Richard Greenblatt Timeline

By KaysenBlomenkamp
  • Richard Greenblatt is Born

    Richard Greenblatt is Born

    Greenblatt is born in Oregon. He would later become one of the most influential early computer hackers.
  • Enrolls at MIT

    Enrolls at MIT

    He enters the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he discovers programming and the early hacker culture.
  • Joins the Tech Model Railroad Club (TMRC)

    Joins the Tech Model Railroad Club (TMRC)

    Greenblatt joins TMRC, the birthplace of the hacker mindset, and begins experimenting with early electronics and computing systems.
  • Begins Programming on the PDP-6 at MIT AI Lab

    Begins Programming on the PDP-6 at MIT AI Lab

    Greenblatt begins working with the PDP‑6 at the MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, where he learns low-level system programming and helps build foundational tools for the lab.
  • Early Work with Lisp at MIT AI Lab

    Early Work with Lisp at MIT AI Lab

    At the MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Richard Greenblatt becomes deeply involved in the Lisp programming language. He helps develop the dialect known as MacLisp running on the PDP-6, contributing to its evolution.
  • Begins Writing the Chess Program Mac Hack VI

    Begins Writing the Chess Program Mac Hack VI

    Greenblatt begins developing Mac Hack VI on the PDP‑6 at MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. This program would become the first computer chess program to compete in a human tournament.
  • Mac Hack Competes in a Human Chess Tournament

    Mac Hack Competes in a Human Chess Tournament

    Mac Hack VI becomes the first computer program in history to enter an official human chess tournament. This marks a turning point in artificial intelligence, proving that a machine could play competitively against trained human opponents.
  • Mac Hack Defeats a Human Player

    Mac Hack Defeats a Human Player

    The chess program Mac Hack VI, developed by Richard Greenblatt at the MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, becomes the first computer program to beat a human participant in a rated chess tournament.
  • Greenblatt Becomes a Central Figure in the MIT Hacker Community

    Greenblatt Becomes a Central Figure in the MIT Hacker Community

    By 1970, Richard Greenblatt is widely recognized as one of the leading figures at the MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. Known for his nonstop hands-on programming, open-access philosophy, and willingness to help others, he becomes a core architect of early hacker culture. His work influences the norms, values, and identity of the MIT hacker community for decades.
  • Contributes to the ITS Operating System

    Contributes to the ITS Operating System

    Greenblatt helps develop ITS, the operating system used by MIT hackers. His work supports the open, collaborative culture of the AI Lab.
  • Promotes the Hacker Ethic

    Promotes the Hacker Ethic

    Greenblatt becomes known for promoting the hacker ethic: open access, curiosity, and freedom to explore systems.
  • Begins Designing Lisp Machine Hardware

    Begins Designing Lisp Machine Hardware

    Greenblatt starts building computer hardware optimized for the Lisp language at MIT, paving the way for the first Lisp machines.
  • Founds Lisp Machines Incorporated

    Founds Lisp Machines Incorporated

    Greenblatt starts LMI, the company created to build and sell commercial Lisp Machines.
  • LMI Machines Used in AI Research

    LMI Machines Used in AI Research

    Computers from Lisp Machines Incorporated (LMI) and other Lisp machine makers become important tools in AI labs and commercial research.
  • Recognized as a Pioneer of Hacker Culture

    Recognized as a Pioneer of Hacker Culture

    Greenblatt is acknowledged as one of the earliest and most influential figures in hacker culture and AI programming, shaping how programmers think about openness and exploration.