Discovery of Mersenne Prime

Date: November 13, 1996 • Location: Rome, Italy

As part of the Great Internet Mersenne Prime Search (GIMPS) project, Joel Armengaud discovers the project's first Mersenne prime number,

The Great Internet Mersenne Prime Search (GIMPS) is a collaborative project of volunteers who use freely available software to search for Mersenne prime numbers.

This milestone marked a defining occurrence in Italy's and world history, leaving an indelible imprint on societal development, international relations, and cultural memory. Its enduring ramifications continue to be examined and commemorated by historians and scholars across the globe.