-----Original Message----- From: owner-ifip_ga@ifip.or.at [mailto:owner-ifip_ga@ifip.or.at]On Behalf Of Plamen Nedkov Sent: quinta-feira, 2 de Maio de 2002 13:08 To: all Subject: [IFIP] Memorable events in 2003
Dear All,
1. John V. Atanasoff's 100th Anniversary
The Bulgarian GA representative to IFIP wrote to the Executive Director to say that on 4 October 2003 Bulgaria will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of John Atanasoff, the inventor of the electronic digital computer. For his historic achievement Atanasoff is distinguished with the most prestigious Bulgarian and US awards for Technology. A string of activities is planned in Sofia and the Initiative Committee, chaired by Acad. Blagovest Sendov, Deputy Chair of the Bulgarian Parliament and IFIP Past President, will provide guidance for the planning of these events to be held under the patronage of the President of Bulgaria. Atanasoff was an American citizen of Bulgarian origin. A memorial will be inaugurated, a street in Sofia will be named after him and the village to which his roots are traced will be named after him. A three-day conference is planned with addresses from representatives of Bulgarian and foreign organizations and sessions dedicated to the history and development of computers. Prof. Boyanov writes that "IFIP's assistance and participation in the celebration, as a leading international organization in the field of the information technologies, is of great importance" to the Initiative Committee.
John Atanasoff was an invited speaker at the IFIP co-sponsored International Conference "Children in the Information Age" 1995, Varna, Bulgaria. You can check a biography at http://ei.cs.vt.edu/%7Ehistory/Atanasoff.html and also http://ei.cs.vt.edu/%7Ehistory/ for a collection of materials related to the history of computing as collected and written by J.A.N. Lee, formerly WG 9.7 "History of Computing" Chair and currently IEEE CS rep. to IFIP.
2. John von Neumann's 100th Anniversary
2003 marks another great Anniversary - 100 years from the birth of another John -- John von Neumann -- a "brilliant mathematician, synthesizer, and promoter of the stored program concept, whose logical design of the IAS became the prototype of most of its successors - the von Neumann Architecture." For detailed information please refer to http://ei.cs.vt.edu/%7Ehistory/VonNeumann.html
The Hungarian full member society to IFIP proudly carries the name of John von Neumann and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) honors him through the presentation of an annual award in his name, the IEEE John von Neumann Medal, which is presented "for outstanding achievements in computer-related science and technology."
The John von Neumann Computer Society will organize a series of initiatives to commemorate the 100th anniversary since the birth of its Patron from 15 to 17 October 2003 in Budapest. An International conference is planned and an IT STAR regular meeting is scheduled. In Hungary's annual report to GA 2001 [ http://www.ifip.or.at/minutes/ga2001/hungary.htm ], the Hungarian GA representative, Dr. B. Domolki, writes "An important issue to be raised towards IFIP is to secure the participation of IFIP in the international celebration of the John von Neumann centenary in 2003.
3. WITFOR
The IFIP World Information Technology Forum (WITFOR) is planned for 27-29 August 2003 in Vilnius, Lithuania and will be organized by the Lithuanian Government and the Lithuanian Computer Society. Late week, a meeting of the IFIP Program Committee took place in Vilnius and PC members P. Bollerslev, D. Khakhar, R. Roode and L. Strous met with the Lithuanian Prime Minister, Algirdas Brazauskas who, as patron, will formally open the WITFOR conference and address IFIP's General Assembly on 30 August 2003. IFIP is assured that the Lithuanian Government will assist in all ways for a successful conference.
Greetings,
The Delivery Co.
-------------------------------- Plamen Nedkov Executive Director, IFIP Hofstrasse 3, A-2361 Laxenburg, Austria Tel: +43 2236 73616 Fax: +43 2236 736169 http://www.ifip.org/