Unit 5: History of Computers

1.  When was the first computer invented?

-         The first mechanical computer was created by Charles Babbage in 1822. The word computer was first used in terms of making and calculating formulas. The first computer was also responsible for making several sets and calculations for results.

2.  Who was the most important History pioneer?

-           The top ten inventors of the century are :

-          Tim Berners-Lee

-          Leonard Kleinrock

-          Charles Babbage

-          Konrad Zuse

-          Steve Wozniak

-          Steve Jobs

-          Ada Lovelace

-          John Atanasoff

-          Alan Turing

-          Bill Gates

3.    What was the first Video Game? what year?

Bryer Bettencourt (1950)

A specially-built machine for playing Tic-Tac-Toe, Bertie the Brain was created over the summer of 1950 by Dr. Josef Katess showcasing artificial intelligence with customizable difficulty levels, it was put on display by Rogers Majestic at the 1950 Canadian National Exhibition. Moves were entered on a keypad and displayed overhead.

  4. Who invented the World Wide Web?

-          The first world wide web was invented by Tim Burton’s Lee

He sold his idea for free to the world without him we would not have internet

4.    Who invented the Mouse?

-          The trackball, a related pointing device, was invented in 1946 by Ralph Benjamin as part of a post-World War II-era fire-control radar plotting system called Comprehensive Display System (CDS). Benjamin was then working for the British Royal Navy Scientific Service. Benjamin's project used analog computers to calculate the future position of target aircraft based on several initial input points provided by a user with a joystick. Benjamin felt that a more elegant input device was needed and invented a ball tracker called roller ball  for this purpose.

5.    what was the first Programming language?

-         The first programing language was Morse code, this code consisted of dots and dashes and was used to communicate and send messages through wires

6. Who is considered the "Father" of Computing? Computers? Personal Computing?

Charles Babbage there is an important lesson to be learned from the father of computing - that technical know-how alone is not enough to succeed. This is one of the conclusions of The Cogwheel Brain, a study of Charles Babbage, by Doron Swade, to be published on 13 April.

7.   Why was Alan Turing so important to Computing history? 

-          He developed the idea of the modern computer and artificial intelligence. During the Second World War he worked for the government breaking the enemies codes and Churchill said he shortened the war by two years.