Ken Olsen
Founder of Digital Equipment Corporation, pioneer of the minicomputer
- Lived
- 84 yrs
- 1926 – 2011
- Works listed
- 2
- Computer, Minicomputer
- Honours
- 3
- Most recent 1993
- Profile views
- 2
- 0 followers
Ken Olsen was an American engineer who co-founded Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) in 1957. DEC’s PDP and VAX minicomputers made computing affordable for laboratories, universities and businesses, and DEC became the second-largest computer company in the world.
Biography
Background
Olsen served as a US Navy radar technician and studied electrical engineering at MIT. At MIT’s Lincoln Laboratory he worked on the Whirlwind and TX-0 computers.
Founding DEC
In 1957 Olsen and Harlan Anderson founded DEC in an old woollen mill in Maynard, Massachusetts, with $70,000 from the venture firm American Research and Development — a landmark of venture capital.
Minicomputers
DEC’s PDP-1 (1959), PDP-8 (1965) and PDP-11 (1970) were smaller and cheaper than mainframes. Unix and many early games were created on DEC machines. The VAX line of 1977 made DEC hugely successful, and by 1988 it employed more than 120,000 people.
Decline
DEC was slow to embrace personal computers. Olsen left as president in 1992, and the company was bought by Compaq in 1998. He died in 2011.
Timeline
-
1926
Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, United States
-
1950
Joins MIT Lincoln Laboratory
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1957
Co-founds DEC
-
1959
PDP-1
-
1965
PDP-8
-
1970
PDP-11
-
1977
VAX-11/780
-
1992
Leaves DEC
-
1998
Compaq buys DEC
-
2011
Died, aged 84
Notable works
-
1959
PDP-1 Computer
-
1965
PDP-8 Minicomputer
Awards and honours
-
National Inventors Hall of Fame
1990
-
National Medal of Technology
1993
-
IEEE Founders Medal
1993
Did you know?
-
1
Fortune magazine called him “America’s most successful entrepreneur” in 1986.
-
2
Spacewar!, one of the first video games, was written on a DEC PDP-1.
-
3
His 1977 remark that there was no reason anyone would want a computer at home is often quoted out of context.
Connections
Related people
Also born on 20 February
Frequently asked
Who is Ken Olsen?
Ken Olsen was an American engineer who co-founded Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) in 1957. DEC’s PDP and VAX minicomputers made computing affordable for laboratories, universities and businesses, and DEC became the second-largest computer company in the world.
When did Ken Olsen die?
Ken Olsen died on 6 February 2011 at the age of 84.
Where is Ken Olsen from?
Ken Olsen was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, United States.
What is Ken Olsen known for?
Ken Olsen is best known for Co-founding DEC (1957); PDP and VAX minicomputers.
What awards has Ken Olsen received?
Notable honours include National Inventors Hall of Fame (1990), National Medal of Technology (1993), IEEE Founders Medal (1993).
References
- Ken Olsen — Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Ken Olsen — Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Ken Olsen (Q454315) — structured data. Wikidata. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
Includes material from the Wikipedia article “Ken Olsen”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. That text is available under the same licence. Learn more
External links
About this profile
- Researched by the TrackFame editorial team; reviewed by Sanjay Sokal under our editorial policy
- First published 4 November 2026
- Last updated
Cite this page
“Ken Olsen.” TrackFame, last updated 5 November 2026. https://trackfame.com/person/ken-olsen
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