History: October 15