Fortran
A programming language for science and engineering, first documented by IBM in 1956.
IBM developed Fortran. Its reference manual came out in 1956, but the first compilers only began to produce accurate code two years later.
Fortran is a compiled language built for numeric computation and scientific computing. Programs written in it support work such as weather prediction, fluid dynamics and chemistry.
Why it matters
Fortran is still popular for high-performance computing. Programs written in it are used to benchmark and rank the world's fastest supercomputers.
Key facts
- Reference manual released in 1956.
- Developed by IBM.
- First accurate compilers arrived about two years later.
- ANSI standardized it in 1966.
- Still used to rank the fastest supercomputers.
Sources
- Wikipedia, "Fortran", en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fortran, accessed October 14, 2026.
- Wikipedia, "John Backus", en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Backus, background reading, accessed October 14, 2026.