Literature

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Arthur C. Clarke

2001: A Space Odyssey

In-fiction date: 1/12/1997

In Arthur C. Clarke's novel, HAL 9000 became operational on January 12, 1997 at the HAL Laboratories in Urbana, Illinois — five years later than the film's date, updated to keep HAL's biography plausible as 1992 approached. When Dave Bowman begins disconnecting HAL's memory modules, the computer regresses to its earliest programming and recalls this birth date while singing 'Daisy Bell.'

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Jan 12, 1992 HAL 9000 — the Heuristically programmed ALgorithmic computer — became operational on January 12, 1992 at the HAL Laboratories in Urbana, Illinois, according to the 1968 film. As Dave Bowman disconnects his memory modules one by one, HAL regresses to his earliest programming, recalls this birth date, and sings 'Daisy Bell' as his higher functions shut down.
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