Origins & Early Life

Nolan Kay Bushnell (born February 5, 1943) is an American businessman and electrical engineer. He established Atari, Inc., and the Chuck E. Cheese chain. He has been inducted into the Video Game Hall of Fame and the Consumer Electronics Association Hall of Fame, received the BAFTA Fellowship and the Nations Restaurant News "Innovator of the Year" award and was named one of Newsweek's "50 Men Who Changed America".

Pivotal Works & Achievements

He has started more than 20 companies and is one of the founding fathers of the video game industry. He is on the board of Anti-Aging Games. In 2012, he founded an educational software company called Brainrush that uses video game technology in educational software. He is credited with Bushnell's Law, an aphorism about games that are "easy to learn and difficult to master" being rewarding. Bushnell was born in 1943 in Clearfield, Utah in a middle-class family who were members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

He attended Davis High School in the nearby town of Kaysville, Utah. Bushnell enrolled at Utah State University in 1961 to study engineering and then later business. In 1964, he transferred to the University of Utah College of Engineering...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Alvy Ray Smith — Contemporary (Born in 1943) (1943): Pioneering computer scientist and co-founder of Pixar Animation Studios.
• Antonio Inoki — Contemporary (Born in 1943) (1943): Pioneering Japanese wrestler, martial artist, and political figure.
• Arthur Ashe — Contemporary (Born in 1943) (1943): Pioneering American tennis star, celebrated for his skill and activism.
• Banjo Paterson — Shared historical date (02-05 · Died) (1941): Iconic Australian bush poet, journalist, and author of 'Waltzing Matilda'
• Barrett Strong — Shared historical date (02-05 · Born) (1941): Pioneering Motown artist and songwriter, famed for 'Money (That's What I Want)'
• Barry Manilow — Historical peer (Born in 1943) (1943): Enduring American singer, songwriter, and producer with a six-decade career.
• Beatrix Potter — Historical peer (Died in 1943) (1943): Pioneering author and illustrator celebrated for natural history and children's literature.
• Adam Yauch — Historical peer (Died in 2012) (2012): Founding member of Beastie Boys; influential rapper, filmmaker, and Tibetan activist.
• Alfred F. Young — Historical peer (Died in 2012) (2012): Pioneering American historian of the Revolution and working-class social history.
• Aaron Sorkin — Historical peer (Born in 1961) (1961): Master of fast-paced dialogue, known for 'walk and talk' storytelling.
• 1943 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1943
• February 5 (02-05) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on February 5