This day in history: Echo 1 lays the technological groundwork for CNN

Editor’s note: This article is part of We the People, a series marking the upcoming 250th birthday of the United States of America by Gray Media, Atlanta News First’s parent company.

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - On Aug. 12, 1960, NASA launched Echo 1, the first passive communications satellite, enabling coast-to-coast telephone calls and live TV.

The launch marked a new era in global communications and paved the way for the satellite and media industries that would later thrive in Atlanta and beyond.

Also on Aug. 12, 1981, IBM launched its first personal computer, the IBM 5150, which revolutionized business, education and personal life in the U.S.

Atlanta’s later emergence as a tech and media hub (CNN, Cox Enterprises) was built on the technological advances celebrated on this day, such as the launch of Echo 1 and the PC revolution.

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