The History of Computers
\invented the computer?\is not a question with a simple answer. The real answer is that many inventors contributed to the history of computers and that a computer is a complex piece of machinery made up of many parts, each of which can be considered a separate invention.
This series covers many of the major milestones in computer history (but not all of them) with a concentration on the history of personal home computers.
Computer History Year/Enter Computer History Inventors/Inventions Computer History Description of Event 1936 Konrad Zuse - Z1 Computer First freely programmable computer. Who was first in the computing biz is not always as easy as ABC. The Harvard Mark 1 computer. 1942 John Atanasoff & Clifford Berry ABC Computer 1944 Howard Aiken & Grace Hopper Harvard Mark I Computer 1946 John Presper Eckert & John W. Mauchly ENIAC 1 Computer 20,000 vacuum tubes later... 1948 Frederic Williams & Tom Kilburn Manchester Baby Computer & The Williams Tube Baby and the Williams Tube turn on the memories. 1947/48 John Bardeen, Walter The Transistor No, a transistor is not a greatly affected the history of computers. Brattain & Wiliam Shockley computer, but this invention 1951 John Presper Eckert & John First commercial computer & W. Mauchly UNIVAC Computer able to pick presidential winners. IBM enters into 'The History of Computers'. 1953 International Business Machines IBM 701 EDPM Computer 1954 John Backus & IBM FORTRAN Computer The first successful high level programming Programming Language Stanford Research Institute, 1955 (In Use 1959) Bank of America, and General Electric ERMA and MICR language. The first bank industry computer - also MICR (magnetic ink character recognition) for reading checks. 1958 Jack Kilby & Robert Noyce The Integrated Circuit Otherwise known as 'The Chip' The first computer game invented. 1962 Steve Russell & MIT Spacewar Computer Game 1964 Douglas Engelbart Computer Mouse & Windows Nicknamed the mouse because the tail came out the end. The original Internet. The world's first available dynamic RAM chip. The first microprocessor. 1969 1970 ARPAnet Intel 1103 Computer Memory 1971 Faggin, Hoff & Mazor Intel 4004 Computer Microprocessor 1971 Alan Shugart &IBM The \ Nicknamed the \its flexibility. Networking. 1973 Robert Metcalfe & Xerox The Ethernet Computer Networking 1974/75 Scelbi & Mark-8 Altair & IBM 5100 Computers The first consumer computers. More first consumer computers. 1976/77 Apple I, II & TRS-80 & Commodore Pet Computers 1978 Dan Bricklin & Bob Frankston VisiCalc Spreadsheet Software Any product that pays for itself in two weeks is a surefire winner. Word Processors. 1979 Seymour Rubenstein & Rob Barnaby WordStar Software 1981 IBM The IBM PC - Home From an \personal computer Computer 1981 Microsoft MS-DOS Computer Operating System 1983 Apple Lisa Computer revolution From \comes the operating system of the century. The first home computer with a GUI, graphical user interface. 1984 Apple Macintosh Computer The more affordable home computer with a GUI. Microsoft begins the friendly war with Apple. 1985 Microsoft Windows
The History of Computers
