History of a Computer

Abacus:
The earliest device that qualifies as a computer is the abacus. The abacus was invented 5000 years ago in Asia Minor and is still in use today. This device allows user to calculate by sliding beads arranged on a rack.

John Napier (1550-1617):
John Napier was a Scottish mathematician. He made the first manual calculating device after abacus. It was called John Napier's bone or cardboard multiplication calculator. In addition to multiplication this machine was also used to square roots and cube roots.

Blaise Pascal (1623-1662):
In 1642 Blaise Pascal, the 18 year old son of a French tax collector invented a numerical wheel calculator to help his father in calculation. The device was known as "Pascaline" and was only able to add two numbers.

Barron Gottfried Wilhelm Von Leibniz (1646-1716):
In 1694, a German Philosopher and mathematician Barron Gottfried made some improvements in Pascal's machine. He added the future of multiplication and division. The machine was able to perform these operations by using repeated additions and subtractions. Leibniz's mechanical multiplier worked by a system of gears and dials.

Charles Xavier Thomas De Clomar (1785-1870):
Charles Xavier a Frenchman invented a machine in 1820 that could perform the four basic arithmetic functions. This machine was called as Arithmometer.

Charles Babbage (1791-1871):
An English mathematician Professor Charles Babbage made a "Difference Engine" in 1833, which was powered by steam to solve mathematical equations. After 10 years, in1842 he made a general purpose computer named "Analytical engine". This machine could add, subtract, multiply and divide in automatic sequence at a rate of 60 additions per second.

Joseph Marie Jacquard (1752-1834):
In 1801 a French silk weaver and inventor Joseph Marie invented the Jacquard loom. Jacquard's loom was controlled by the recorded patterns of holes in a string of cards.

Lady Ada Augusta Lovelace (1816-1852):
Lady Ada Augusta was a English woman. Charles Babbage was her ideal. She was called a first programmer because of her suggestions that punched cards could be prepared to instruct Babbage's Engine to repeat certain operations.

George Boole (1815-1864):
George Boole clarified the binary system of the Algebra, that any mathematical equation could be stated either true or false.

Herman Hollerith (1862-1929):
In 1890, an American inventor Herman Hollerith applied the idea of punch boards in the form of punch cards in computers for input and output. He invented a punched card and tabulating machine.

Dr. John V. Atanasoff and Clifford E. Berry(1903-1995):
In 1939 Dr. John, a professor at Iowa State University and his graduate student Clifford assembled a prototype of ABC (Atanasoff and Berry Computer) to save time for calculation. A working model of ABC was finished in 1942. He made an electronic computer that applied Boolean algebra to computer circuitry.