History of Computers

By rebeccaen0812
  • 2600 BCE

    Chinese Abacus

    The first object that could compute mathematical calculations
  • Period: to

    Ada Lovelace

    Considered the first computer programmer. She wrote the Analytical Engine, that was never built and realized that the computer could follow a series of simple instructions, a program, to perform a complex calculation.

  • Charles Babbage and the Difference Engine

    Funded and commissioned by the British Government, this machine was supposed to be able to perform basic mathematical calculations like polynomial functions.

  • New Ideas

    During the time designing the Difference Engine, Babbage thought of ways he could improve this machine to perform other kinds of calculations.

  • Funding Runs Out

    Commission for the Difference Engine from the government runs out.
  • Period: to

    Analytical Engine the First Computer

    These new ideas sprouted into a new machine called the Analytical Engine which would be able to perform any mathematical calculation making it the first design for a general-purpose computer. (Worked on until his death in 1871)
  • Period: to

    Grace Hopper

    One of the first computer programmers to work on the Harvard Mark I.

  • Official Machine

    Henry Babbage constructs part of Charles Babbage's Analytical Engine and it could now perform basic mathematical calculations.
  • Period: to

    Alan Turing

    Developed the idea for the Universal Turing Machine, the basis for the first computer.

  • Alan Turing's Turing Machine Theory

    First Universal computing machine

  • Konrad Zuse's Z1

    First binary digital computer

  • ENIAC

    First Electronic general purpose computer

  • UNIVAC

    First modern computer
  • Period: to

    Mark Dean

    Developed the color PC monitor, the Industry Standard Architecture system bus and the first gigahertz chip.

  • First Portable Computer from IBM

    Weighed 55lbs with a 5in display and 64KB of memory

  • Apple's Macintosh

    Had the ability to “talk” to a drawing application that was able to produce sophisticated images.

  • The World Wide Web

    The world’s first website and server went live.

  • Internet of Things

    The merging of physical and virtual worlds is known as the internet of things where many things are beginning to be connected to the internet. (2000's)