Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2024 All Rights Reserved

120 years since the birth of the inventor of the computer

President Radev to award winners of the John Atanasoff Presidential Award

Atanasoff was of Bulgarian origin

John Vincent Atanasoff (1903 – 1995) inventor of the Atanasoff–Berry Computer.
Photo: Archive

At a special ceremony at the Presidential Palace today, Head of State Rumen Radev will present awards to the winners of the John Atanasov Presidential Award for 2023. The award ceremony will be held on the day marking the 120th anniversary of the birth of the famous inventor of Bulgarian origin and creator of the first electronic computer with regenerative memory. The awards will be presented for the 21st time to pupils, students and young Bulgarian scientists who have shown outstanding results in the field of computer science.

John Vincent Atanasoff was born on October 4, 1903 near Hamilton, New York. His father, Ivan Atanasov, was a Bulgarian immigrant born in the village of Boyadzhik, Yambol region, then in the Ottoman Empire. Ivan's parents died in 1876, at the height of the April Uprising, so in 1889, at the age of 13, he emigrated to America with his uncle. He met John's Iva Lucena Purdy, an English teacher from upstate New York, and they got married in in 1900, following John’s graduation from Colgate College with a degree in philosophy.

Ivan and Lucena's son John became interested in mathematics and logarithms at an early age. He was later recognized as the inventor of the computer. More information on the subject can be found here.



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

MEPs discuss the nationalist violence in front of the Ivan Vazov National Theatre in Sofia

The clashes outside the Ivan Vazov National Theatre during the opening night of John Malkovich's production of Bernard Shaw's Arms and the Man have prompted 247 theatre organisations from 39 countries to appeal to the institutions of the European Union...

published on 12/2/24 2:27 PM

President launches 22nd edition of "Bulgarian Christmas" charity campaign

President Rumen Radev announced in Dobrich the launch of the 22nd edition of the "Bulgarian Christmas" charity campaign.  The theme of the campaign is "Giving Hope to a Child in Need".  The aim is to raise money for high-tech equipment for early..

published on 12/2/24 1:34 PM
Caretaker Premier Dimitar Glavchev

Premier Glavchev is concerned about the adoption of the budget due to the blocked parliament

''The Eurozone remains a priority, but the caretaker cabinet expects the 51st Parliament to begin its work in order to discuss the state budget'', said caretaker Premier Dimitar Glavchev.  ''Who would have thought that we could get into this situation?..

published on 12/2/24 11:32 AM