A computer is a general-purpose

device that can be programmed to

carry out a set of arithmetic or logical
operations automatically. Since a
sequence of operations can be readily
changed, the computer can solve more
than one kind of problem.
For centuries, humans have needed
help in calculating. Making trade
transactions, taking a population
census, or figuring out the distance
between two stars takes tons of
calculating. And if you want an
accurate result, no mistakes are
allowed.
The earliest calculator was the human
hand and its fingers. When quantities
larger than fingers needed counting,
various natural items like pebbles and
twigs were used.
The abacus was one of many counting
devices invented to help count large
numbers.
There is a difference between counting
boards and abaci. The counting board is a
piece of wood, stone or metal with carved
grooves or painted lines. Beads, pebbles or
metal discs were moved between the lines
or grooves to count. The abacus is a
device of wood or plastic with a frame that
holds rods with freely-sliding beads
mounted on them.
Both the abacus and the counting board
are mechanical aids used for counting.
They are not what we think of as a modern
calculators. The person operating the
abacus performs calculations in his head
and uses the abacus as a physical aid to
keep track of the sums. Some tradesmen
still use them nowadays to make their
calculations on the markets in Asia, for
example.
Computers were invented to make
complex mathematical calculations
possible and make tasks easier for
humans. Even modern computers perform
calculations in addition to the myriad other
tasks they perform. While the first
computers were simple devices, modern
computers use cutting-edge technology
and advanced materials to perform
calculations at an incredible rate.
 About 2000 years ago in Babylonia
(Mesopotamia), computers started by a
wooden rack holding two horizontal
wires with beads strung on them.
 Blaise Pascal is usually credited for
building the first digital computer in 1642.
It added numbers entered with dials and
was made to help his father, a tax
collector.
 This first mechanical calculator, called
the Pascaline, had several
disadvantages. Although it did offer a
substantial improvement over manual
calculations, only Pascal himself could
repair the device and it cost more than
the people it replaced.
1822 English mathematician, Charles
Babbage, conceives of a steam-driven
calculating machine that would be able
to compute tables of numbers. More than
a century later, however, the world’s first
computer was actually built.
1890 Herman Hollerith designs a punch punch
card system to calculate the 1880 census,
accomplishing the task in just three years
and saving the government $5 million. He
establishes a company that would
ultimately become IBM.
1936 Konrad Zuse - Z1 Computer
First freely programmable computer.
1937 John Vincent Atanasoff, a professor of
physics and mathematics at Lowa State
University, attempts to build the first
computer without gears, cams, belts or
shafts.
1941 J.V. Atanasoff and Clifford Berry designed
a computer that can solve 29 equations
simultaneously. This marks the first time a
computer is able to store information on
its main memory.
1943 - 1946 John Mauchly and J. Presper Eckert built
the Electronic Numerical Integrator and
Calculator (ENIAC - 1946) I Computer that
used about 18,000 vacuum tubes.
Mauchly and Presper received funding
from the Census Bureau to build
the UNIVAC (UNIVersal Automatic
Computer - 1951), the first commercial
computer for business and government
applications.
1947-1948 John Bardeen, Walter Brattain & William
Shockley
The Transistor
The transistor is not a computer, but this
invention greatly affected the history of
computers.
1953 Grace Hopper develops the first computer
language, which eventually becomes
known as COBOL (Common Business
Oriented Language), a high-level
programming language.
International Business Machines
IBM 701 EDPM Computer
IBM enters into 'The History of Computers'.
1954 The FORTRAN programming language is
born. The first successful high level
programming language.
1958 Jack Kilby and Robert Noyce unveil
the integrated circuit, known as the
computer chip.
1962 The first computer game invented by
Steve Russell called “Spacewar!”
1964 Douglas Engelbart
Computer Mouse & Windows
Douglas Engelbart shows a prototype of
the modern computer, with a mouse and
a graphical user interface (GUI).
1969 ARPAnet The original Internet.
The first internet was called ARPANET. The
original internet wasn't used very widely
because not many people had access to
it.
1970 Intel 1103 Computer Memory
The world's first available dynamic RAM
chip.
1971 Alan Shugart leads a team of IBM
engineers who invent the “floppy disk,”
allowing data to be shared among
computers.
Faggin, Hoff & Mazor
Intel 4004 Computer Microprocessor
The first microprocessor.
1973 Robert Metcalfe develops Ethernet for
connecting multiple computers and other
hardware.
1975 Microsoft is born. Bill Gates worked with
Paul Allen to develop BASIC for the Altair
8800.
1976 - 1977 Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak started
Apple Computers and rolled out the
Apple I, the first computer with a single-
circuit board, and Apple II that offers color
graphics and incorporates an audio
cassette drive for storage.
1978 Accountants rejoice at the introduction of
VisiCalc, the first computerized
spreadsheet program.
1981 The first IBM (International Business
Machines) personal computer, code
named “Acorn,” is introduced. It uses
Microsoft’s MS-DOS operating system. It
has an Intel chip, two floppy disks and an
optional color monitor.
1983 Apple’s Lisa is the first personal computer
with a GUI. It also features a drop-down
menu and icons. It flops but eventually
evolves into the Macintosh.
1985 The first dot-com domain name is
registered on March 15, years before the
World Wide Web would mark the formal
beginning of Internet history.
1990 Tim Berners-Lee develops HyperText
Markup Language (HTML), giving rise to
the World Wide Web.
1993 The Pentium microprocessor advances the
use of graphics and music on PCs.
1994 PCs become gaming machines.
1999 The term Wi-Fi becomes part of the
computing language and users begin
connecting to the Internet without wires.
2001 - Many companies, such as Apple, have
Present upgraded their systems, web browers,
gadgets, etc. In this generation, Mac OS
X, Windows XP, Mozilla Firefox 1.0 (versus
Internet Explorer), Macbook Pro (the first
Intel-based, dual-core mobile computer),
iPhone, Windows 7 (which offers the ability
to pin applications to the taskbar and
advances in touch and handwriting
recognition, among other features.), iPad,
etc. were born.