In November of 1971, Intel released the Intel 4004. It was the first CPU on a single chip! This week it celebrated its 40th birthday. This tiny microprocessor changed computing forever, so we want to say thank you. The central processing unit, or CPU, retrieves and sends every bit of information use by a computer making it “the brain” of the computer. Imagine the impact a tiny CPU like the Intel 4004 made in the computing world. It prompted innovations and major advancements in CPU technology.

The Intel 4004 debuted as the processor for a calculator, but as this was the first microprocessor commercially available, it inspired some astounding leaps in computing. While CPUs today are much more powerful than their original ancestor, many common devices wouldn’t exist without the Intel 4004’s influence on computer science, including iPods, cell phones, streetlights, and laptops. Countless technologies that we enjoy in our daily lives today have a CPU. This makes the Intel 4004, quite literally, the grandfather of modern technology. Check out this article to see the evolution of the CPU’s role in technology.

We can’t say happy birthday to the Intel 4004 without discussing the engineers responsible for its development. Federico Faggin led the planning and development of the Intel 4004 with Ted Hoff, and Stan Mazor. In this ever-changing world of technology we can lose sight of its humble origins. The Intel 4004 was no small player in this.

So lets take a moment to show our esteem for the little microprocessor that grandfathered the present day CPU.