GoKawiilICCS to host Fortran 70th anniversary event in Manchester on December 1, 2026
The Institute of Computing for Climate Science (ICCS) is organizing a free event marking 70 years since Fortran's first manual was published, to be held at the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester. The program includes a keynote from Damian Rouson of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, lightning talks, breakout discussions, and an evening reception featuring a demonstration of the historic 'Baby' computer. Registration is open now and closes November 9, 2026, with both in-person and remote Zoom attendance options.
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The event underscores Fortran's continued relevance in fields like climate modeling, nuclear engineering and materials science despite the rise of newer programming languages, suggesting the scientific computing community still sees active development value in the language rather than treating it as legacy code. Gathering practitioners to discuss both the language's history and its future could signal ongoing investment in maintaining and modernizing Fortran tooling for high-performance computing applications.
- Fortran's first manual was published 70 years ago, on October 15, 1955
- ICCS will host a free retrospective and forward-looking event in Manchester on December 1, 2026
- Attendees can join in-person or remotely, with registration closing November 9, 2026
Modern Fortran Explained (book) — If you're intrigued by Fortran's 70-year legacy in scientific computing, this book is a fantastic way to understand its modern capabilities and continued relevance. It covers both the language's rich history and its current standards, perfect for anyone inspired by the anniversary celebrations to dive deeper into Fortran programming.
See Modern Fortran Explained (book) on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: fortran-lang.org, 2026-10-15
Published there as: “Celebrating 70 Years of Fortran”
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