Short History of Computers

History

An incomplete listing of the major events leading to the development of modern computers is provided below.

Obviously, such a development is a product of our entire accomplishments to date. The items included are based on perceptions and perhaps prejudices of the author (me). It is impossible to separate machines and historical events from the major players. Some of the major pioneers are listed separately as are some of the machines, their components, and terminology.

Date	Event
-350 Million	Numerous mechanical and conceptual developments that enabled counting and calculation. The word "calculate" comes from the Latin word for pebble.
-5000	Development and use of the Abacus
1500	Leonardo da Vinci made drawings of a mechanical calculator
1621	William Oughtred develops slide rule
1630	Wilhelm Schickard writes a letter to Kepler describing a mechanical calculator
1642	Blaise Pascal develops first digital calculator, the Pascaline
1810	Joseph Jacquard develops concept of the punch card for a weaving machine
1822	Charles Baggage proposes a steam driven calculator, the Difference Engine
1827	Lady Ada writes program (considered the first) for Babbage's machine
1830	Charles Babbage builds the Difference Engine, considered the first computer
1850	George Boole develops Boolean algebra
1890	Hermann Hollerith develops tabulating machines
1896	Charles Pierce links Boolean algebra to circuits involving switches
1936	Benjamin Burack develops first electrical logic machine
1937	Alan Turing develops concept of the Turing Machine
1937	Howard Aiken leads development of the Mark 1 computer
1943	Alan Turing leads development of the COLOSSUS computer
1945	John von Neumann develops ideas central to most modern computers
1945	William Shockley, Walter Brattain, and John Bardeen develop the transistor
1946	John Mauchly and Presper Eckert lead development of the ENIAC
1951	Development of first commercial computer, the UNIVAC
1952	Development of first stored-program computer, the EDVAC
1958	First integrated circuit
1971	First microprocessor developed
1975	Development of first commercial PC, the Altair by Gates and Allen
1980	Development of the 8080 microprocessor by Intel
1981	Development of first commercially successful PC by IBM

An incomplete listing of the major events leading to the development of modern computers is provided below.

-5000

Development and use of the Abacus

1500

Leonardo da Vinci made drawings of a mechanical calculator

1621

William Oughtred develops slide rule

1630

Wilhelm Schickard writes a letter to Kepler describing a mechanical calculator

1642

Blaise Pascal develops first digital calculator, the Pascaline

1810

Joseph Jacquard develops concept of the punch card for a weaving machine

1822

Charles Baggage proposes a steam driven calculator, the Difference Engine

1827

Lady Ada writes program (considered the first) for Babbage's machine

1830

Charles Babbage builds the Difference Engine, considered the first computer

1850

George Boole develops Boolean algebra

1890

Hermann Hollerith develops tabulating machines

1896

Charles Pierce links Boolean algebra to circuits involving switches

1936

Benjamin Burack develops first electrical logic machine

1937

Alan Turing develops concept of the Turing Machine

1937

Howard Aiken leads development of the Mark 1 computer

1943

Alan Turing leads development of the COLOSSUS computer

1945

John von Neumann develops ideas central to most modern computers

1945

William Shockley, Walter Brattain, and John Bardeen develop the transistor

1946

John Mauchly and Presper Eckert lead development of the ENIAC

1951

Development of first commercial computer, the UNIVAC

1952

Development of first stored-program computer, the EDVAC

1958

First integrated circuit

1971

First microprocessor developed

1975

Development of first commercial PC, the Altair by Gates and Allen

1980

Development of the 8080 microprocessor by Intel

1981

Development of first commercially successful PC by IBM