Tech History: How the term 'debug' came about

Today, the term 'debug' means to identify software or hardware errors. 

But why the word 'debug' and what do bugs have to do with computers anyways?

Well, history shows what really happened.

Back in September of 1947 the US Navy was testing it's newly built Mark II Aiken Relay Calculator for ballistic tables.

Located at Harvard University, this electromechanical computer was nothing to what we use today. The machine over 20ft in length and weighed over 5 tons.

It was an electromechanical behemoth!

Physicist Dr. Howard Aiken and Dr. Grace Hopper worked together to design, build and program the machine.

Dr Aiken and Dr Hopper worked well as a team. Grace would write the technical manual and assist Howard with maintenance and hardware of the Mark II. 

Both Mr Howard Aiken and Mrs Grace Hopper were working on the machine when she found a moth stuck in one of the relays, impeding the operation of the machine.

So now you know "the rest of the story" ;-)

Originally posted 10/29/16