On this day in history, November 23rd…

 1963 : The first episode of “Doctor Who” aired on BBC. The show went on the become the world’s longest running science fiction drama.  Based on the adventures of a Time Lord—a time traveling, humanoid alien known as the Doctor, the show quickly become a significant part of British popular culture. After 26 seasons, in 1996, the show was put on hold because of declining ratings and production was suspended until it was finally picked up again in 2005. They have made 5 more seasons since then.

1992 : The first “Smartphone” (in other words a handheld, touch-screen cellular phone and PDA ) called “IBM Simon” was introduced  at a computer and technology trade show in Las Vegas, Nevada. The term “smartphone” wasn’t around at the time; it was called the “Simon Personal Communicator” and allowed a user to make and receive telephone calls, faxes, and emails, among other functions. It was the first of its kind that combined both the cellular phone & PDA (Personal Digital/Data Assistant). It even had a touch-screen user interface.  It was only in its prototype stages when it was featured at COMDEX show in Las Vegas, but this gained it a lot of traction and it was featured on the front page of USA Today’s Money section. After its launch, it sold 50,000 units in the six months it was distributed.