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History of Microprocessors Timeline
(1971 - Present)The history of microprocessors traces the evolution of the integrated circuits that serve as the central processing units of computers. Beginning with Intel's 4004 in 1971, microprocessors rapidly advanced from handling thousands of instructions per second to billions, driving the personal computer revolution, mobile devices, and modern computing through continuous improvements in transistor density, architecture, and manufacturing processes as described by Moore's Law. More Less
Early Foundations
Invention of the transistor
Dec 23, 1947
John Bardeen, Walter Brattain, and William Shockley of Bell Labs demonstrated the first working point-contact transistor. This solid-state device replaced bulky vacuum tubes, enabling smaller, more reliable, and more energy-efficient electronics and laying the essential groundwork for all future integrated circuits and microprocessors.
Image source: Transistor
Integrated circuit invented by Jack Kilby
Sep 12, 1958
While working at Texas Instruments, Jack Kilby built the first working integrated circuit, a germanium-based oscillator with components connected on a single piece of semiconductor material. Kilby's invention allowed multiple electronic components to be fabricated together, a critical precursor to the microprocessor.
Image source: Integrated circuit
Robert Noyce develops the silicon integrated circuit
Jan 1959 - Jul 30, 1959
Robert Noyce at Fairchild Semiconductor independently invented a practical planar silicon integrated circuit using Jean Hoerni's planar process. Silicon ICs proved far easier to manufacture in volume than Kilby's germanium approach, making mass-produced complex chips feasible.
Image source: Robert Noyce
Moore's Law formulated
Apr 19, 1965
Gordon Moore published a paper in Electronics magazine observing that the number of transistors on an integrated circuit doubled roughly every two years while costs fell. This empirical prediction became both a roadmap and a self-fulfilling prophecy that guided the semiconductor industry for decades.
Image source: Moore's law
Intel founded
Jul 18, 1968
Gordon Moore and Robert Noyce left Fairchild Semiconductor to found Intel (Integrated Electronics) in Mountain View, California. Joined soon after by Andy Grove, the company initially focused on semiconductor memory but would go on to invent the first commercial microprocessor.
Image source: Intel
The Microprocessor Revolution
Intel 4004, the first commercially available microprocessor
Nov 15, 1971
Developed by Federico Faggin, Ted Hoff, and Stanley Mazor for Japanese calculator maker Busicom, the Intel 4004 was a complete CPU on a single chip. It packed 2,300 transistors running at 740 kHz on a 10-micron process, proving that general-purpose processors could be built from integrated circuits.
Image source: Intel 4004
Intel 8008, the first 8-bit microprocessor
Apr 1972
The Intel 8008 extended the microprocessor concept to 8-bit words and 16 KB of addressable memory. Originally commissioned by Computer Terminal Corporation for its Datapoint 2200 terminal, it opened the door to more capable embedded systems and early computers.
Image source: Intel 8008
Motorola 6800 released
Mar 1974
Designed by a team including Chuck Peddle and Bill Mensch, the Motorola 6800 was an 8-bit processor notable for requiring only a single power supply. It competed directly with the Intel 8080 and spawned a family of peripheral chips used in industrial and consumer products.
Image source: Motorola 6800
Launch of the Intel 8080
Apr 1974
The Intel 8080, designed under Federico Faggin's leadership, ran at 2 MHz and required only a single 5-volt power supply. It became the workhorse of early hobbyist computers, including the pioneering Altair 8800, and established the 8080 instruction set as a de facto standard.
Image source: Intel 8080
MOS Technology 6502 debuts
Sep 1975
Chuck Peddle's team at MOS Technology introduced the 6502 at $25, dramatically undercutting competitors like the 8080 and 6800. Its low cost powered iconic machines such as the Apple II, Commodore 64, Atari 2600, and Nintendo Entertainment System.
Image source: MOS Technology 6502
Key Facts
- The Intel 4004, released in November 1971, was the world's first commercially available single-chip microprocessor, containing 2,300 transistors and running at 740 kHz.
- Intel's 8080 (1974) and 8086 (1978) established the x86 architecture, which still dominates most desktop and laptop computers today.
- Moore's Law, predicting the doubling of transistors on a chip roughly every two years, guided the industry's exponential growth from thousands to tens of billions of transistors per chip.
- The rise of RISC architectures like ARM in the mid-1980s enabled power-efficient processors that later powered smartphones, tablets, and now even laptops.
- Modern microprocessors feature multiple cores, integrated GPUs, and advanced nanometer-scale fabrication (3nm and below), enabling AI acceleration and massive parallel computing.
Source
This History of Microprocessors timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.
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