Early Events in Computer History

By tdrain15
  • First Typewriter Invented

    First Typewriter Invented

    The first typewriter is patented by William Austin Burt. It's slow and clumsy, but it's the first writing machine.
  • The Invention of Binary Code

    The Invention of Binary Code

    Lord Byron's daughter, Ada, suggests to Babbage that he use the binary system. She writes programs for his analytical engine, becoming the world's first programmer.
  • Printing Calculator

    Printing Calculator

    Scheutz invents the first printing calculator.
  • Magnetic Recording

    Magnetic Recording

    Magnetic recording is invented
  • High Speed Circuitry

    High Speed Circuitry

    Two American physicists, Eccles and Jordan, invent the flip-flop circuit which will be necessary for high-speed electronic calculating
  • Electric Typewriter

    Electric Typewriter

    IBM introduces the electric typewriter
  • First Digital Computer

    First Digital Computer

    Zuse completes his Z3, the first program-controlled electromechanical digital computer.
  • Operating computer at M.I.T

    Operating computer at M.I.T

    The Whirlwind computer begins operations at M.I.T
  • Magnetic Memory

    Magnetic Memory

    Jay Forester develops magnetic memory at M.I.T
  • Very First Hard Drive

    Very First Hard Drive

    IBM builds the first hard drive. It contains fifty 24 inch disks and has a capacity of 5 MB and costs over US$1,000,000
  • First Disk Storage

    First Disk Storage

    IBM introduces RAMAC, a memory storage device based on rotating disks. It is the first hard disk storage.
  • Second Gen. Computers

    Second Gen. Computers

    1959 marks the beginning of the second generation of computers. They use transistors instead than tubes.
  • First Keyboard and Monitor

    First Keyboard and Monitor

    Ken Olsen, founder of DEC, introduces the PDP-1. The first computer with a keyboard and a monitor. It is priced at US$120,000
  • Very First Video Game

    Very First Video Game

    The first video game is developed by grad student, Steve Russell at MIT
  • First ATM

    First ATM

    The first ATM (Automatic Teller Machine) is installed.
  • First Apple Computer

    First Apple Computer

    Two other young hacker geeks, Steven Jobs and Stephen Wozniac build a computer in Steve's parents garage. They call it the Apple.
  • First Sold Apple Computers

    First Sold Apple Computers

    Steven Jobs and Stephen Wozniak design and build the first Apple computers, The Apple 1, in the Jobs' family garage. It's not much more than a circuit board in a wooden box, but they build and sell 200 of them through Paul Terrell's Byte Shop. The price was $666.66
  • First Version of a Laptop

    First Version of a Laptop

    Osborne introduces the first "portable" computer, the Osborne 1. It weighs 24 pounds and is the size of a suitcase.
  • Very First Laptop

    Very First Laptop

    The first "laptop" computer, the TRS-80 Model 100.
  • Macintosh is Launched and Shown in the Super Bowl Games

    Macintosh is Launched and Shown in the Super Bowl Games

    Apple launches the Macintosh with a spectacular presentation at the 1984 Super Bowl games.
  • 2000 Computer Crash Problem

    2000 Computer Crash Problem

    The Year 2000 problem is first mentioned in print
  • Explsion in Viruses.

    Explsion in Viruses.

    There are now about 1000 known computer viruses. In 1988 there was 5.
  • DVD's

    DVD's

    DVD disks come into play.
  • iMac

    iMac

    Apple releases the iMac.
  • First Xbox

    First Xbox

    Bill Gates introduces the Xbox on January 7th 2001.
  • Present Time

    Present Time

    Present Computers