From 3000 BC to
1890 AD
3000 BC: Dust abacus is
invented, probably in Babylonia.
1800 BC: Babylonian mathematician
develops algorithms to resolve numerical
problems.
1000 BC: Phoenicians encode
language into symbols - the phonetic alphabet
is developed.
Piles of stones are used
to Represent 'counting’ of objects-an
abstract concept.
'Abaci' tables are developed
using positional notation.
Paper is invented.
500 BC: Bead and wire abacus
is created.
'Abacus' first personal
calculator -introduces the idea of letting
one object equate to several others –Babylonia.
200 AD: Saun-pan computing
tray is used in China; soroban computing
tray used in Japan.
700-800. - Arabic numerals
spread through Europe introduces concept
of the ‘zero’ & ‘fixed
places’ (Roman numerals remain in
some places until 17 century)
1000: Gerbert of Aurillac
or Pope Sylvester II devises a more efficient
abacus.
1100 - Mukhammed ibn Musa
Al'Khowarizmi develops concept of following
a written process to achieve a goal - the
'algorithm' is born
1400 - Korea begins using
mobile characters for printing
1457 Gutenberg Printing
Press is invented.
1612: John Naiper, Baron
of Merchiston, Scotland - first printed
use of the ‘decimal point’ and
develops the ‘bones’ system
of multiplication. 1614 - defines log tables.
1622: William Oughtred develops
the slide rule in England.
1623: William Schickard,
prof. Tubingen, Germany - builds first ‘adding
machine’ based on Naiper's studies
1624: Wilhelm Schickard
builds first four-function calculator-clock
at the University of Heidelberg.
1642: Blaise Pascal builds
the first numerical calculating machine
in Paris.
1673: Gottfried Leibniz
builds a mechanical calculating machine
that multiplies, divides, adds and subtracts.
It is a stepped cylindrical gear to do multiplication
by successive additions to an accumulator.
1780: American Benjamin
Franklin discovers electricity.
1801: Joseph-Marie Jacquard
invents perforated card for use on his loom.
People riot against machine technology.
1822: In England Charles
Babbage designs a Difference Engine to calculate
logarithms for navigation tables, but the
machine is never built.
1833: Charles Babbage designs
the Analytical Machine that follows instructions
from punched-cards. It is the first general
purpose computer.
1842: Lady Ada Byron, Countess
of Lovelace and daughter of Lord Byron,
the poet, documents Babbage's work and writes
programs for Babbage.
1844 - Samuel Morse sends
message from Washington to Baltimore - 36
miles - by wire. "What hath God wrought?"
1854: Irishman George Boole
publishes The Mathematical Analysis of Logic
using the binary system now known as Boolean
algebra.
1855: George and Edvard
Scheutz of Stockholm build the first practical
mechanical computer based on Babbages work.
1876: Telephone is invented
by Alexander Graham Bell.
1884: Herman Hollerith applies
for patents for automatic punch-card tabulating
machine.
1884: Institute of Electrical
Engineers (IEE) is founded.
1886: William Burroughs
develops the first commercially successful
mechanical adding machine.
1889: Patent is issued for
Hollerith tabulating machine.
1890 - Herman Hollerith
- in response to U S Census Bureau submits
(and wins) the bid for automating census
compilation using punched card techniques.
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