WG Fantasy

"Who invented the computer?" is not a question with a simple answer. The real answer is that many inventors contributed to the history of computers and that a computer is a complex piece of machinery made up of many parts, each of which can be considered a separate invention.

This series covers many of the major milestones in computer history (but not all of them) with a concentration on the history of personal home computers.



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.
SERIES
TO BE
CONTINUED