The geek in review

1940s
Pocket protectors are invented.

1946
ENIAC—an early computer—is unveiled. It Weighs 30 tons.

1952
First known usage of the word nerd in print appears courtesy of Dr. Seuss’s If I Ran the Zoo (“A Nerkle, a Nerd, and a Seersucker, too!”).

1954
The Fellowship of the Ring is published.

1955
Bill Gates and Steve Jobs are born.

1958
William Higinbotham creates the first video game, Tennis for Two. It’s played on an oscilloscope.

1966
Star Trek premieres.

1967
The “handheld” calculator, still too big for a pocket at this point, is invented by Texas Instruments.

1968
canuck prog-rock band Rush forms.

1977
Star Wars hits theaters.

1977
Woody Allen proves that a neurotic, lustful and morbid nerd can make good with Annie Hall.

1984
Revenge of the Nerds comes out. Head nerd Louis explains his stunning sexual prowess thusly: “All jocks ever think about is sports. All we ever think about is sex.”

1989
Nerd vehicle Family Matters premieres, introducing the world to mega-nerd Steve Urkel.

1990s
The tech boom represents the literal revenge of the nerds.

1993
Two MIT professors found the “Nerd Pride” movement. One explains to the New York Times: “I want every child to turn into a nerd.”

1994
Weezer’s blue album debuts and überdork Rivers Cuomo becomes an unlikely heartthrob. Many a lady wants to destroy his sweater.

1998
Rushmore is released.

1999
Freaks and Geeks premieres.

2001
The Segway is unveiled.

2002
N.E.R.D. founder Pharrell Williams explains that the GROUP’S name (it’s pronounced “en ee ar dee,” dammit!) stands for no one ever really dies. Uh-huh.

2003
The OC’s Seth Cohen spends his days worrying about fitting in while namechecking obscure comic-book writers and eventually making out with the hottest girl in school. All this is set to an incessant dweeb-rock soundtrack.

2004
Napoleon Dynamite is released.

2004
Ken Jennings wins 74 games of Jeopardy! in a row.

2005
Microsoft founder Bill Gates receives an honorary knighthood.

2006
Gnarls Barkley releases “Crazy.”

2007
Remake of Revenge of the Nerds scheduled for release.