History of Computing: Timeline

2400 BC: Abacus, the first known calculating device, was invented in Mesopotamia

500 BC: Indian mathematician Panini introduced the precursor to modern formal language theory

300 BC: Pingala invented the binary number system

87 BC: Antikythera put up Rhodes to track movement of the stars

1614: John Napier invents a system of moveable rods (Napier's Rods) based on logarithms which was able to multiply, divide and calculate square and cube roots

1623: Calculating Clock was invented by Wilhelm Schickard

1642: Blaise Pascal invents a mechanical adding machine called Pascaline calculator

1822: Charles Babbage builds his first mechanical computer

1834: The Analytical Engine was invented by Charles Babbage

1835: Samuel Morse invents Morse code

1848: Boolean algebra is invented by George Boole

1896: Herman Hollerith begins the Tabulating Machine Company which later becomes IBM

1906: Lee De Forest invents the electronic tube

1911: IBM is formed on June 15, 1911

1937: Alan Turing develops the concept of a theoretical computing machine

1939: John Vincent Atanasoff and Clifford Berry develop the ABC (Atanasoft-Berry Computer)

1945: John Presper Eckert & John W. Mauchly developed the ENIAC ( Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer)

1947: Douglas Engelbart replaced punched cards with keyboard and screen display

1951: UNIVAC I (UNIVersal Automatic Computer I) was introduced, the first commercial computer made in the United States. The EDVAC (Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic Computer) began performing basic tasks.

1955: Bell Labs introduced its first transistor computer.

1957: Sputnik I and Sputnik II are launched by the Russians

1958: ARPA (Advanced Research Projects Agency) and NASA is formed

1958: First integrated circuit, or silicon chip, is produced by the US Jack Kilby & Robert Noyce

1964: IBM introduced the first word processor

1965: Andries van Dam and Ted Nelson coined the term "hypertext"

1967: IBM created the first floppy disk

1971: E-mail was invented by Ray Tomlinson

1975: Altair produced the first portable computer

1976: Apple Computers was founded Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs

1981: IBM PC was born

1982: Commodore 64 became the best-selling computer of all time.

1991: World Wide Web is launched to the public

1991: Linux was born

1993: Intel Pentium was released

1995: Java was introduced

1995: Windows 95 was launched