Computer Programming History

By dankmaymayzonly

  • Event 1 (1801)

    The Jaquard Loom (Uses punch cards to store weaving designs) is invented. The idea to store things on punch cards for computers was because of this.

  • Event 2 (1942)

    The Atanosoff-Berry computer first tested, conceived in 1937 and then built by John Vincent Atanosoff. (First electronic-digital computer.)

  • Event 3 (1945

    John Von Neumann has two ideas: Simple hardware should be controlled by complex instructions, also that computer programs should be broken down into small bits of code. Helped allow IF, ELSE, and LOOP be built into computer programs.

  • Fourth Event (1960)

    First block-structured language: ALGOL 60 is made available.

  • Fifth Event(1962)

    APL computer language involving it's own keyboard is released by Kenneth Iverson, Fortran IV is also released.

  • Sixth Event(1964)

    A terminal system for APL is released called APL60.
    A programming language which was used to help people learn how to code is invented at Dartmouth University by John Kemeny and Thomas Kurtz called BASIC.

  • Early 1970s (Seventh Event)

    Development of new programming languages starts such as SMALLTALK, FORTH, and PROLOG. SMALLTALK starts the codification of certain object based programming concepts.

  • Eighth Event (1974)

    Definitive reference manual for C is published.
    Another COBOL specification is released by ANSI.

  • Ninth Event (1976)

    Design System Language is released and has a major impact on PostScript.

  • Tenth Event (1990)

    Annotated C++ Reference Manuel is published which details C++ 2.1.
    Fortran 90 is released. Changes the spelling away from the ALL-Caps format.

  • Eleventh Event (1991)

    Python is invented
    Work begins on Java
    HTML is described for the first time by Tim-Berners-Lee
    Virtual Basic is introduced

  • Event 12 (1992)

    Dylan is released by Apple

  • Event 13 (1994)

    Microsoft adds Visual Basic to Excel
    PHP is invented

  • Event 14 (1995)

    ADA 95 is released which added support for OOP and other systems.
    HTML 2.0 is released.
    First Public Implementation of JAVA is released.
    JavaScript is invented by Brendan Eich.
    Ruby is invented
    Gang of Four publish "Design Patterns: Elements of Reusable Object-Oriented Software"

  • Event 15 (1997)

    HTML 4.0 is released.
    PHP 3.0, the first language to be recognized to normal users is invented.
    ECMA released the first JavaScript standard.