1N4148 signal diode

It is one of the most popular and long-lived switching diodes because of its dependable specifications and low cost.

[1] It was registered at JEDEC by Texas Instruments no later than 1961, and was second-sourced by 11 manufacturers that same year.

[2] The 1N4148 was registered at JEDEC in 1968 as a silicon switching signal diode for military and industrial applications.

[3] It was second-sourced by many manufacturers; Texas Instruments listed their version of the device in an October 1966 data sheet.

[5] As the most common mass-produced switching diode, the 1N4148 replaced the older 1N914.

Three 1N4148 diodes in glass DO-35 axial package. The black band on the right is the cathode side.
Diode schematic symbol vs cathode marking on the package.
Cross section of a 1N914 in glass axial package
I–V (current vs. voltage) graph of various diodes, including 1N4148