Science history: Invention of the transistor ushers in the computing era — Oct. 3, 1950
A replica of the first working transistor. The design used two thin pieces of gold, a coiled spring, and a slab of germanium. Transistors have come a long way since then, with some of the smallest measuring just an atom thick.(Image credit: Science & Society Picture Library via Getty Images)Quick factsMilestone: Transistor patented
Date: Oct. 3, 1950
Where: Bell Labs; Murray Hill, New Jersey
Who: John Bardeen, Walter Brattain and William ShockleyOn Oct. 3, 1950, three scientists at Bell Labs in New Jersey received a U.S. patent for what would become one of the most important inventions of the 20th century — the transistor.The transistor was initially designed because AT&T wanted to improve its telephone network. At the time, AT&T amplified and transmitted phone signals using triodes. These devices encased a positive and negative terminal and a wire...
