Technology Timeline

Analytical Machine

1837

The analytical engine was a proposed mechanical general-purpose computer designed by English mathematician and computer pioneer Charles Babbage. It was first described in 1837 as the successor to Babbage's difference engine, which was a design for a simpler mechanical calculator.

Hollerith Punch Cards

1896

In 1896 Herman Hollerith organized the Tabulating Machines Company, which grew in subsequent mergers to become the IBM of today. The Hollerith punched card was the principal means for recording, accounting and archiving functions, not to mention the US census, until recently. In the early 1960's Hollerith cards were the only practical means to input programs for a IBM mainframe, but today these cards are seldom seen.

HP

1939

HP Inc. is an American multinational information technology company headquartered in Palo Alto, California, that develops personal computers, printers and related supplies, as well as 3D printing solutions.

Alan Turing

1950

Often considered the father of modern computer science, Alan Turing was famous for his work developing the first modern computers, decoding the encryption of German Enigma machines during the second world war, and detailing a procedure known as the Turing Test, forming the basis for artificial intelligence.

GUI

1950

Douglas Engelbart, American inventor whose work beginning in the 1950s led to his patent for the computer mouse, the development of the basic graphical user interface (GUI), and groupware.

COBOL

1959

COBOL is a compiled English-like computer programming language designed for business use. It is an imperative, procedural and, since 2002, object-oriented language. COBOL is primarily used in business, finance, and administrative systems for companies and governments.

First Apple Computer

1976

Apple Inc. — originally known as Apple Computers — began in 1976. Founders Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak worked out of Jobs' garage at his home in Los Altos, California. On April 1, 1976, they debuted the Apple 1, a desktop computer that came as a single motherboard, pre-assembled, unlike other personal computers of that era.

Windows

1985

Microsoft Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For instance, Windows NT for consumer and corporate desktops, Windows Server for servers, and Windows IoT for embedded systems.

Tim Berners-Lee

1989

Sir Timothy John Berners-Lee OM KBE FRS FREng FRSA DFBCS RDI, also known as TimBL, is an English computer scientist best known as the inventor of the World Wide Web, the HTML markup language, the URL system, and HTTP.

Invention of WiFi

1997

Wi-Fi is a wireless networking technology that allows devices such as computers (laptops and desktops), mobile devices (smart phones and wearables), and other equipment (printers and video cameras) to interface with the Internet. While many people and organizations were involved, the person who contributed the most to the WiFi we know today is Vic Hayes. Many consider Hayes, who invented WiFi and call him “the father of WiFi.”

First Chromebook

2011

The first Chromebooks for sale, by Acer Inc. and Samsung, were announced at the Google I/O conference in May 2011 and began shipping on June 15, 2011.