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1942 Atanasoff-Berry Computer
Also known as the ABC, this computer was the first digital computer ever made. Invented by John Vincent Atanasoff and graduate student Cilfford Berry, this project wouldn't be completed until 1942. The ABC's ALU (Arithmetic Logic Unit) is still used and being modified in modern day technology. -
1943 Bell Labs Relay Interpolator
Requested by the U.S government, mathematician and researcher George Stibitz, from Bell Laboratories, invented a machine that could quickly calculate trigonometric firing solutions for the M9 gun director. This calculator was programmed using paper tape and could use 440 relays. It was the fasted calculating machine of its time with a time frame of 4 seconds to complete arithmetic operation. -
1947 Williams-Kilburn Tube
This device was the first device ever invented that could hold Random Access Memory (RAM). It was created by Freddie Williams and Tom Kilburn in 1947, and worked by using a cathode-ray tube. This tube would display small dots that were able to be read by static electricity and a thin sheet of metal positioned in front of the display. Even though this invention had its bugs, it was still a fundamental part of our knowledge in today's technology. -
1949 Modems
Although the first modem to be invented was in the 1920's, the first advanced modems were created in the late 1940's. Invented by Jack Harrington's group at the AFCRC, the purpose of these modems were to transmit digital data into sounds and vise versa. They were widely used during the cold war as a type of "instant messaging", and are now used to bring internet to homes. -
1950 Magnetic Drum Memory
This memory device was originally invented by Gustav Tauschek in 1932. The later models of this invention were modified by the U.S. Navy and ERA (Engineering Research Associates) for codebreaking purposes.The memory drums were able to hold 500,000 bits on the surface. This basic idea of magnetic memory storage is still used today in items such as hard disks.