Found this little interesting tid bit this morning: The Smithsonian is preparing a new exhibit to celebrate 50 years of COBOL. Before that actual, physical exhibit goes up, the national museums have put together an online history site for the language.

From the site:

Fifty years ago, each computer maker used its own programming languages to tell a computer what to do. In 1959, a group of programmers devised COBOL, a COmmon, Business-Oriented Language. Programs written in COBOL could run on more than one manufacturer’s computer. In a 1960 test, the same COBOL programs ran successfully on two computers built by different manufacturers.

We at SD Times also celebrated the 50th anniversary of COBOL, though we did so last year in closer accordance with the very beginning of the language. You can read our stories on the current state of COBOL here.

We have to say we are very pleased to hear that next summer, the National Museum of American History will be adding exhibits on COBOL. It will be the first such exhibits in the Smithsonian specifically focused on a programming language. The National Museum of American History a;ready has a great computing exhibit, with a large chunk of an ENIAC nestled amongst ancient telegraph and teletype machines. And while tis exhibit is nothing compared to those available at the Computer History Museum, it's still great to know that our heritage will be celebrated at the National level, even if only a handful of those seeing the exhibit have ever heard of COBOL before.

As an aside, I do believe that Grace Hopper is in the photo above, though she is not identified in the Smithsonian's use of the photo. Still, looks just like her, in the back there, doesn't it?