Origins & Early Life

Daniel Singer Bricklin (born July 16, 1951) is an American businessman and engineer who is the co-creator, with Bob Frankston, of VisiCalc, the first spreadsheet program. He also founded Software Garden, Inc., of which he is currently president, and Trellix, which he left in 2004. He currently serves as the chief technology officer of Alpha Software. His book, Bricklin on Technology, was published by Wiley in May 2009.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

For his work with VisiCalc, Bricklin is often referred to as "the father of the Spreadsheet". He was one of six people spotlighted when the Computer was denoted "Machine of the Year" by Time magazine in 1982. Bricklin was born in a Jewish family in Philadelphia, where he attended Akiba Hebrew Academy. He began his college as a mathematics major, but soon switched to computer science. He earned a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering and computer science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1973, where he was a resident of Bexley Hall.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Upon graduating from MIT, Bricklin worked for Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) where he was part of the team that worked on WPS-8 until 1976, when he began working for FasFax, a cash...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Abanindranath Tagore — Contemporary (Died in 1951) (1951): Pioneering figure of the Bengal School, modernizing Indian art against Western influence.
• Alvin E. Roth — Contemporary (Born in 1951) (1951): Pioneering economist known for game theory and market design solutions.
• André Gide — Contemporary (Died in 1951) (1951): Pioneering French author, Nobel laureate known for exploring selfhood and transgression.
• Andrea del Sarto — Shared historical date (07-16 · Born) (1486): Florentine painter celebrated for fresco work during the High Renaissance.
• Andros Townsend — Shared historical date (07-16 · Born) (1991): English professional footballer known for his time at Tottenham Hotspur and subsequent moves.
• Anjelica Huston — Historical peer (Born in 1951) (1951): Esteemed American actress known for eccentric roles and multiple industry awards.
• Arnold Schoenberg — Historical peer (Died in 1951) (1951): Modernist composer who pioneered atonality and the twelve-tone technique.
• A. A. K. Niazi — Historical peer (Died in 2004) (2004): Pakistani general who commanded Eastern Command during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.
• Bernice Rubens — Historical peer (Died in 2004) (2004): Acclaimed Welsh novelist, first woman to win the Booker Prize in 1970.
• Aage Bohr — Historical peer (Died in 2009) (2009): Pioneering Danish nuclear physicist, Nobel laureate for atomic structure theory.
• 1951 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1951
• July 16 (07-16) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on July 16