Eighty years ago on 15 February 1946, ENIAC—the Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer—was publicly demonstrated for the first time at the University of Pennsylvania's Moore School. Developed during World War II to calculate artillery firing tables, this massive machine contained 18,000 vacuum tubes and filled a 9 m by 15 m room. Though primitive by today's standards, ENIAC's purely electronic design and programmability were revolutionary breakthroughs.

Programming ENIAC required manually reconfiguring cables and switches, a process that took days. The machine's success established the practicality of large-scale electronic digital computers and influenced the development of modern stored-program machines. In 1987, IEEE designated ENIAC as a Milestone, citing it as 'a major advance in the history of computing' that 'established the practicality of large-scale electronic digital computers.'

ENIAC's legacy extends beyond its technical achievements. Six women—known as the ENIAC 6—became the world's first programmers, working without existing manuals or guidance. In 2008, Jean Bartik was honored with IEEE's Computer Pioneer Award. Recently, 80 autistic students from PS Academy Arizona recreated ENIAC using 22,000 custom parts, demonstrating the machine's enduring educational value. The replica, featuring simulated components illuminated by LEDs, remains on display as a testament to computing's transformative journey from niche scientific endeavor to global innovation engine.