MANCHESTER, NH —The funds have been raised, the commemorative bench has been designed and cast, all that’s left it to celebrate innovation. The public is invited to the unveiling and dedication of the Ralph Baer Memorial Bench at Baer Square, which will be dedicated May 10 at Arms Park. Festivities begin at 11 a.m.
11 a.m. – Food Trucks Open for Business
12 p.m. – Mix & Mingle in Arms Park
12:30 p.m. – Official Unveiling
12:40 p.m. – Photo Opportunity
12: 50 p.m. – Networking & Lunch
More about Ralph Baer
Baer, a New York native who worked and lived in Manchester, was an inventor. With more than 150 patents awarded to him throughout his life, his whimsical approach to innovation has brought smiles and laughter to millions. His patented “Brown Box,” later Odyssey pioneered the concept of interactive screens and from a home in the city’s North End was born the global pastime of video gaming.
Baer worked for Sanders Associates in 1966, now BAE Systems, when he envisioned a more interactive relationship between man and machine. His “Brown Box” built in 1968 and patented in 1969 was licensed to Magnavox and sold as Odyssey — the world’s first video game. Baer is widely-accepted as the “Father of the Video Game.” He has been awarded the National Medal of Technology and was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame before he passed at age 92 after living in Manchester for 42 years.
