Philosophy of Computer Science

A Very Brief History of Computers

Last Update: 5 November 2013, 10:58 A.M.

Note: NEW or UPDATED material is highlighted


For a more detailed history, see the PDF document "Timeline of Computing History", Computer 29(10) (1996): TL1-TL34.

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See also: Herman, John (2012), "When Tech Was Just ‘Tech’", BuzzFeed FWD (28 March).
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1832
Charles Babbage, Analytical Engine (programmable, never built);
Ada Byron Lovelace, first computer programmer

1936
Alan Turing develops what is now known as the Turing-machine model of computation.

1940
John Atanasoff & Clifford Berry: ABC electronic computer (not programmable)

1942
The Colossus computer helps the British crack German codes;
Turing works on this project

1946
John Presper Eckert & John W. Mauchly: ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Calculator)
— first fully electronic programmable computer

1950
UNIVAC (descendant of ENIAC) does US census;
— first commercially marketed computer

1952
UNIVAC predicts, on live TV, that Eisenhower will win presidential election

1953
IBM 701 on sale

1975
first personal computer (Altair; build-it-yourself)

1977
Apple II

1981
IBM PC

1984
Macintosh

late 1980s
Internet (network of networks)

1991
World-Wide Web

1993
first major Web browser (Mosaic)

1997
17% of world population uses Internet

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2007
Apple launches iPhone
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2010
Apple launches iPad

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2012
34% of world population uses Internet
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Copyright © 2004–2013 by William J. Rapaport (rapaport@buffalo.edu)
http://www.cse.buffalo.edu/~rapaport/584/history.html-20131105-2