MIT's Whirlwind Demonstrated Keyboard Input for the First Time (1956)

Today, the keyboard is such a familiar part of a computer that it’s hard to imagine using one without it. But in the mid-1950s, most computers were operated using switches, punched cards, and paper tape.

On July 4, 1956, MIT researchers demonstrated direct keyboard input on the Whirlwind computer for the first time. Instead of preparing punched cards, an operator could enter data directly into the machine, making interaction with the computer far more immediate.

This date can be regarded as the first time in history that a computer was operated using a keyboard. It marked an early milestone on the path toward interactive computing, which later became the standard for personal computers.

Sources

• MIT’s Whirlwind Allows Keyboard Input to the Machine — Computer History Museum
• First Keyboard Used to Input Data — The Centre for Computing History

See also Altair BASIC 2.0: Microsoft’s First Commercial Software Product (1975).