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Before Christ the Babylonians invented the abacus, used to count and help with numbers. -
John Napier invented a set of rods that could perform complex calculations.
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Joseph-Maire Jacquard developed a weaving loom that used punched cards. -
First idea, (input-execution-output), of a computer was by Charles Babbage. He later brainstormed the Analytical Engine, but never finished it.
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Herman Hollerith created the punch card calculator. -
After Charles Babbage died, his son completed the Analytical engine. -
Inventor Lee De Forest made the first electrical tube, the audion, that made a weak electrical signal stronger. -
The first programmed controlled calculator was developed at Harvard by Howard H. Aiken. -
Colossus was the first electric programmable computer, it was used by the British in World War II. -
The next significant development was the transistor. It could do the work of several electrical tubes. It was developed at Bell laboratories by William B. Shockley, Walter H. Brattain, and John Bardeen. -
Grace Hopper was in the Navy and developed the first high level language compiler. She also found the first computer bug. -
Grace Hopper invented two different computer languages, this was the first. -
COBOL was the next computer language that was developed by Grace Hopper. -
The first integrated circuit was invented by Jack Kilby, Robert Noyce, Frank Wanlass, and Edward Keonjian. -
The third generation of computers rolled out around the same time as integrated circuits. These were about the size of a large toaster. -
ALGOL is short for algorithmic language, tis was standard for textbooks and academics for 3 decades. -
APL is a programming language developed by Kenneth E. Iverson -
BASIC is the most well known computer language. This was developed in the "home computer" era. It is widely used and can be learned easily. -
By 1975 computers had made their way and started showing up in businesses. Computers went down in price and became more widespread. -
Cray 1 is the name of the first ever super computer. It took nearly a year to assemble and was the fastes working computer for 5 years.
