On This Day in Tech History

Stories Published
Throughout History
Stories Published in 2026
Historic Tech Events
Census Bureau Receives UNIVAC I Computer

Census Bureau Receives UNIVAC I Computer

1951

The US Census Bureau receives the first UNIVAC I computer, the first commercial computer to attract widespread public attention. Although the Census Bureau began using it at the end of March it was not actually moved to the Census Bureau until a few months later. The UNIVAC was capable of completing 1,905 operations per second, which it stored on magnetic tape. The Census Bureau had helped drive the development of devices that eventually led to computers, beginning with Herman Hollerith's 1890 punch card machine.

Stories Published in 2025
Stories Published in 2024
Stories Published in 2023
Stories Published in 2022
Stories Published in 2021
Stories Published in 2020
Stories Published in 2018