In 1964, Dartmouth College mathematicians John G. Kemeny and Thomas E. Kurtz created BASIC, revolutionizing computing and inspiring programmers for six decades. BASIC, with its simple line-by-line structure, became popular for beginners with its plain English commands like “PRINT” and “GOTO.” Before BASIC, programming was complex and reserved for professionals. BASIC was adapted for personal computers by Bill Gates, Paul Allen, and Steve Wozniak, becoming a key feature on popular systems like the Apple II, Commodore 64, and IBM PC. While BASIC is now mainly used in retrocomputing, its legacy lives on in languages like Python and JavaScript. Cheers to Kemeny and Kurtz for making computing accessible to all!
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2024/05/the-basic-programming-language-turns-60/