Seymour Cray founds Cray Research Inc.

6th April 1972
Seymour Cray founds Cray Research Inc.

Seymour Cray began his career as an engineer for Engineering Research Associates (ERA) where he began to design a machine of his own. When ERA were purchased by Remington Rand they were merged into their Univac department.

Cray soon left to join Control Data Corporation (CDC) which had been founded by other employees who left Remington Rand during the ERA merger.

At CDC, Seymour Cray created his first transistorized computer, nicknamed Little Character. This lead to building the CDC 1604. Cray was the lead designer for many of the most powerful computers of the day such as the CDC 6600, CDC 7600, and the prototype 8600.

In 1972, he founded Cray Research. His first computer, the Cray-1 delivered in 1976, became an icon of the supercomputer age. Many other supercomputers followed and the company became known for selling the fastest commercially available computer at any given time.

Cray died in an automobile accident in 1996. The company was sold to Silicon Graphics which later merged with Tera Computer Company in 2000. That same year, Tera re-named itself Cray, Inc.

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Image:

  • Cray Research logo
    Credit: © Cray Inc


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