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- When
- September 9, 1947
- Where
- Harvard Mark II computer
- The note
- “First actual case of bug being found.”
- Today
- The logbook page is at the Smithsonian
A moth in Relay #70
On September 9, 1947, the team running Harvard’s Mark II computer traced a malfunction to Panel F, Relay #70. Inside was a moth. They removed it, taped it into the operations logbook, and wrote: “First actual case of bug being found.”
Engineers had called glitches “bugs” for decades, so the joke was that this time it was literal. Computing pioneer Grace Hopper, who worked on the Mark II, loved telling the story and helped make it famous. The logbook page, moth included, is now held by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.
The lesson isn’t the moth. It’s the logbook. Because someone wrote down what happened, when, and what fixed it, we still know the story nearly 80 years later.
Keep a logbook for your business tech
- Write down what broke and what fixed it. A shared note or spreadsheet with the date, the problem, and the fix saves hours the next time it happens.
- Keep a list of your accounts. Your domain, email, website host, and Wi-Fi, with who has access. When someone leaves or something expires, you won’t be guessing.
- Note renewal dates. Domains and security certificates that quietly expire take websites and email down with them.
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