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Computing timeline

 Year Country Innovation Person Company Detail
1600 UK Multiplication tool John Napier Napier's Bones are an aid to memory facilitating multiplication. They are...
1623 Germany First calculator Wilhelm Schickard The Calculating Clock is a 6 digit machine that can add and subtract?
1644 France Pascaline invented Blaise Pascal The Pascaline was a 5 digit machine that used a different carry machanism?
1668 UK First English calculator Samuel Morland Sir Samuel Morland produced a non-decimal adding machine?
1674 Stepped reckoner Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz Leibniz designed his stepped reckoner with a moveable carriage?
1775 UK Multiplying calculator Charles, Earl of Stanhope Charles, third Earl of Stanhope produces a successful multiplying calculator that is similar to Leibnitz's.
1776 Germany Multiplying calculator Mathieus Hahn Mathieus Hahn also produces a successful multiplying calculator
1786 Concept of a difference engine J H Muller J H Muller first conceptualised the idea of a difference engine?
1801 France Punch cards Joseph-Marie Jacquard Joseph-Marie Jacquard ran a textile company and invented the first punch cards to operate looms?
1820 France Arithmometer - First mass produced calculator Charles de Colmar Charles de Colmar designed the Arithmometer to be the first mass produced calculator?
1822 UK Revised difference engine Charles Babbage Charles Babbage takes Muller's concept of a difference engine and reinvents it?
1832 UK Prototype difference engine Charles Babbage, Joseph Clement By 1932 Babbage and engineer Joseph Clement had built a prototype of part of the difference engine?
1834 Sweden Wooden difference engine George Scheutz In 1834 George Scheutz, a Swedish engineer produces a small version of the difference engine?
1834 UK Analytical engine Charles Babbage Babbage conceives and begins to design the analytical engine; a new computer based around punch cards and operating on 40 digit numbers?
1843 Sweden Difference engine George Scheuz, Edvard Scheutz George Scheutz and his son Edvard produce a version of the difference engine with a printer?
1847 UK Difference engine - improved Charles Babbage Babbage designs more improvements into the difference engine that will operate on 7th order differences?
1853 Sweden First full scale difference engine George Scheuz, Edvard Scheutz George Scheutz and his son Edvard finally complete a full scale difference engine?
1854 UK Publication - Laws of Thought George Boole George Boole published his work "An Investigation of the Laws of Thought..." when he was 39?
1856 UK / USA First Transatlantic cable
1858 USA First Tabulating Machine sold The first Tabulating Machine is purchased by the Dudly Observatory in Albany, New York?
1868 First QWERTY keyboard First QWERTY keyboard
1871 UK Prototype analytical engine Charles Babbage Babbage produces a prototype of the Analytical Engine's printer and mill
1874 Sweden Odhner calculator invented W T Odhner
1878 Spain First calculator with internal multiplication table Ramon Verea Ramon Verea, living in New York City, invents a calculator?
1879 UK Analytical engine A committee investigates the feasibility?
1885 USA First printing adding machine William Burroughs William Burroughs patents an adding machine that prints lists of added numbers?
1885 USA / Sweden First variable toothed gear calculator Frank Baldwin (USA) W T Odhner (Sweden) A multiplying calculator more compact than the Arithmometer enters mass production?
1886 USA American Arithmometer Company founded William Burroughs Burroughs patents an adding machine that prints lists of added numbers. The following year, he founds the American Arithmometer Company?
1886 USA Comptometer Dorr E Felt Dorr E. Felt (1862-1930), of Chicago, makes his "Comptometer"?
1889 USA First printing desk calculator Dorr E Felt Felt invents the first printing desk calculator
1890 USA US Census calculated on punch cards Herman Hollerith MIT, Cambridge, Mass. US Census results are tabulated for the first time with significant mechanical aid?
1892 USA First commercially successful desk calculator William Burroughs Burroughs invents a machine similar to Felt's?
1893 Millionaire calculator The Millionaire calculator is introduced?
1906 UK Analytical engine mill Henry Babbage R W Munro
1914 USA Thomas Watson Sr. Tabulating Machine Company Thomas Watson Sr. joins the Tabulating Machine Co and reinvents it as IBM
1918 Germany Enigma machine used to code messages
1919 Flip top circuit design W H Eccles, F W Jordan W H Eccles and F W Jordan publish the first flip-flop circuit design
1928 Teletype Teletype introduced
1928 USA Differential computer
1931 UK Binary digital counter E Wyn-Williams Cambridge University E Wynn-Williams at Cambridge University, UK, uses thyratron tubes?
1935 USA IBM 601 IBM IBM introduces the IBM 601?
1937 USA 1-bit relay adder George Stibitz Bell Telephone Lab. Stibitz, constructs a demonstration 1-bit binary adder using relays.
1937 UK Paper - "Computable Numbers" Alan Turing Cambridge University Turing publishes a paper on "computable numbers"?
1938 Concept - Symbolic logic Claude E Shannon Shannon publishes a paper on the implementation of symbolic logic using relays
1938 Germany Z1 Konrad Zuse, Helmut Schreyer Zuse and Schreyer complete a prototype mechanical binary programmable calculator...
1938 USA Vacuum tube adder John Atanasoff, Clifford Berry Iowa State College Atanasoff and Berry complete a prototype 16-bit adder?
1939 Germany Z2 prototype Konrad Zuse, Helmut Schreyer Zuse and Schreyer begin work on the Z2 (V2)?
1939 USA Hewlett Packard formed David Packard, William Hewlett Hewlett Packard David Packard and William Hewlett start a company in Hewlett's garage?
1940 USA Model 1 Relay Calculator Samaul Williams, George Stibitz Bell Labs Samuel Williams and Stibitz complete a calculator which can operate on complex numbers?
1940 Concept - Boolean logic Claude E Shannon Claude Shannon writes about Boolean logic
1940 Germany Z2 completed Konrad Zuse Zuse is released from the army and completes the Z2. It works better than the Z1, but isn't reliable enough.
1941 USA ABC Computer John Atanasoff, Clifford Berry Atanasoff and Berry complete a special-purpose calculator for solving systems of simultaneous linear equations?
1941 Germany Z3 Konrad Zuse German Aeronautical Research Institute Working with limited backing from the DVL (German Aero Nautical Research Institute), Zuse completes the "V3" (later "Z3")?
1943 ASCC Mark 1 Howard Aiken Harvard University / IBM Aiken and his team complete the "ASCC Mark I" ("Automatic Sequence-Controlled Calculator Mark I"), also called the "Harvard Mark I"..
1943 UK Colossus - First programmable electronic computer Tommy Flowers Bletchley Park (GCCS) Colossus begins decoding German Enigma messages....
1943 Relay Interpolator (Model 1 Relay Calculator) Samaul Williams, George Stibitz Williams and Stibitz complete the "Relay Interpolator
1944 USA ENIAC project started John W Mauchly, J Presper Eckert
1944 Germany Z4 Konrad Zuse Zuse almost completes his first full-scale machine
1944 USA Harvard Mark 1 Howard Aiken Harvard engineers complete the Mark I
1945 Germany Plankalkul language Konrad Zuse Konrad Zuse invents a programming language called Plankalkul. (Germany)
1945 USA Concept Paper - EDVAC John von Neumann John von Neumann (1903-1957), having joined the ENIAC team
1945 USA ENIAC completed John W Mauchly, J Presper Eckert John W. Mauchly and J. Presper Eckert and their team at the Moore School of Electrical Engineering
1945 USA First computer bug Grace Hopper Grace Hopper, a computer scientist and mathematician
1946 USA ENIAC revealed to public The ENIAC is revealed to the public
1947 USA Harvard Mark II Howard Aiken Aiken and his team complete the "Harvard Mark II
1947 USA Patent on magnetic core memory Frederick Viehe Frederick Viehe of Los Angeles, applies for a patent on an invention which is to use magnetic core memory
1947 USA Predicts that USA will need total of 6 electronic computers Howard Aiken Howard Aiken predicts that the United States will need a total of six electronic digital computers
1947 USA Transistor invented William Schockley, Walter Braitton, John Bardeen Bell Labs Bell Telephone Laboratories invent the transistor
1947 UK Binary display tube Frederick Williams Sir Frederick Williams creates a tube for binary display (GB)
1948 USA SSEC Wallace Eckert IBM Wallace Eckert of IBM, with his team, completes the "SSEC" ("Selective Sequence Electronic Calculator"
1948 USA Cybernetics developed MIT, Cambridge, Mass. Cybernetics developed at MIT (Massachusettes Institute of Technology)
1948 UK SSEM (Baby) - First stored program computer Frederick Williams Manchester University Newman, Freddie C. Williams, and their team at Manchester University
1948 USA ENIAC Richard Clipper, Nicholas Metropolis BRL The ENIAC is improved, using ideas from Richard F. Clipper of the BRL
1948 Poland Curta calculator Curt Herzstark The Curta mechanical calculator is introduced.
1948 USA IBM 604 IBM IBM introduces the "IBM 604", a programmable calculator and card punch using vacuum tubes
1948 USA Company formed John Machly, J Presper Eckert Eckert-Mauchly Computer Company John Mauchly and Presper Eckert found the Eckert-Mauchly Computer Company
1948 China Magnetic memory core invented An Wang Twenty-eight-year-old, Shanghai-born An Wang invents the magnetic memory core
1949 EDVAC - First use of magnetic tape English scientists develop first computer with memory
1949 UK First computers with memory Ferranti Mark 1 & EDSAC Frederick Williams, Thomas Kilburn, Wilkes Manchester University (Ferranti), Cambridge University (EDSAC) The Ferranti Mark I, designed by Frederic Williams and Thomas Kilburn
1949 Magnetic core memory improved Forrester Forrester conceives the idea of magnetic core memory
1949 UK Ferranti Mark 1- Secondary memory Manchester University The Manchester Mark I, its main memory now upgraded to 128 40-bit words (on two CRTs), acquires a secondary memory
1949 USA BINAC (Binary Automatic Computer) - Dual processors John Machly, J Presper Eckert Eckert-Mauchly Computer Company Presper Eckert and John Mauchly, having formed their own company
1949 USA Harvard Mark III - Secondary memory Howard Aiken Aiken's team completes the "Harvard Mark III".
1950 USA Random access magnetic memory Jay Forrester MIT, Cambridge, Mass. Jay Forrester, founder of the Digital Computer Lab at M.I.T., devises the first random-access magnetic memory
1950 UK Pilot ACE Alan Turing National Physics Laboratory A group at the National Physical Laboratory, Teddington, England, complete the "Pilot ACE"
1950 USA Simon - First digital personal computer Edmund Berkeley Simon, the first digital personal computer constructed based upon plans published by Edmund Berkeley
1950 USA Digital modem US Defence Department US Defence Department begin working on the digital modem
1950 USA SEAC (Standards Eastern Automatic Computer) US National Bureau of Standards A group at the US National Bureau of Standards, Washington,
1950 USA SWAC (Standards Western Automatic Computer) US National Bureau of Standards SEAC's western counterpart "SWAC", in Los Angeles, is completed
1950 USA UNIVAC - First US commercial computer John Machly, J Presper Eckert Remington Rand Presper Eckert and John Mauchly, having sold their company to Remington Rand, complete the first "UNIVAC"
1950 Germany Z4 Konrad Zuse Zuse's Z4 is finally completed and goes into service at ETH (Federal Polytechical Institute) in Zurich, Switzerland
1950 UK Comment Douglas Hartree Douglas Hartree (the leading expert in the country on the specialized computing machines called differential analyzers)
1951 China Wang Laboratories founded An Wang Want Laboratories
1951 USA Whirlwind - First real time computer US Air Defence Department Whirlwind, the first real-time computer was built for the US Air Defence System
1951 UK Manchester Mark II - First UK commercial computer Ferranti Ferranti Ltd. completes the first commercial computer.
1951 UK Leo 1 (Lyons Electronic Office) - First computer used for commercial calculations T Raymond Thompson, John Simmons The Lyons company receives its reward for supporting the EDSAC
1951 USA A-0 - First compiler Grace Hopper Remington Rand Grace Murray Hopper implements the first compiler, the "A-0".
1952 USA EDVAC completed The EDVAC is finally completed.
1952 USA IBM 701 - First IBM computer IBM The IBM "Defense Calculator", later renamed the "701",
1952 USA First computer anti-trust suit Justice Department vs IBM The Justice Department files suit against IBM for allegedly monopolistic practices in its computer business.
1955 GENIAC - Digital personal computer Edmund Berkeley Edmund Berkeley distributes GENIAC digital personal computer
1955 USA UNIVAC - First commercial computer using transistors Univac introduces commercially available computer using transistors
1956 305 RAMAC - First hard drive The 305 RAMAC (Random Access Method of Accounting and Control) is launched, marking the first hard drive
1957 USA DEC founded Henneth Oslsen DEC (Digital Equipment Corporation) Kenneth Olsen, a member of the M.I.T. team that built the Whirlwind in 1951, founds Digital Equipment Corp.
1957 USA ARPA (Advanced Research Projects Agency) founded Neil McElroy Secretary of Defense Neil McElroy proposes the creation of a defense department research agency,
1958 USA Integrated circuits developed Jack Kirby Texas Instruments Jack Kirby develops integrated circuits at Texas Instruments Integrated circuit provided breakthrough.
1958 USA First video game William Higinbotham Brookhaven National Laboratory Willy Higinbotham invents the first video game at Brookhaven National Laboratory
1958 Heathkit - First kit analog desktop computer Heath Heathkit introduces EC-1 an analog desktop computer in kit form
1959 USA Integrated circuit developments Robert Noyce Fairchild Semiconductor
1960 USA Packet switching ARPA Work of ARPANET develops packet switching to allow routing
1960 Hypertext Theodore H Nelson Theodore H Nelson starts working on hypertext
1960 USA COBOL (Common Business Oriented Language) developed Common Business Oriented Language program language (COBOL) developed (US)
1960 Percentron computer Frank Rosenblatt Frank Rosenblatt completes Perceptron Computer that learns by trial & error
1960 USA PDP 1 (Programmed Data Processor) DEC (Digital Equipment Corporation) PDP1 (Programmed Data Processor predecessor of the mini computer released by DEC (Digital Equipment Corporation)
1963 USA Mouse invented Douglas Englebart Stanford Research Institute The first mouse Doug Engelbart, a researcher at Stanford Research Institute,
1963 USA ASCI (American Standard Code of Information Exchange) American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) accepted
1963 UK Anita - First fully electronic desktop calculator Bell Punch & Sumlock Comptometer Anita, first fully electronic desktop calculator released by Bell Punch & Sumlock-Comptometer (UK)
1964 USA Moore's Law Gordon Moore Gordon Moore, future Intel cofounder, suggests integrated circuits will double in complexity every year
1964 USA BASIC _ Programming language developed Thomas Kurtz, John Kemeny Thomas Kurtz and John Kemeny develop BASIC computer language (US)
1967 USA ARPANET - Concept network without central hub At a computer conference in Tennessee, Larry Roberts presents a paper outlining the basics of ARPANET,
1967 USA Logo programming language developed Seymour Papert Seymour Papert develops LOGO computer language for children to control Turtle (US)
1967 USA Cal Tech - First hand held electronic calculator Jack Kirby, Jerry Merryman, James Van Tassel Jack Kirby, Jerry D. Merryman and James Van Tassel invent, Cal Tech first electronic hand held calculator
1968 USA Intel founded Robert Noyce, Gordon Moore Robert Noyce and Gordon Moore leave Fairchild Semiconductor to create their own semiconductor company, Intel.
1968 USA First computer with point and click interface Douglas Englebart Stanford Research Institute Stanford Research Institute's Douglas Engelbart presents a computer system with a point-and-click interface and a mouse
1968 USA Proposal - ARPANET backbone Bolt, Baranek, Newman ARPA sends out a request for proposals to build machines that will act as switchboards for the proposed ARPANET.
1968 USA B2500 & B3500 - First computers with integrated curcuits Burroughs Burroughs introduces B2500 & 3500 first computers with integrated circuits (US)
1969 USA First ARPANET node Bolt, Baranek, Newman BBN's contract to build a series of Interface Message Processors-computers to serve as the backbone for ARPANET-commences.
1969 The birth of Unix The birth of Unix
1969 Japan QT-8 - First large scale integration calculator Sharp 1969 First Large Scale Integration calculator Sharp QT-8 using Rockwell IC chips
1949 UK EDSAC (Electronic Delay Storage Automatic Computer Maurice Wilkes Cambridge University Maurice Wilkes and his team at Cambridge University complete the "EDSAC"
1969 USA Compuserve founded Compuserve Compu-Serv, which later becomes online service CompuServe, is founded
1970 USA ALOHANET Norman Abramson Developed by Norman Abramson at the University of Hawaii, ALOHANET launches
1970 USA Xerox PARC Xerox Xerox forms and advanced research center?
1970 Imlac PDS-1 Imlac PDS-1?
1971 USA First email Ray Tomlinson BBN Messages sent acros ARPANET?
1971 USA First microprocessor Marcian Hoff Intel Intel market first CPU
1971 USA US Govt. commission ARPANET Vinton Cerf, Robert Khan Vinton Cerf, head of the International Network Working Group, and Robert Kahn are commissioned by the government to extend ARPANET for military and government use?
1971 USA First personal computer marketing commercially John V. Blankenbaker John V. Blankenbaker offers the Kenbak-1?
1971 USA 8" floppy disk IBM 8" floppy disk developed at IBM
1972 USA Cray Research founded Seymour Cray Cray Seymour Cray founds Cray Research?
1972 USA World's first electronic calculator Hewlett-Packard Hewlett-Packard introduces the world's first electronic calculator?
1972 USA First 8-bit processor Intel Intel develops 1st 8-Bit processor, the 8008 (US)
1972 USA Pong game created Nolan Bushnell Atari Nolen bushnell creates Atari Pong
1973 USA Point and click interface Xerox Alto, a workstation using a mouse, graphics, and a point-and-click interface, is completed?
1973 USA Ethernet developed Robert Metcalfe Xerox Robert Metcalfe of Xerox PARC develops Ethernet?