Edgar F. Codd publishes 'A Relational Model of Data'

IBM researcher Edgar F. Codd publishes his seminal paper outlining the relational model for database management, a mathematical approach to data organization.

Significance

This paper provided the theoretical foundation for all subsequent relational databases, including Oracle, by defining a clean, logical separation between data structure and access methods.

Key facts

Date
1970-06-01
Type
invention
Location
San Jose, California (IBM Research Lab)