Tech History Today – Mar. 17

In 1948 – William Gibson was born in Conway, South Carolina. His stories are credited with launching cyberpunk literature, named after the phrase he used in the story "Burning Chrome".

In 1953 – Australian researcher David Warren came up with the idea for a device to record cockpit noise and instruments during flight. His ARL Flight Memory Unit would eventually be known as the Black Box.

In 1958 – The United States launched the Vanguard 1 satellite, achieving the highest altitude of any man-made vehicle to that time.