1973 · Databases
Database systems made connected information navigable and reusable.
Visual guide
Define records and links.
Store relationships explicitly.
Follow a path to relevant data.
Database management became a distinct layer of computing, supporting many applications over shared information.
Bachman’s network databases and later relational databases organise access differently; they should not be treated as the same model.
01 · The idea
Charles Bachman pioneered database technology, notably through the Integrated Data Store. A database could describe records and their relationships rather than leave every application to reinvent how information was stored and reached. His network approach made links between records an explicit part of a data system.
Database management became a distinct layer of computing, supporting many applications over shared information.
02 · The people
Charles Bachman developed practical ways to manage connected business data. At General Electric he created the Integrated Data Store, an influential early database management system. His network approach gave programs explicit paths between related records, while Bachman diagrams made data relationships visible. Later work at Honeywell continued his focus on databases and systems. His award highlighted database technology as a major area of computing.
Read the biography ↗03 · Read further
Original explanations based on the official award record. The subject label is an editorial navigation aid.
Database engines can be redesigned around the questions and data they serve.
The story
Databases must preserve meaningful changes even when computers crash.
The story