1970 paper "A Relational Model of Data for Large Shared Data Banks"

The 1970 paper "A Relational Model of Data for Large Shared Data Banks," authored by Edgar F. Codd, introduced a new way to organize and manage data using tables, which he called "relations." This model allows data to be stored in a structured format with clear relationships between different data points, making it easier to retrieve and manipulate information. Codd’s approach laid the groundwork for modern databases, enabling more efficient data handling, flexibility, and improved data integrity. It fundamentally transformed how data is structured and accessed in computing, influencing countless applications and systems.