The Role of Computers and the Internet in Modern Life

THE ROLE OF COMPUTERS AND THE INTERNET IN MODERN LIFE

Now it’s impossible to imagine our life without computers. "Who invented the computer?" is not a question with a simple answer. The real answer is that many inventors contributed to the history of computers and that a computer is a complex piece of machinery made up of many parts, each of which can be considered a separate invention.
This series covers many of the major milestones in computer history (but not all of them) with a concentration on the history of personal home computers.

Computer History Year/Enter|Computer HistoryInventors/Inventions|Computer HistoryDescription of Event|
1936|Konrad Zuse - Z1 Computer|First freely programmable computer.|
1942|John Atanasoff & Clifford BerryABC Computer|Who was first in the computing biz is not always as easy as ABC.|
1944|Howard Aiken & Grace HopperHarvard Mark I Computer|The Harvard Mark 1 computer.|
1946|John Presper Eckert & John W. MauchlyENIAC 1 Computer|20,000 vacuum tubes later...|
1948|Frederic Williams & Tom KilburnManchester Baby Computer & The Williams Tube|Baby and the Williams Tube turn on the memories.|
1947/48|John Bardeen, Walter Brattain & Wiliam ShockleyThe Transistor|No, a transistor is not a computer, but this invention greatly affected the history of computers.|
1951|John Presper Eckert & John W. MauchlyUNIVAC Computer|First commercial computer & able to pick presidential winners.|
1953|International Business MachinesIBM 701 EDPM Computer|IBM enters into 'The History of Computers'.|
1954|John Backus & IBMFORTRAN Computer Programming Language|The first successful high level programming language.|
1955(In Use 1959)|Stanford Research Institute, Bank of America, and General ElectricERMA and MICR|The first bank industry computer - also MICR (magnetic ink character recognition) for reading checks.|
1958|Jack Kilby & Robert NoyceThe Integrated Circuit|Otherwise known as 'The Chip'|
1962|Steve Russell & MITSpacewar Computer...