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300 BCE
Abacus
Developed in the Middle East over 2,000 years ago. A computing aide where people slide "counters" along rods, wires or lines. Used to perform arithmetic operations. Made manual calculations easier. Image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abacus
Information: https://www.ee.ryerson.ca/~elf/abacus/history.html -
Pascal's Calculator
Invented by Blaise Pascal. Allowed for the addition of whole numbers with up to six digits and allowed for each digit's state to be independent of the other's. Would be succeeded by machines such as the Pascaline in 1952. Information: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pascal%27s_calculator
Image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pascal%27s_calculator -
Step Reckoner
Invented by Gottfried Leibniz with heavy inspiration from Pascal's calculator. Able to perform multiplication and division through repeated addition and subtraction. Instead of using binary like other machines of the time period, the Step Reckoner represented numbers in decimal form as a position on the 10-position dials. Information: https://www.britannica.com/technology/Step-Reckoner
Image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stepped_reckoner -
First Cash Register
John Birch and James Ritty created a machine that added and expressed sums in dollars and cents. The register boasted a large display to show the sums customers had paid, as well as a locked apartment for totaled receipts. It was succeeded by "Ritty's Incorruptible Cashier" Information: https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_694231
Image: https://www.maa.org/press/periodicals/convergence/mathematical-treasure-model-cash-register-designed-by-the-ritty-brothers -
Small Scale Experimental Machine
Fully electric computer system that stored program and data simultaneously. The machine was designed and constructed by F.C. Williams and Tom Kilburn, however Kilburn wrote the program. The two developed a storage system with cathode tube rays while they were working at the University of Manchester, known as the Williams Tube. Information: http://curation.cs.manchester.ac.uk/computer50/www.computer50.org/mark1/new.baby.html
Image: https://history-computer.com/ModernComputer/Electronic/SSEM.html
