Encyclopedia of Computer Science and Technology

Appendix IIA Chronology of ComputingThe following chronology lists some significant events in thehistory of computing. Although the first calculators (i.e.,the abacus) were known in ancient times, the chronologybegins with the development of modern mathematics and thefirst calculators in the 17th century.1617• John Napier published an explanation of “Napier’s bones,”a manual aid to calculation based on logarithms, and theancestor to the slide rule.1624• William Schickard invented a mechanical calculator thatcan perform automatic carrying during addition and subtraction.It can also multiply and divide by repeated additionsor subtractions.1642• Blaise Pascal invented a calculator that he calls the Pascaline.Its improved carry mechanism used a weight to allowit to carry several places. A small batch of the machines wasmade, but it did not see widespread use.1673• Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (co-inventor with Isaac Newtonof the calculus) invented a calculator called the LeibnizWheel. He also wrote about the binary number system thateventually became the basis for modern computation.1786• J. H. Muller invented a “difference engine,” a machine thatcan solve polynomials by repeated addition or subtraction.1822• Charles Babbage designed and partially built a much moreelaborate difference engine.1832• Babbage sketched out a detailed design for the AnalyticalMachine. This machine was to have been programmed bypunched cards, storing data in a mechanical memory, andeven including a printer. Although it was not built duringhis lifetime, Babbage’s machine embodied most of the conceptsused in modern computers.1843• Ada Lovelace provided extensive commentary on a book byBabbage’s Italian supporter Menabrea. Besides being thefirst technical writer, Lovelace also wrote what might beconsidered the world’s first computer program.1844• Samuel Morse demonstrated the electromagnetic telegraphby sending a message from Washington to Baltimore. Thetelegraph inaugurated both electric data transmission andthe use of a binary character code (dots and dashes).1850• Amedee Mannheim created the first modern slide rule. Itwill become an essential accessory for engineers and scientistsuntil the inexpensive electronic calculator arrived inthe 1970s.1854• George Boole’s book The Laws of Thought described what isnow called Boolean algebra. Boolean operators are essentialfor the branching statements and loops that controlthe operation of computer programs.1884• W. S. Burroughs marketed his first adding machine, beginningwhat will become an important calculator (and later,computer) business.1890• Herman Hollerith’s punched card tabulator enabledthe U.S. government to complete the 1890 census in recordtime.1896• Hollerith founded the Tabulating Machine Company,which will become the Computing, Tabulating, and Record-529