Ford pulls the plug on a flop, Microsoft launches a new version of Windows and a company is founded that changed the way we get entertainment at home… It all happened This Week in Tech History.
This week in 1906 – The Victor Talking Machine Company of Camden, New Jersey began to manufacture the Victrola, or record player. The hand-cranked unit, complete with horn cabinet, sold for $200. That would be about $4,800 today.
In 1957 – The Ford Motor Company rolled out the first Edsel automobile. Over 110,000 of the cars were built before Ford pulled the plug due to lack of sales. The car was named Edsel for the company founder’s son, Edsel Bryant Ford.
This week in 1966 – Lunar Orbiter 1 took the first photograph of Earth from orbit around the Moon. The spacecraft’s main mission was to photograph smooth areas of the lunar surface for selection and verification of safe landing sites for the Surveyor and Apollo missions.
in 1995 – Microsoft officially rolled out Windows 95. Midnight parties at retailers across the U.S. offered the new system for sale to those who just couldn’t wait any longer. NBC’s Jay Leno hosted the official launch party at the Microsoft campus in Redmond, Washington. The company lit up the Empire State Building with the Windows 95 logo colors, and licensed the Rolling Stones song, “Start Me Up”, to use in its TV advertisements
And this week in 1997 – Netflix was founded as an internet DVD rental service. Now with their own streaming service, as well as TV and film production and distribution services and annual revenue in excess of $11 Billion, they’ve definitely grown in 23 years.