RestoredCDC.org Comparison

    Original site: www.cdc.gov/epiinfo/story/story1976.html | RestoredCDC.org is an independent project, not affiliated with CDC or any federal entity. Visit CDC.gov for free official information. Due to archival on January 6, 2025, recent outbreak data is unavailable. Videos are not restored. Access data.restoredcdc.org for restored data. Use of this site implies acceptance of this disclaimer.
    [More]
    About Us Report Bug Compare Content
  Skip directly to site content Skip directly to search
  Español | Other Languages
    Here's how you know
    An official website of the United States government Here's how you know
        Epi Info™
        Epi Info™
        Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC twenty four seven. Saving Lives, Protecting People Epi Info™
          Search
            Search Menu Navigation Menu
                Submit
    Epi Info™
      * Epi Info™ for Windows
      * Epi Info™ for Mobile
      * Epi Info™ for Web
      * Epi Info™ for Web & Cloud
      * Support & Resources
              + BACK
                Support & Resources
          + Downloads
                  o BACK
                    Downloads
                  o BACK
                    Support & Resources Downloads
              o Previous Versions
              o 
              o Shapefiles
                      - BACK
              o Translations
                        Downloads
              o EIHAT
                      - BACK
                        Support & Resources Downloads
                  - Previous Versions
                  - Shapefiles
                  - Translations
                  - Epi Info™ Home
              o Epi Info™ Home
          + User Guide
                  o BACK
                    User Guide
                  o BACK
                    Support & Resources User Guide
              o Getting Started
              o Form Designer
              o Check Code
              o Enter Data
              o Web Survey
              o Companion for Android
              o Data Packager
              o Visual Dashboard
              o Classic Analysis
              o Maps
              o Nutritional Anthropometry
              o StatCalc
              o Command Reference
              o Functions & Operators
              o Epi Info™ Home
          + FAQs
          + Help Desk
          + User Community Q&A
          + Tutorials
          + Epi Info™ Home
      * Epi Info™ Annual Report
      * The Epi Info™ Story
      * Epi Info™ Home
          Epi Info™
    Epi Info™ Home
        The Epi Info™ Story ~ 1976-1986
          The Epi Info™ Story ~ 1976-1986
        Print
          Key Events in the History of Epi Info™
           1. ›1976-1986
           2. 1986 - Version 1
           3. 1987-1988 - Versions 2, 3, 4
           4. 1990-1992 - Versions 5 & 6, EpiMap, EpiTable & EpiNut
           5. 1993-1998
           6. 1998-2001 - Epi Info 2000
           7. Computers and Epi Info Historical Summary to the Third Millennium
           8. All
            Related Pages
                      * 1976
                        The beginning of flexible computing in public health.
                        Auditorium A at CDC, converted to a war room for the Swine Flu crisis, is filled with epidemiologists and a Digital Equipment PDP 11 minicomputer the size of a refrigerator.
                        A program called SOCRATES, written in FORTRAN by programmer Rick Curtis, allowed an epidemiologist to define questions, enter data, and summarize the results in tabular form without the aid of a programmer.
                      * 1978-1984
                        The Epidemiologic Analysis System (EAS), a more flexible version of SOCRATES, was written in BASIC by Anthony (Tony) Burton of CDC and set up on a minicomputer for remote access by the Georgia state health department.
                        The Conference (now Council) of State and Territorial Epidemiologists formed a Computer Working Group, and, together with Drs. Keewhan Choi and Stephen Thacker of CDC, developed a five-point plan for development of epidemiologic computing.
                      * 1984
                        Dr. Andrew Dean, Chairman of the CSTE Computer Working Group, served as President of CSTE and then was invited by Dr. Howard Ory to come to CDC and develop software for epidemiologists.
                        He produced plans for a series of programs called EPI-AID to assist epidemiologists in outbreak investigations.
                        Dr. Andy Dean, State Epidemiologist of Minnesota, became frustrated with the lack of flexibility of computer resources in the mid-1970s and vowed to join the microcomputer revolution.
                        Although, as Director of Disease Prevention and Control, he was unable to commit daytime hours to the effort, he built and programmed an IMSAI computer in the evening.
                        After several years, the project began to approach the useful stage. At about the same time, he was invited to come to CDC and produce software for epidemiologists.
                      * 1985 - 1986
                        Jeffrey A. Dean, a Junior at Paidea High School, began a field internship in computing at an insurance company, which required keeping a large printer supplied with paper. He expressed a desire for a more challenging experience to his Dad, who gave him specifications for a data entry program for epidemiology.
                        During March 1985, he wrote ENTER in Turbo Pascal, the language he had previously used to adapt a mainframe version of Dungeons and Dragons to a microcomputer.
                        Tony Burton, author of the BASIC version of the Epidemiologic Analysis System, provided ideas for the first version of ANALYSIS, programmed by Jeff during the summer of 1986.
                        Several years later, Tony moved to the Global Programme on AIDS, World Health Organization, Geneva, and he and Jeff continued to collaborate on later versions of Epi Info™ as Jeff traveled to Geneva during college vacations.
                        Dr. Richard Dicker, author of the Epidemiology in Action training manual and coordinator of the Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) course at CDC, provided advice on the statistics that were included with Epi Info™.
                * 
      Last Reviewed: September 16, 2022, 12:00 pm
        Source: Office of Public Health Data, Surveillance, and Technology
        * Facebook
        * Twitter
        * LinkedIn
        * Syndicate
      home Epi Info™
      * Epi Info™ for Windows
      * Epi Info™ for Mobile
      * Epi Info™ for Web
      * Epi Info™ for Web & Cloud
      * Support & Resources plus icon
          + Downloads plus icon
              o Previous Versions
              o plus icon
              o Shapefiles
                  - Previous Versions
              o Translations
                  - Shapefiles
              o EIHAT
                  - Translations
          + User Guide plus icon
              o Getting Started
              o Form Designer
              o Check Code
              o Enter Data
              o Web Survey
              o Companion for Android
              o Data Packager
              o Visual Dashboard
              o Classic Analysis
              o Maps
              o Nutritional Anthropometry
              o StatCalc
              o Command Reference
              o Functions & Operators
          + FAQs
          + Help Desk
          + User Community Q&A
          + Tutorials
      * Epi Info™ Annual Report
      * The Epi Info™ Story
              * About CDC
              * Contact Us
              * 800-232-4636
              Facebook Twitter Instagram LinkedIn Youtube Pinterest Snapchat
              Facebook Twitter Instagram LinkedIn Youtube Pinterest Snapchat RSS
          * CONTACT CDC
                    Contact Us
                    Call 800-232-4636
                    Email Us
          * ABOUT CDC
                  + About CDC
                  + Jobs
                  + Funding
          * POLICIES
                  + Accessibility
                  + External Links
                  + Privacy
                  + Policies
                  + Web Policies
                  + No Fear Act
                  + FOIA
                  + OIG
                  + No Fear Act
                  + Nondiscrimination
                  + Vulnerability Disclosure Policy
                  + CDC Archive
                  + Public Health Publications
                  + HHS.gov
                  + USA.gov
          * CONNECT WITH US
                    + Facebook
                    + Twitter
                    + Instagram
                    + LinkedIn
                    + Youtube
                    + Pinterest
                    + Snapchat
                    + Email
          * LANGUAGES
                  + Español
                  + 繁體中文
                  + Tiếng Việt
                  + 한국어
                  + Tagalog
                  + Русский
                  + العربية
                  + Kreyòl Ayisyen
                  + Français
                  + Polski
                  + Português
                  + Italiano
                  + Deutsch
                  + 日本語
                  + فارسی
                  + English
          * U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
          * Accessibility
          * External Links
          * Privacy
          * Policies
          * Web Policies
          * FOIA
          * OIG
          * No Fear Act
          * FOIA
          * Nondiscrimination
          * OIG
          * Vulnerability Disclosure Policy
          * CDC Archive
          * Public Health Publications
          * HHS.gov
          * USA.gov
        Content Credential
        ×
        This image was edited or created using GenAI (generative artificial intelligence).
        Our experts review all images in an effort to ensure accuracy and quality before use.
        Learn more about CDC's usage of GenAI.