Tag Archives: 1944

7 August 1944

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IBM dedicates the first program-controlled calculator, the Automatic Sequence Controlled Calculator (known best as the Harvard Mark I)

The Harvard Mark I, also known as the IBM Automatic Sequence Controlled Calculator (ASCC), was an early electromechanical computer developed during World War II.

Development: The project was initiated by Professor Howard Aiken of Harvard University in collaboration with IBM.

Construction and Funding: IBM funded the construction of the Mark I, which was completed in 1944.

Operation: The Harvard Mark I was a large machine, measuring about 51 feet in length and 8 feet in height. It consisted of approximately 750,000 components, including switches, relays, rotating shafts, and clutches.

Capabilities: It could perform a variety of arithmetic operations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. It was also capable of handling more complex calculations such as trigonometric functions, logarithms, and exponential functions.

Programming: The Mark I was programmed using punched paper tape, which contained sequences of instructions.

Speed: It was relatively slow compared to modern computers, with a multiplication operation taking about 6 seconds to complete.

Significance: The Harvard Mark I was significant for its use in various wartime applications, including ballistic calculations for the U.S. Navy. It represented a major step forward in the development of automatic computing machinery and paved the way for future advances in computer technology.

21 July 1944

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Claus von Stauffenberg and four fellow conspirators are executed for the July 20 plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler.

Claus von Stauffenberg was a German army officer and a key figure in the resistance against Adolf Hitler during World War II. Born on November 15, 1907, in Jettingen, Bavaria, Stauffenberg is best known for his central role in the July 20, 1944, assassination attempt on Hitler, commonly referred to as the “20 July Plot.”

Stauffenberg came from an aristocratic family and pursued a military career, rising to the rank of Colonel. Initially, he supported Hitler and the Nazi regime, but he became increasingly disillusioned with the atrocities committed by the Nazis, particularly after witnessing the treatment of Jews and the conduct of the war on the Eastern Front.

By 1942, Stauffenberg joined a group of conspirators within the German military who aimed to overthrow Hitler and establish a government that could negotiate a peace settlement with the Allies. He played a leading role in planning and executing the assassination attempt, which involved placing a bomb in a conference room at Hitler’s Wolf’s Lair headquarters in East Prussia.

On July 20, 1944, Stauffenberg planted the bomb and left the room, believing Hitler would be killed in the explosion. However, Hitler survived the blast with relatively minor injuries. The failure of the assassination attempt led to a swift and brutal crackdown by the Nazi regime. Stauffenberg and many of his fellow conspirators were arrested, and he was executed by firing squad on July 21, 1944.

Claus von Stauffenberg is remembered as a symbol of the German resistance against Hitler and as a man who took significant personal risks in an attempt to end the tyranny of the Nazi regime.

17 June 1944

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Iceland declares independence from Denmark and becomes a republic.

Iceland declared its independence from Denmark and became a republic on June 17, 1944. This significant event marked the end of a long process of seeking greater autonomy and ultimately full sovereignty from Denmark.

Historical Context

Union with Denmark: Iceland had been under Danish rule since 1814, when the Treaty of Kiel transferred the island from Norway to Denmark.
Home Rule and Sovereignty: In 1874, Iceland was granted home rule by Denmark, which was further extended in 1904, giving Icelanders more control over their domestic affairs. The Act of Union, signed in 1918, recognized Iceland as a sovereign state in a personal union with Denmark, sharing the same monarch but otherwise having control over its internal affairs.
World War II: The drive for full independence was catalyzed during World War II. When Germany occupied Denmark in 1940, Iceland was left largely to govern itself. Subsequently, British and later American forces occupied Iceland to prevent a Nazi invasion.

Steps to Independence

Referendum: A national referendum was held in May 1944, where Icelanders voted overwhelmingly (97%) in favor of ending the union with Denmark and establishing a republic.
Proclamation: On June 17, 1944, the formal declaration of independence was made at Þingvellir, a site of great historical significance as the location of the ancient Icelandic parliament (Alþingi). The date was chosen to honor Jón Sigurðsson, a leader of Iceland’s independence movement, as it was his birthday.

Significance

Republic Established: Sveinn Björnsson, who had been serving as the regent of Iceland, became the country’s first president.
International Recognition: The new republic was quickly recognized by Denmark and other countries.
Cultural Identity: The declaration of independence was a pivotal moment in Iceland’s national history, reinforcing its cultural identity and autonomy.

6 July 1944

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Jackie Robinson refuses to move to the back of a bus, leading to a court-martial.

Jackie Robinson was a legendary African American baseball player who broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball (MLB) in 1947. Before his debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers, professional baseball in the United States was segregated, with African American players restricted to the Negro Leagues. Robinson’s entry into the MLB marked a significant milestone in the civil rights movement.

However, it is important to note that during that era, racial segregation was prevalent in many aspects of American society, including transportation. Segregation on buses and other forms of public transportation was a common practice in various parts of the country, particularly in the southern states where Jim Crow laws enforced racial segregation.

There were numerous incidents involving African Americans challenging segregated seating on buses and other forms of public transportation. The most famous and significant among them is the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955, which was sparked by Rosa Parks refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. This event played a crucial role in the civil rights movement and the eventual desegregation of public transportation.

While Jackie Robinson was an influential figure in the fight against racial discrimination, his contribution was primarily in the realm of sports and breaking the color barrier in baseball.

6 August 1944

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The Warsaw Uprising occurs on August 1. It is brutally suppressed and all able-bodied men in Kraków are detained afterwards to prevent a similar uprising, the Kraków Uprising, that was planned but never carried out.

29 November 1944

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Albania is liberated by the Partisans during World War 2.

After Italy was defeated by the Allies, Germany occupied Albania in September 1943, dropping paratroopers into Tirana before the Albanian guerrillas could take the capital, and the German army soon drove the guerrillas into the hills and to the south. Berlin subsequently announced it would recognize the independence of a neutral Albania and organized an Albanian government, police, and military. Many Balli Kombëtar units collaborated with the Germans against the communists, and several Balli Kombëtar leaders held positions in the German-sponsored regime.

The partisans entirely liberated Albania from German occupation on November 29, 1944. The National Liberation Army, which in October 1944 consisted of 70,000 regulars, also took part in the war alongside the antifascist coalition. The Albanian partisans also liberated Kosovo, and assisted Tito’s communist forces in liberating part of Montenegro and southern Bosnia and Herzegovina. By that time, the Soviet Army was also entering neighboring Yugoslavia, and the German Army was evacuating from Greece into Yugoslavia.