Computer History
Year/Enter |
Computer History
Inventors/Inventions |
Computer History
Description of Event |
|
1936 |
Konrad Zuse - Z1 Computer |
First freely programmable computer. |
|
1942 |
John Atanasoff & Clifford Berry
ABC Computer |
Who was first in the computing biz is not always as easy as ABC. |
|
1944 |
Howard Aiken & Grace Hopper
Harvard Mark I Computer |
The Harvard Mark 1 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 Brattain & Wiliam Shockley
The Transistor |
No, a transistor is not a computer, but this invention greatly affected the history of
computers. |
|
1951 |
John Presper Eckert & John W. Mauchly
UNIVAC Computer |
First commercial computer & able to pick presidential winners. |
|
1953 |
International Business Machines
IBM 701 EDPM Computer |
IBM enters into 'The History of Computers'. |
|
1954 |
John Backus & IBM
FORTRAN Computer Programming Language |
The first successful high level programming language. |
|
1955
(In Use 1959) |
Stanford Research Institute, Bank of America, and General Electric
ERMA
and MICR |
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' |
|
1962 |
Steve Russell & MIT
Spacewar Computer Game |
The first computer game invented. |
|
1964 |
Douglas Engelbart
Computer
Mouse & Windows |
Nicknamed the mouse because the tail came out the end. |
|
1969 |
ARPAnet |
The original Internet. |
|
1970 |
Intel 1103 Computer Memory |
The world's first available dynamic RAM chip. |
|
1971 |
Faggin, Hoff & Mazor
Intel 4004 Computer Microprocessor |
The first microprocessor. |
|
1971 |
Alan Shugart &IBM
The "Floppy" Disk |
Nicknamed the "Floppy" for its flexibility. |
|
1973 |
Robert Metcalfe & Xerox
The Ethernet Computer Networking |
Networking. |
|
1974/75 |
Scelbi & Mark-8 Altair & IBM 5100 Computers |
The first consumer computers. |
|
1976/77 |
Apple I, II & TRS-80 & Commodore Pet Computers |
More first consumer computers. |
|
1978 |
Dan Bricklin & Bob Frankston
VisiCalc Spreadsheet Software |
Any product that pays for itself in two weeks is a surefire winner. |
|
1979 |
Seymour Rubenstein & Rob Barnaby
WordStar Software |
Word Processors. |
|
1981 |
IBM
The IBM
PC - Home Computer |
From an "Acorn" grows a personal computer revolution |
|
1981 |
Microsoft
MS-DOS
Computer Operating System |
From "Quick And Dirty" comes the operating system of the century. |
|
1983 |
Apple Lisa Computer |
The first home computer with a GUI, graphical user interface. |
|
1984 |
Apple Macintosh Computer |
The more affordable home computer with a GUI. |
|
1985 |
Microsoft Windows |
Microsoft begins the friendly war with Apple. |
