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Ada Lovelace: The first computer programmer
She was the first computer programmer and also an English mathematician. She worked alongside Charles Babbage on his Analytical Engine, a general-purpose mechanical computer. Lovelace wrote the first algorithm intended for processing by a machine, demonstrating the potential of a computing device to perform complex calculations. (Source) -
First Printing Calculator
Swedish inventor Per Georg Scheutz and his son Edvard design the world's first printing calculator. The machine is significant for being the first to "compute tabular differences and print the results," according to Uta C. Merzbach's book, "Georg Scheutz and the First Printing Calculator" (Smithsonian Institution Press, 1977). (Source) -
Punch-card system
Herman Hollerith designs a punch-card system to help calculate the 1890 U.S. Census. The machine, saves the government several years of calculations, and the U.S. taxpayer approximately $5 million, according to Columbia University Hollerith later establishes a company that will eventually become International Business Machines Corporation (IBM). (Source) -
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John von Neumann (1903-1957): The electronic digital computer visionary
His groundbreaking work on the architecture of modern computers, including the concept of stored-program computers, influenced the design of most computers today. He also contributed to fields such as game theory, quantum mechanics, and operations research, making him one of the most famous computer scientists in history. (Source) -
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Grace Hopper (1906-1992): A pioneer in computer programming
She created the first compiler, a program that translates high-level language code into machine-readable code. Hopper was also involved in the creation of COBOL and UNIVAC I. As a software engineer, her innovative work paved the way for many computer scientists who followed. (Source) -
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Edsger Dijkstra (1930-2002): The leader in programming language design
He introduced the shortest-path algorithm, known as Dijkstra's algorithm, and emphasized the importance of data abstraction and structured programming. As a recipient of the Turing Award, his work has influenced the way computer scientists think about programming and problem-solving. (Source) -
Alan Turing - the father of theoretical computer science
One of the famous computer scientists, mathematician, logician, and crypt-analyst. Turing made significant contributions to artificial intelligence, developing the Turing Test as a method for determining a machine's ability to exhibit intelligent behavior. As a pioneer in theoretical computer science, he designed the Turing machine, which laid the foundation for modern computers. (Source) -
Bell Laboratories scientist George Stibitz uses relays for a demonstration adder
This was called the “Model K” Adder because Stibitz built it on his “Kitchen” table, this simple demonstration circuit provides proof of concept for applying Boolean logic to the design of computers, resulting in construction of the relay-based Model I Complex Calculator in 1939. (Source)] (https://www.computerhistory.org/timeline/computers/) -
Z3 Computer was completed
The Z3, an early computer built by German engineer Konrad Zuse working in complete isolation from developments elsewhere, uses 2,300 relays, performs floating point binary arithmetic, and has a 22-bit word length. The Z3 was used for aerodynamic calculations but was destroyed in a bombing raid on Berlin in late 1943. (Source) -
Manchester "Baby." - First Computer Program to Run on a Computer
The Baby was built to test a new memory technology developed by Williams and Kilburn -- soon known as the Williams Tube – which was the first high-speed electronic random access memory for computers. Their first program, consisting of seventeen instructions and written by Kilburn, ran on June 21st, 1948. This was the first program in history to run on a digital, electronic, stored-program computer. (Source) -
FORTRAN
John Backus and his team of programmers at IBM publish a paper describing their newly created FORTRAN programming language, an acronym for FORmula TRANslation, according to MIT. This helped to learn how to program apps inside the computer. (Source) -
Vint Cerf (b. 1943) and Robert Kahn (b. 1938): The architects of the Internet
Co-invented the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and the Internet Protocol (IP), the foundational technologies that make up the backbone of the internet. Their work on the design of distributed systems and the development of network protocols has enabled the creation of a global network that connects billions of people and devices. (Source) -
A Research Center for Augmenting Human Intellect
Douglas Engelbart's presentation, called "A Research Center for Augmenting Human Intellect" includes a live demonstration of his computer, including a mouse and a graphical user interface (GUI), according to the Doug Engelbart Institute. This marks the development of the computer from a specialized machine for academics to a technology that is more accessible to the general public. (Source) -
UNIX - a family of multitasking, multi-user computer operating systems
Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie and a group of other developers at Bell Labs produce UNIX, an operating system that made "large-scale networking of diverse computing systems — and the internet — practical," according to Bell Labs.. The team behind UNIX continued to develop the operating system using the C programming language, which they also optimized. (Source) -
Floppy Disks
A team of IBM engineers led by Alan Shugart invents the "floppy disk," enabling data to be shared among different computers. This enables to share information with other people with different computers. (Source) -
The Apple II, the World’s First Personal Computer
There were two kinds of people who used computers: professionals in business and government. The Apple II, more than any other computer, brought computing to the consumer market and we as a society have never been the same. People started using computer for their own personal use. -
Sir Tim Berners-Lee: the inventor of the World Wide Web.
He created the first web browser, web server, and the Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) that enables web pages to be displayed. Sir Tim not only invented the “www” that the internet still thrives on, but he fought to make sure the web stayed free and became accessible for anyone. Berners-Lee continues to advocate for an open and accessible internet for everyone. (Source). -
Guido van Rossum (b. 1956): The creator of Python®
Python's simplicity, readability, and versatility have made it one of the most popular programming languages in the world, used in fields like web development, data science, and artificial intelligence. The code readability has had a significant impact on the programming community, inspiring a generation of developers to write elegant, efficient code. (Source) -
Linus Torvalds (b. 1969): The creator of the Linux® operating system
Linus Torvalds, a Finnish-American computer scientist, created the Linux operating system, which is now one of the most popular operating systems worldwide. He also developed the Git version control system, a tool widely used by software engineers for collaborative coding. This gave more people to use other operating systems other than Windows. (Source) -
James Gosling (b. 1955): The father of the Java® programming language
He created Java programming language. Java's "write once, run anywhere" philosophy revolutionized software development, allowing programs to run on various platforms without modification. It helped create ways to make apps and games on the computers. (Source).