In 1962, IBM built a specialized supercomputer, Harvest, for the US National Security Agency (NSA), which remained in operation for 14 years until its demise in 1976. Known as the IBM 7950, Harvest was based on IBM's 7030 Stretch mainframe and was designed to process large volumes of intercepted communications without manual intervention. This groundbreaking computer could run certain jobs up to 200 times faster than other machines of its time. However, Harvest met its end when a worn-out part from an automated tape library manufacturer no longer in business failed. During its operation, Harvest witnessed significant historical events such as the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Vietnam War, and the period leading up to the 1975 Helsinki Accords. The supercomputer was equipped with a custom streaming processor and an automated tape-storage system called Tractor, which functioned both as long-term storage and a source of data for Harvest's processing jobs. IBM and the NSA also developed a programming language specifically for Harvest called Alpha. Despite some challenges within the NSA regarding its specialized design, Harvest was capable of performing remarkable tasks, including sorting and statistical analysis of streaming data in real-time.