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Jan 1, 1000
BCE First Counting Tools
Way back in around 30,000-20,000 BCE people were using various methods of couting to keep track of things. They started using a tally system to help count. These ranged from being scratches and markings on bones to being paintings and drawings on walls. -
Feb 4, 1000
BCE The Abacus
At around 3000 BCE in Babylonia the Abacus was invented. It consisted of a few stones in the sand that could be moved around to do math and count things. These eventually became a lot more professionally made. -
Stepped Reckoner
Sometime in the 1670's, a man named Gottfried Leibniz invented a machine for some more complicated mathematical equations, like multiplication, division, and square roots. This introduced the idea of the binary system. -
Difference Engine
In 1821 Charles Babbage created a very large steam powered calculator called the Difference Engine. It could perform a multitude of mathemetical equations, though it took a lot of power. -
First American Telegraph
Samuel Morse and Alfred Vail invented a device known as the telegraph, which would supposedly be able to send messages to other people. It wasn't used much outside of Morse's office however. -
Ada Byron and the Analytical Engine
When Charles Babbage was still working on the Difference Engine, he also started working on another deivce known as the Analytical Engine. He called in help from his lifelong friend, Ada Byron, who figured out the math and programming behind it, and is declared responsible for a lot of the modern programming we know today. -
Telegraph Improved Upon
A few years after the initial invention, Morse, Vail, and Leonard Gale worked together to create a fully functioning telegraph, a way of communicating messages across the country. It was truly revolutionary, being the first device to successfully pull this off. -
The First Typewriter
The first commercially successful typewriter was invented in 1868 by Christopher Latham Sholes, Carlos Glidden, and Samuel Soule. It was incredibly revolutionary, and was the most practical method of writing. -
First Cash Register
The first cash register was patented on November 4, 1879, and was initially called "Ritty's Incorruptable Cashier" which was named after it's inventor. Cash registers are used at nearly every store in the country nowadays. -
Comptometer
The comptometer was the first key driven device to be able to successfully calculate addition and some other mathematical equations. It was much smaller than Babbage's Difference Engine, and much more practical. This led to the development of the calculators we know today. -
Punch Card Adopted for Census
The Punch Card was a small card with little number printed all over it. When a number was punched out of the card, another device could read the card based on which numbers were punched out and which ones weren't. In 1890, this was adopted to be used for the U.S. census. -
Herman Hollerith's desk
Herman Hollerith created a machine that would use the punch cards to help count for the U.S. Census Bureau. This was a huge technological advancement, and it was a much faster form of counting. -
IBM
Hollerith ran off with this device, and formed a company known as the Tabulating Machine Company, which is not known as International Business Machines, or IBM for short. IBM would soon affect the world of IT in a huge way. -
The Z1
This was the first fully programmable computer. It was not used for recreational purposes, but more military and government reasons. This was quite revolutionary, which is why it is a shame it was destroyed in a bombing. -
The Z2
An improvement on the Z1. This version used electrical relay circuits rather than control logic. -
The Z3
This was the world's first fully programmable, fully automatic digital computer. Data for the machine was stored by being punched on film. This was a huge feat in the advancement of technology. -
The Colossus
The British were able to construct a large decoder known as the Colossus. This could be used in the military to decipher encrypted messages. -
The Z4
The Z4 was Zuse's final version of the Z3. Like the Z2, it wasn't much more than a few improvements to the previous version. Regardless, the end of Zuse's Z-series meant the advancement of other technology. -
The Altair
The Altair was the first home computer that people could actually buy for themselves. It was hard to use however, so most people who bought it couldn't use it. -
The Apple I
The Apple I was created by Steve Wozniak back in 1976, and it was the first home computer that was actually user friendly. It needed a television for a display, but it was programmable and generally user friendly. -
The Apple II
This was a drastically improved version of Apple's first home computer. This one came with a built in display and tons of other features that the Apple I wasn't capable of. -
The IBM PC
Alongside the Apple III in 1981 IBM released its own personal computer. The IBM PC was open architecture, which meant anyone could open it and modify it. This led to the development of all sorts of other computer models and companies. -
The Apple III
This was Apples third version of their original Apple computer. Unfortunately, this was generally considered a failure from the company. This did however help launch Apple into the technological giant that it is today. -
The Macintosh
Apple introduced the Macintosh, the first mass marketed personal computer. It was expensive, but it came with a built in GUI and was used with a mouse and keyboard. It was extremely user friendly. -
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft released an operating system for MS-DOS called Windows. This was a user friendly setup with a clea GUI. This of course launched Microsoft way ahead of the game, and chances are you own at least one computer that runs on a form of Microsoft's Windows OS.
