APPENDIX D
TIME LINE OF SIGNIFICANT PAST EVENTS AND FORCES
As they registered, worksop participants were directed to a long sheet of newsprint on one wall of the plenary meeting room. Across the top of the paper was a time line beginning with 1950 and reaching to 1996. (The beginning of the time line was later moved back to 1900.) The paper was further divided horizontally by a line. The area above the line was labeled "events," the area below the line "forces." Participants were to write on the paper those events or societal forces they knew about that had propelled the collection, dissemination, and use of spatial data to the present day. The results are presented below. There is no correlation between an event and a force in any given year. This is not meant to be an all inclusive time line and the committee recognizes that it reflects the biases of the participants. No attempt was made to remove any bias. The accuracies of specific dates were not verified.
Time |
Event |
Force |
1910 |
• International Society of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing formed |
|
1940 |
|
• Post-WWII attitudes to science & technology |
1950 |
|
• ILIAC |
|
• Atlas of British meteorological maps |
|
1955 |
|
|
Time |
Event |
Force |
1957 |
• Waldo Tobler at University of Wisconsin • First digitizer • COBOL invented • U2 high-altitude photography for mapping • Computerized atlas of British flora |
• Sputnik |
1960 |
|
• Growth of environmental awareness |
1961 |
• Formated file system invented by IBM |
|
1962 |
• First satellite mapping camera (Unamace AS-11) |
• Civil disobedience (beginning confidence in questioning authority and in significance of grassroots initiatives) |
1963 |
• Sketchpad (MIT) |
• Military-geo info computerized as GIS for battlefield • First radar map system |
1964 |
• Ready-React produces digital map for the White House • GPS specifications developed by DOD • SYMAP • Bruce Cook, Australia on topology • Chicago transportation studies (Duane Marble) |
|
1965 |
• CGIS • LINMAP |
• Drugs/Flower children |
1966 |
• Electrostatic printer |
• Vietnam War • WGS-66 |
1967 |
• Soil cell digitizing (MIADS) • New Haven study • ECU launched • Harvard lab |
|
1968 |
• MLMIS |
• Relational database defined by E. F. Codd |
1969 |
• First spatial data transfer standard published (by ECU) • LUNR |
|
Time |
Event |
Force |
1970 |
• Tektronix 4010/4014 • M+S • Integrated circuit |
|
1971 |
• Blue-ribbon committee creates DMA • Local governments begin using networks to compute travel times for fire, police, siting, with assistance from NBS and HUD; First application of GIS • ERTS/Landsat-1 • GBF DIME • First computer-produced multicolor map in standard series (ECU/BGS) |
|
1972 |
• Nixon's order to consolidate all DOD mapping • Graphical user interface • HUD USAC project |
• WGS-72 |
1973 |
• Ordnance Survey starts digitizing 230,000 maps |
|
1974 |
• ALTAIR (personal computer) • Endicott Holse topological data structures • Electric pencil • UNIX |
|
1975 |
• Federal Mapping Task Force • IBM's GFIS • PIOS/GRID |
|
1976 |
• Automated map scanner for soil maps (computer vision) • GIRAS |
• Mandelbrot's first book on fractals • Larson report |
1977 |
• COMARC • Digital line graph (DLG) • Raster-to-vector technology • Defined standards for DTED-DEAD pads |
• Need to handle large volumes of spatial data • APBS field use of photogrammetry |
1978 |
• IMA GIS for advanced weapons, cruise missile simulators |
|
Time |
Event |
Force |
1979 |
• DIDS • RESPA • World CGA creation of hypermedia |
|
1980 |
• NRC multipurpose cadastre report • Arpanet creation • FEMA integration of USGS 1:2 million maps, first wall-to-wall digital map • NCDCDS initiated |
|
1981 |
• FICCDC formed (Federal Interagency Coordinating Committee on Digital Cartography) • Large-Format Camera Mission |
• Bill Gates talks with IBM |
1982 |
• Digital photogrammetry |
• 8088 chip; IBM personal computer |
1983 |
• ETAK formed |
• USGS/Census MOU • NAD-83 (North American Datum) |
1984 |
• University-use "internet" • SPOEM • Radio Shack M-100 • DMA DPS initiated • Dane County Land Records Project |
• Client-server RISC chip • WGS-84 • 80286 computer |
1985 |
|
• First GPS satellites launched |
1986 |
• Burrough published |
|
1987 |
• Mapping Science Committee formed |
• 80386 computer |
1988 |
• First public TIGER files • NCGIA created |
• Berlin Wall comes down |
1989 |
|
|
1990 |
• FGDC formed • DLPO |
|
1991 |
• National Digital Ortho Program • DMA DPS IOC • USGS topo series completed |
• 80486 computer • Dissolution of the Soviet Union |
Time |
Event |
Force |
1992 |
• DMA GGIS initiative • DHI (MSDDD) • NSGIC formed |
• OMB Circular A-130 |
1993 |
• NRC Report Toward a Coordinated Spatial Data Infrastructure for the Nation" • Spatial data on Internet • GIS on NT • Spatial data transfer standard |
• National Performance Review (NSDI issue paper) • End of Cold War • Pentium computer (P5) |
1994 |
• MSC Partnerships report • FGDC framework report • Open GIS Consortium established • WWW hypertext • ISO TC 211 |
• Executive Order 12906 |
1995 |
• FGDC clearinghouse • FGDC metadata standard • Windows 95 operating system • TVA geographic partnerships • GIS brought forward as force of change at U.N. HABITAT-2 conference • Ordnance Survey finishes digitizing 230,000 maps |
• Defense Science Board report on Defense Mapping for Future Operations • Congress "allows" 1-m imaging from space • Oklahoma City bombing • Concept of an IPT formed • P6 computer |
1996 |
• OGIS Spec. V1 |
• GPS—selective availability scheduled to be turned off |