Who started the computer?

Answer 1

It is not easy to answer who invented the computer. 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 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/EnterComputer History

Inventors/InventionsComputer History

Description of Event1936Alan Turing - the stored program computer concept

Konrad Zuse - Z1 ComputerTheoretical computer described in his paper "On Computable Numbers", now called a Turing Machine.

First freely programmable computer.1942John Atanasoff & Clifford Berry

ABC ComputerWho was first in the computing biz is not always as easy as ABC.1944Howard Aiken & Grace Hopper

Harvard Mark I ComputerThe Harvard Mark 1 computer.1946John Presper Eckert & John W. Mauchly

ENIAC 1 Computer20,000 vacuum tubes later...1948Frederic Williams & Tom Kilburn

Manchester Baby Computer & The Williams TubeBaby and the Williams Tube turn on the memories.1947/48John Bardeen, Walter Brattain & Wiliam Shockley

The TransistorNo, a transistor is not a computer, but this invention greatly affected the history of computers.1951John Presper Eckert & John W. Mauchly

UNIVAC ComputerFirst commercial computer & able to pick presidential winners.1953International Business Machines

IBM 701 EDPM ComputerIBM enters into 'The History of Computers'.1954John Backus & IBM

FORTRAN Computer Programming LanguageThe first successful high level programming language.

1955

(In Use 1959)Stanford Research Institute, Bank of America, and General Electric

ERMA and MICRThe first bank industry computer - also MICR (magnetic ink character recognition) for reading checks.1958Jack Kilby & Robert Noyce

The Integrated CircuitOtherwise known as 'The Chip'1962Steve Russell & MIT

Spacewar Computer GameThe first computer game invented.1964Douglas Engelbart

Computer Mouse & WindowsNicknamed the mouse because the tail came out the end.1969ARPAnetThe original internet.1970Intel 1103 Computer MemoryThe world's first available dynamic RAM chip.1971Faggin, Hoff & Mazor

Intel 4004 Computer MicroprocessorThe first microprocessor.1971Alan Shugart &IBM

The "Floppy" DiskNicknamed the "Floppy" for its flexibility.1973Robert Metcalfe & Xerox

The Ethernet Computer NetworkingNetworking.1974/75Scelbi & Mark-8 Altair & IBM 5100 ComputersThe first consumer computers.1976/77Apple I, II & TRS-80 & Commodore Pet ComputersMore first consumer computers.1978Dan Bricklin & Bob Frankston

VisiCalc Spreadsheet SoftwareAny product that pays for itself in two weeks is a surefire winner.1979Seymour Rubenstein & Rob Barnaby

WordStar SoftwareWord Processors.1981IBM

The IBM PC - Home ComputerFrom an "Acorn" grows a personal computer revolution1981Microsoft

MS-DOS Computer Operating SystemFrom "Quick And Dirty" comes the operating system of the century.1983Apple Lisa ComputerThe first home computer with a GUI, graphical user interface.1984Apple Macintosh ComputerThe more affordable home computer with a GUI.1985Microsoft WindowsMicrosoft begins the friendly war with Apple.SERIESTO BECONTINUED