Spark! Pro series – 28th February 2025

Lonny6654 · 2025-02-28T11:00:33.271Z

Today in History:

February 28, 1956

Jay Forrester of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) was awarded Patent No. 2,736,880 for his invention: the coincident current magnetic core memory. This innovation, described as a “multicoordinate digital information storage device,” revolutionized the way digital computers stored and accessed data, becoming the standard memory device until the mid-1970s.

Before the advent of core memory, early computers relied on cumbersome and inefficient storage methods such as vacuum tubes and punched cards. These methods were not only slow but also prone to errors and data loss. Forrester’s invention addressed these issues by introducing a more reliable and efficient way to store binary data.

Core memory consists of tiny magnetic cores—doughnut-shaped ferrite beads—each capable of storing one bit of information (either a 0 or a 1). These cores are arranged in a two-dimensional grid, with each core representing a single bit and each row and column corresponding to addresses within the memory system. To write data into core memory, a current is passed through wires that intersect at the desired core, changing its magnetization state to encode the bit of information. Reading the information involves a similar process, with a small current induced in the wire to detect the magnetization state of

Forrester’s core memory brought several advantages over previous storage technologies:

Non-Volatility: Unlike many early storage methods, core memory retained its information even when power was disconnected. This characteristic was crucial for building systems that required persistent storage.
Reliability: Core memory was more reliable than other technologies, such as vacuum tubes. The physical nature of the magnetic cores made them resistant to shock, heat, and wear.
Speed: Core memory provided faster access times compared to other magnetic storage methods of its time. Although slower than contemporary electronics, it was a significant improvement over punched card systems.

By the mid-1970s, advances in semiconductor technology led to the development of dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) and static random-access memory (SRAM). These new forms of memory offered higher speed, reduced size, and lower costs. Consequently, core memory began to decline in popularity and was phased out of mainstream use.

Also of interest on February 28th

1922 – The United Kingdom ends its protectorate over Egypt through a Unilateral Declaration of Independence.

1925 – The Charlevoix-Kamouraska earthquake strikes northeastern North America.

1959 – Discoverer 1, an American spy satellite that is the first object intended to achieve a polar orbit, is launched but fails to achieve orbit.

1966 – A NASA T-38 Talon crashes into the McDonnell Aircraft factory while attempting a poor-visibility landing at Lambert Field, St. Louis, killing astronauts Elliot See and Charles Bassett.

1969 – The 1969 Portugal earthquake hits Portugal, Spain and Morocco.

1983 – The final episode of MAS*H airs, with almost 110 million viewers.

1990 – Space Shuttle Atlantis is launched on STS-36.

1993 – Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) agents raid the Branch Davidian church in Waco, Texas with a warrant to arrest the group’s leader David Koresh, starting a 51-day standoff.

1997 – An earthquake in northern Iran is responsible for about 1,100 deaths.

2001 – The 2001 Nisqually earthquake, having a moment magnitude of 6.8, with epicenter in the southern Puget Sound, damages Seattle metropolitan area.

2013 – Pope Benedict XVI resigns as the pope of the Catholic Church, becoming the first pope to do so since Pope Gregory XII in 1415.

2024 – Prime Minister Modi of India inaugurated the 2nd Space Port of India - Kulasekarapattinam Spaceport.

Births on This Day

1906 – Bugsy Siegel, American gangster (d. 1947)

1919 – Alfred Marshall, American businessman, founded Marshalls (d. 2013)

1942 – Frank Bonner, American actor and television director (d. 2021)

1942 – Brian Jones, English guitarist, songwriter, and producer (d. 1969)

1944 – Storm Thorgerson, English graphic designer (d. 2013)

1948 – Bernadette Peters, American actress, singer, and author

1955 – Gilbert Gottfried, American comedian, actor, and singer (d. 2022) “Aflac”

1957 – John Turturro, American actor and director

1957 – Cindy Wilson, American singer-songwriter

1969 – Pat Monahan, American singer-songwriter and actor

1971 – Tasha Smith, American actress, director, and producer

1972 – Rory Cochrane, American actor

1976 – Ali Larter, American actress and model

1977 – Jason Aldean, American singer-songwriter

1990 – Takayasu Akira, Japanese sumo wrestler

1991 – Sarah Bolger, Irish actress

Deaths on This Day

1966 – Charles Bassett, American captain, engineer, and astronaut (b. 1931)

1966 – Elliot See, American commander, engineer, and astronaut (b. 1927)

2009 – Paul Harvey, American radio host (b. 1918)

2016 – George Kennedy, American actor (b. 1925)

2020 – Joe Coulombe, founder of Trader Joe’s (b. 1930)

2024 – Cat Janice, American singer-songwriter (b. 1993)

Holidays Today

image975×726 94.8 KB

February 28 | Holidays, Birthdays, Events

The Funnies:

AI Contribution of the Day:

Copilot

Sure, here’s a fun and lighthearted song about the TV show M.A.S.H., complete with a rap section!

M.A.S.H. Madness

Verse 1: In a tent in Korea, where the doctors play, Hawkeye and Trapper, saving lives every day. With a drink in hand and a joke to share, They make the best of war, with humor and flair.