Older name for the main component of a computer, the part that executes individual program instructions and controls the operation of other parts. It is now known simply as the processor or, when contained on a single integrated circuit, microprocessor.
Black and red recall the tunics worn by soldiers during the Napoleonic wars. Gold was added to create a flag similar to the French tricolour, a symbol of revolution. Effective date: 23 May 1949.