Georgetown-IBM
experiment
Demonstration
on 7 January 1954 at IBM headquarters, New York
Newspaper
and other contemporary reports
(some available as PDF files,
others included in the archive at
Albuquerque Tribune, 8 Jan 1954: ‘Machine to ‘read’ needed to translate’
Binghampton Press, 8 Jan 1954: ‘Smartest electronic brain is learning,
IBM computer now translates Russian’ [photo]
Binghampton Sun, 8 jan 1954: ‘IBM unveils electronic translator, a
12-machine version of the old pony’ [photo]
Boston Post, 7 Feb 1954: ‘It translates Russian!’, by Frank
G.Jason [with cartoon and photos]
Boston Traveler, 8 Jan 1954: ‘Mechanical translator may hurdle language
barrier in few seconds’
Brooklyb Daily, 13 Jan 1954: ‘ ‘Robot brain’ translates Russian’
[photos]
Brooklyn Eagle, 8 Jan 1954: ‘Electric translator is latest
‘miracle’’
Chemical and Engineering News, 25 Jan 1954: ‘Electronic brain translates Russian’ [PDF,
158KB]
Chemical Week, 30 Jan 1954: ‘Polyglot brainchild’ [PDF, 370KB]
Chicago News, 8 Jan 1954: ‘Electronic brain has vocabulary,
translates, too’
Cincinnati Times-Star, 8 Jan 1954: ‘Even Russian is translated
electronically’
Christian Science Monitor, 11 Jan 1954: ‘Robot translates nimbly’, by Harry C.
Kenny [PDF, 79KB]
Christian Science Monitor, 13 jan 1954 [editorial, also syndicated]
Computers and Automation, vol.3 (2), 1954: ‘Language translation by machine -
a report of the first successful trial’, by Neil Macdonald [PDF, 239KB]
Dallas Times Herald, 13 Jan 1954: ‘ ‘Robot’ translates Russain language’
Denver Post, 31 Jan 1954: ‘Electronic machinery translates
languages’, by Gene Lindberg
Detroit Free Press, 8 Jan 1954: ‘Translates: electronic brain now a
linguist’ [syndicated by Associated Press]
Detroit News, 8 Jan 1954: ‘Smart in any language: iron brain
thinks English on diet of Russian words’
Electrical Engineering, March 1954: ‘Russian translated into English by
electronic computer in a few seconds’ [PDF, 76KB]
Fort Worth Press, [?] 1954: ‘Machine must ‘read’, too’
Forth Worth Star Telegram, 8 Jan 1954: ‘New mechanical translator even
understands Russian’
Gary Post Tribune (Indiana), 8 jan 1954: ‘Beats phone’ [photo]
IBM press release, 7 Jan 1954: ‘701
translator’ [PDF, 69KB]
Journal of the Franklin Institute, March 1954: ‘Electronic translation’ [PDF,
92KB]
Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan 1954: ‘Electronic brain may be near as
translator’ [PDF, 68KB]
Mechanical World, December 1955: ‘Language translation by electronic
computer’, by W. Schweisheimer [PDF, 788KB]
Minneapolis Star, 8 Jan 1954: ‘Electronic ‘brain’ eats up Russian,
spits out English’
Newsweek, 18 Jan 1954: ‘The bilingual machine’ [PDF, 67KB]
New York Catholic News, 16 Jan 1954: ‘Electronic brain IBM and
New York Daily News, 8 Jan 1954: ‘Device ‘reads’ Russian lingo’
New York Herald Tribune, 8 Jan 1954: ‘It’s all done by machine: words go in
in Russian, English sentences come out’, by Earl Ubell [PDF, 82KB]
[also syndicated as ‘Electronic ‘brain’ translates Russian into English in
seconds’]
New York Herald Tribune, 10 Jan 1954: ‘Electronic linguistics’ [editorial] [PDF, 64KB]
New York Herald Tribune, 15 Jan 1954: ‘A word on languages’ [letter to editor
from] Mario Pei [PDF, 56KB]
New York Journal American, 8 Jan 1954: ‘ ‘Brain’ makes like wolf’
New York Journal of Commerce, 8 Jan 1954: ‘IBM electronic brain translates
Russian’
New York Mirror, 8 Jan 1954: ‘IBM ‘brain’ translates Russ without red
tape’, by Richard Wilson
New York Times, 8 jan 1954: ‘Russain is turned into English by a
fast electronic translator’, by Robert K.Plumb [PDF, 88KB]
Oklahoman, 25 Jan 1954: ‘Electrical brain can now translate
foreign languages’, by Alice Hughes [syndicated]
Pittsburgh Press, 8 Jan 1954: ‘Translators,beware! You can be
replaced’
Presque Isle Star Herald (
Scholastic, 20 jan 1954: ‘Translating machine’
Science, 21 October 1955: ‘Mechanical translation: new challenge to
communication’, by Jacob Ornstein [PDF,
200KB]
Science News Letter, 23 Jan 1954: ‘Language translation by electronic “brain”’
[PDF, 69KB]
St.Louis Post-Dispatch, 24 Jan 1954: ‘Machine that translates Russian into
English’ [photos]
St.Louis Register, 22 Jan 1954: ‘Mechanical translator’ [with photo of
all involved]
Topeka State Journal, 8 Jan 1954: ‘Mechanical translator puts foreign
language into English’ [photo]
Wall Street Journal (
Washington News, 9 Jan 1954: ‘Translating machine invented by
experts’
Washington Post, 8 Jan 1954: ‘ ‘Brain’ types out English from
Russian’
Washington Star, 19 Jan 1954: ‘Breaking the language barrier’
Washington Times Herald, 8 Jan 1954: ‘ ‘Robot brain’ translates Russian into
King’s English’, by Harry Gabbett [PDF, 73KB]
Weeling Intellingencer (W.Virginia), 22 Jan 1954: ‘Robot ‘brain’ being
developed to translate Russian’ [syndicated by United Press]
World-Telegram & The Sun (
Other North American reports
Daily Gleaner (
Le Droit (
Globe and Mail (
Daily Express, 12 Jan 1954
Daily Mail, 6 Feb 1954: ‘Noel Barber meets the brain’ [PDF, 105KB]
Financial Times, 26 Jan 1954
Financial Times, 1 March 1954: ‘The electronic translator’ [PDF, 79KB]
News Chronicle, 8 Jan 1954: ‘This robot translates Russian’
Star, 8 Jan 1954: ‘Auto-brain translates’
The Times, 9 Jan 1954: ‘Language machine demonstration: texts
translated’ [PDF, 61KB]
Other European reports
Berliner Zeitung, 25 Jan. 1954: ‘Das übersetzende elektronische
Gehirn’
Le Monde, 9 Jan 1954: ‘Un traducteur éléctronique’, by C.-G.B.
Der Zeitgeist, 26 Feb 1954: ‘Eine neue Wunder-Maschine’