Arkansas has a rich heritage of technology. Here are a few of the events marking the way to today's tech world. Let us know of other key events we can add to the list. Or you can go to our Facebook page to comment. Maybe you were involved in one of Arkansas pioneering efforts?
If you are interested in pioneers in computing in Arkansas, you might enjoy the Arkansas Academy of Computing video interview series here: http://araoc.org/history/
~5000 BC Novaculite mining begins, followed by export trade throughout the Mississippi drainage.
http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?search=1&entryID=2220
1819 First Printing Press West of the Mississippi
http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=2344
1830 Bowie knife
http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?search=1&entryID=2738
1960s Rice Hull Baler, patented by Johnnie Bryan Hunt, prelude to J.B. Hunt Trucking
https://www.google.com/patents/US3501890
1966 Hemco founded, producing early computerized sawmills
http://www.usnr.com/Pages/page.aspx?PageId=History
1968 Systematics, Inc. founded (now Fidelity National Information Services - FIS)
http://www.fisglobal.com/
Walter Smiley Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqFm1EuUAkQ
1969 Demographics, Inc. Founded (now Acxiom)
1969 National Migrant Student Record Transfer System Established
http://www.ericdigests.org/1993/update.htm
1971 Establishment of National Center for Toxicological Research at Jefferson, Arkansas
http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?search=1&entryID=2926
1975 Arkansas Systems Inc. founded (now Euronet Software Solutions)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euronet_Worldwide
1983 IMPAC Learning Systems established (Instructional Microcomputers in Arkansas Classrooms)
http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=6293
Cecil McDermott Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxLDQulSIRY
1983 Ozark Softscape releases influential multi-player video game M.U.L.E.
http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/media-detail.aspx?mediaID=7710
2004 Mid-South Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Society (MCBIOS) established
2008 Arkansas Research Alliance Established (scholars program 2010)
September 2013: The Arkansas Regional Innovation Hub is established in Argenta
May 2014: The Venture Center is launched in Little Rock
December 2015 FinTech Accelerator partnership with FIS announced
April 2016: HubX-LifeSciences kicks off at the Arkansas Regional Innovation Hub