Who Invented the Modern Computer?
The answer may surprise you!
Early Computers
Man has been calculating since ancient history. Even in comic strips, we see how man-made four vertical slashes and then a diagonal slash to indicate a count of five.
The earliest “machine” to help man do arithmetic was the abacus. The abacus has been used in Europe, the Near East, China, and Russia for centuries. They are still used in some areas today.
The abacus is constructed with a series of rods held in a wooden frame. Each rod has moveable beads which represent digits. A number is set up and then a mathematical operation is performed involving a second number.
Charles Babbage
The first important development in modern computing came in the 1800s. Charles Babbage, born in London and educated at Cambridge, was a first-class mathematician. He is called the “Father of the Computer” because he developed the first mechanical computer, which led to the modern electronic computer. The machine was called the difference engine. It was a mechanical calculating machine that used addition to calculate complex mathematical functions. It operated in the decimal system and was powered by cranking a handle. Babbage’s design was flawless, but the metalworkers of that time could not produce…
