Data Storage & Memory · Recorded milestone
Hard disk drive
Recorded year1956
IBM's RAMAC stores 5 MB on fifty spinning platters.
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Led to
- Computer reservation systemRecorded · 1960requires
- IBM System/360Recorded · 1964enables
- Floppy diskRecorded · 1971enables
- RAID disk arraysRecorded · 1987enables
- World Wide WebRecorded · 1991requires
- GMR hard-drive read headsRecorded · 1997enables
- Link-based web searchRecorded · 1998requires
- Pocket MP3 playerRecorded · 1998enables
- Digital video recorderRecorded · 1999enables
- Social networksRecorded · 2004requires
- Online video sharingRecorded · 2005requires
- Cloud computingRecorded · 2006requires
- Video streamingRecorded · 2007requires
- Black-hole imageRecorded · 2019requires
- Heat-assisted hard drivesRecorded · 2024enables
Sources & evidence
Dataset updated 2026-10-18. This individual record has not been separately re-reviewed.