The first microprocessor was the 20-bit Garrett AiResearch MP944 chip set developed between 1968-1970 for the F-14 "Tomcat".
It controlled the aircraft's flight surfaces and cockpit displays, featuring components like a multiplier, divider, RAM, ROM, and CPU with parallel processing and self-testing. This microprocessor was a pioneering, redundant, real-time system with integrated co-processors. Its capabilities were highly classified for national security reasons, and its advanced design remained hidden for decades.
When it was declassified in the 1990s, many were surprised by how incredibly ahead of its time it was, with features far surpassing anything publicly known at the time.
In contrast, the Intel MCS-4 (Intel 4004), released in 1971, was the first commercially available 4-bit microprocessor, designed for consumer electronics and simpler applications. While the MCS-4 was a general-purpose processor, the MP944 was a specialized, high-performance system created for military aerospace use.