“ It didn't happen overnight. It has been the result of 40 years of hard work by tens of thousands of people.” Now 73 years old, Jack Kilby, who invented the integrated circuit at a Texas Instruments laboratory in 1958, marvels at how much impact his invention has had on the world. “I am continuously being surprised by some of the products coming onto the market. Some of them are fascinating... Musical Christmas and birthday cards, neckties that play tunes. I certainly couldn't have foreseen those.” (Reuter 9 Sep 97)