Device That Revolutionized Timekeeping Receives an IEEE Milestone (ieee.org)

An anonymous reader writes: The invention of the atomic clock fundamentally altered the way that time is measured and kept. The clock helped redefine the duration of a single second, and its groundbreaking accuracy contributed to technologies we rely on today, including cellphones and GPS receivers. Building on the accomplishments of previous researchers, Harold Lyons and his colleagues at the U.S. National Bureau of Standards (now the National Institute of Standards and Technology), in Washington, D.C., began working in 1947 on developing an atomic clock and demonstrated it to the public two years later. Its design was based on atomic physics. The clock kept time by tracking the microwave signals that electrons in atoms emit when they change energy levels. This month the atomic clock received an IEEE Milestone. Administered by the IEEE History Center and supported by donors, the milestone program recognizes outstanding technical developments around the world.

Comments

More information

[Anonymous Coward]

Here are some links to more information on atomic clocks, their development, and why they're needed:
How and why atomic clocks were invented
How atomic clock accuracy was greatly increased
How atomic clocks work
Animations showing how atomic clocks work
Why atomic clocks are needed for GPS
Video showing how atomic clocks are used for GPS