What Day Is August 12? IBM PC Launches and International Youth Day
August 12 is the 224th day of the year. In 1981, IBM released the Model 5150 Personal Computer, changing computing history. The UN observes International Youth Day on August 12.
About August 12
August 12 is the 224th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (225th in a leap year). There are 141 days remaining until the end of the year.
The significance of August 12
On August 12, 1981, IBM released the Model 5150 Personal Computer at a press conference in New York. Priced at $1,565, it ran MS-DOS on an Intel 8088 processor and came with 64 KB of RAM. IBM’s decision to use off-the-shelf parts and publish an open architecture meant that within two years clone manufacturers like Compaq were producing compatible machines. That single decision shaped the entire structure of the computing industry. In 1960, NASA launched Echo 1A, a silver balloon 100 feet across that orbited Earth and reflected radio signals — the first communications satellite. The UN has observed International Youth Day on August 12 since 2000.
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On This Day in History
- 1960NASA launched Echo 1A, a 100-foot aluminized balloon satellite that passively reflected radio signals — the first communications satellite in orbit.
- 1981IBM released the IBM PC (Model 5150) with an Intel 8088 processor and MS-DOS, setting the standard for personal computing that still shapes the industry today.
Baby Names for This Day
August 12 is International Youth Day. Names tied to innovation, youth, and the computer age:
- GatesBoy
Bill Gates supplied MS-DOS for the first IBM PC; the OS partnership was the foundation of Microsoft's rise.
- EchoGirl
NASA's Echo 1A satellite, launched on this day in 1960, was the first object humans put in orbit to relay signals.
- PascalBoy
Computing pioneer Blaise Pascal gave his name to a programming language — one of many that traces roots to the IBM PC era.
- AdaGirl
Ada Lovelace, considered the first computer programmer; her legacy runs through every personal computer.
- NovaGirl
'New.' International Youth Day is fundamentally about what comes next.
- RexBoy
'King.' Leo's energy; and the IBM PC was king of a new era in personal computing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What day is August 12?add
August 12 is the day IBM released the first Personal Computer in 1981, and International Youth Day. NASA launched Echo 1A in 1960. The 224th day of the year.
What number day of the year is August 12?add
August 12 is the 224th day of the year, or the 225th in a leap year, with 141 days remaining.
What zodiac sign is August 12?add
August 12 is Leo, which runs from July 23 to August 22.