Timeline of computing 500 BC-1949
This article presents a detailed timeline of events in the history of computing from 500BC until 1949. For a narrative explaining the overall developments, see the related history of computing.Computing timelines: 500 BC-1949, 1950-1979, 1980-1989, 1990-present
| 500 B.C |
The
abacus
was
first
used
by
the
Babylonians
as
an
aid
to
simple
arithmetic
at
sometime
around
this
date.
The
abacus
in
the
form
we
are
most
familiar
with
was
first
used
in
China
in
around
1300
A.D..
|
| 87 BC |
The
Antikythera
Mechanism
A
clockwork,
analog
computer
designed
and
built
in
Rhodes.
The
mechanism
contains
the
first
known
differential
gear
and
was
capable
of
tracking
the
realtive
positions
of
the
Earth,
Moon
and
Sun.
|
| 1500 |
Leonardo
da
Vinci
produced
drawings
of
a
device
consisting
of
interlocking
cog
wheels
which
could
be
interpreted
as
a
mechanical
calculator
capable
of
addition
and
subtraction.
A
working
model
inspired
by
this
plan
was
built
in
1968
but
it
remains
controversial
whether
Leonardo
really
had
a
calculator
in
mind
(see
[here].)
|
| 1614 |
Scotsman
John
Napier
(1550-1617)
published
a
paper
outlining
his
discovery
of
the
logarithm.
Napier
also
invented
an
ingenious
system
of
moveable
rods
(referred
to
as
Napier's
Rods
or
Napier's
bones).
These
were
based
on
logarithms
and
allowed
the
operator
to
multiply,
divide
and
calculate
square
and
cube
roots
by
moving
the
rods
around
and
placing
them
in
specially
constructed
boards.
|
| 1623 |
Wilhelm
Schickard
(1592-1635),
of
Tübingen,
Württemberg
(now
in
Germany),
built
the
first
discrete
automatic
calculator,
and
thus
essentially
started
the
computer
era.
His
device
was
called
the
"Calculating
Clock".
This
mechanical
machine
was
capable
of
adding
and
subtracting
up
to
6
digit
numbers,
and
warned
of
an
overflow
by
ringing
a
bell.
Operations
were
carried
out
by
wheels,
and
a
complete
revolution
of
the
units
wheel
incremented
the
tens
wheel
in
much
the
same
way
counters
on
old
cassette
decks
worked.
Schickard was a friend of the astronomer Johannes Kepler since they met in the winter of 1617. Kepler used Schickard's machine for his astronomical studies. The machine and plans were lost and forgotten in the war that was going on, then rediscovered in 1935, only to be lost in war again, and then finally rediscovered in 1956 by the same man (Franz Hammer)! The machine was reconstructed in 1960, and found to be workable.
|
| 1625 |
William
Oughtred
(1575-1660)
invented
the
slide
rule.
|
| 1642 |
French
mathematician,
Blaise
Pascal
built
a
mechanical
adding
machine
(the
"Pascaline").
Despite
being
more
limited
than
Schickard's
'Calculating
Clock'
(see
1623),
Pascal's
machine
became
far
more
well
known.
He
was
able
to
sell
around
a
dozen
of
his
machines
in
various
forms,
coping
with
up
to
8
digits.
|
| 1668 |
Sir
Samuel
Morland
(1625-1695),
of
England,
produces
a
non
decimal
adding
machine,
suitable
for
use
with
English
money.
Instead
of
a
carry
mechanism,
it
registers
carries
on
auxiliary
dials,
from
which
the
user
must
re-enter
them
as
addends.
|
| 1671 |
German
mathematician,
Gottfried
Leibniz
designed
a
machine
to
carry
out
multiplication,
the
'Stepped
Reckoner'.
It
could
multiply
numbers
of
up
to
5
and
12
digits
to
give
a
16
digit
result.
The
machine
was
later
lost
in
an
attic
until
1879.
Leibniz
most
important
contribution
to
the
computing
era,
however,
was
the
binary
number
system
which
is
used
in
all
modern
machines.
He
also
co-invented
calculus.
|
| 1775 |
Charles,
the
third
Earl
Stanhope,
of
England,
makes
a
successful
multiplying
calculator
similar
to
Leibniz's.
|
| 1776 |
Mathieus
Hahn,
somewhere
in
what
will
be
Germany,
also
makes
a
successful
multiplying
calculator
that
he
started
in
1770.
|
| 1786 |
J.
H.
Müller,
of
the
Hessian
army,
conceives
the
idea
of
what
came
to
be
called
a
"difference
engine".
That's
a
special-purpose
calculator
for
tabulating
values
of
a
polynomial,
given
the
differences
between
certain
values
so
that
the
polynomial
is
uniquely
specified;
it's
useful
for
any
function
that
can
be
approximated
by
a
polynomial
over
suitable
intervals.
Müller's
attempt
to
raise
funds
fails
and
the
project
is
forgotten.
|
| 1801 |
Joseph-Marie
Jacquard
(1752-1834)
developed
an
automatic
loom
controlled
by
punched
cards.
|
| 1820 |
Charles
Xavier
Thomas
de
Colmar
(1785-1870),
of
France,
makes
his
"Arithmometer",
the
first
mass-produced
calculator.
It
does
multiplication
using
the
same
general
approach
as
Leibniz's
calculator;
with
assistance
from
the
user
it
can
also
do
division.
It
is
also
the
most
reliable
calculator
yet.
Machines
of
this
general
design,
large
enough
to
occupy
most
of
a
desktop,
continue
to
be
sold
for
about
90
years.
|
| 1822 |
Charles
Babbage
(1792-1871)
designed
his
first
mechanical
computer,
the
first
prototype
of
the
decimal
difference
engine,
a
re-invention
of
Müller's
1786
machine
for
tabulating
polynomials.
It
was
never
built,
although
an
attempt
was
made
in
1832.
|
| 1832 |
Babbage
and
Joseph
Clement
produce
a
prototype
segment
of
his
difference
engine,
which
operates
on
6-digit
numbers
and
2nd-order
differences
(i.e.
can
tabulate
quadratic
polynomials).
The
complete
engine,
which
would
be
room-sized,
is
planned
to
be
able
to
operate
both
on
6th-order
differences
with
numbers
of
about
20
digits,
and
on
3rd-order
differences
with
numbers
of
30
digits.
Each
addition
would
be
done
in
two
phases,
the
second
one
taking
care
of
any
carries
generated
in
the
first.
The
output
digits
would
be
punched
into
a
soft
metal
plate,
from
which
a
plate
for
a
printing
press
could
be
made.
But
there
are
various
difficulties,
and
no
more
than
this
prototype
piece
is
ever
assembled.
|
| 1834 |
George
Scheutz,
of
Stockholm,
produces
a
small
difference
engine
in
wood,
after
reading
a
brief
description
of
Babbage's
project.
|
| 1834 |
Babbage
conceives,
and
begins
to
design,
his
decimal
"Analytical
Engine".
The
program
was
stored
on
read-only
memory,
specifically
in
the
form
of
punch
cards.
Babbage
continues
to
work
on
the
design
for
years,
though
after
about
1840
the
changes
are
minor.
The
machine
would
operate
on
40-digit
numbers;
the
"mill"
(CPU)
would
have
2
main
accumulators
and
some
auxiliary
ones
for
specific
purposes,
while
the
"store"
(memory)
would
hold
perhaps
100
more
numbers.
There
would
be
several
punch
card
readers,
for
both
programs
and
data;
the
cards
would
be
chained
and
the
motion
of
each
chain
could
be
reversed.
The
machine
would
be
able
to
perform
conditional
jumps.
There
would
also
be
a
form
of
microcoding:
the
meaning
of
instructions
would
depend
on
the
positioning
of
metal
studs
in
a
slotted
barrel,
called
the
"control
barrel".
The
machine
would
do
an
addition
in
3
seconds
and
a
multiplication
or
division
in
2-4
minutes.
It
was
to
be
powered
by
a
steam
engine.
|
| 1842 | Babbage's |