History
While the origins of technical writing can be traced back to antiquity, Geoffrey Chaucer's Treatise on the Astrolabe has been called first piece of technical writing in English.
Technical writing began to be seen as discipline in and of itself around the time of World War I, growing out of the need for technology-based documentation in the military, manufacturing, electronics, and aerospace industries. In 1953, two organizations concerned with improving the practice of technical communication were founded in the United States: the Society of Technical Writers, and the Association of Technical Writers and Editors. These organizations merged in 1957 to form the Society of Technical Writers and Editors, a predecessor of the current Society for Technical Communication.
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