Timeline Monday 15 November 1971

Events on Monday 15 November 1971 1

• 1971 Intel 4004 — the first microprocessor Intel introduces the 4004 on 15 November 1971 — the world's first commercially available microprocessor, a complete central processing unit on a single chip. The 4004 is designed by Federico Faggin, Ted Hoff and Stan Mazor for a Japanese calculator company (Busicom), which requests a custom chip set. Intel's Ted Hoff proposes a general-purpose programmable processor instead of a fixed-function chip set. Intel buys back the rights from Busicom for $60,000. The 4004 contains 2,300 transistors and runs at 740kHz. The entire computing revolution flows from this chip.