Computer Organization

Some Historical Perspective (continued)

The 1930's computers:

1935: The concept of the computer was published by Alan Turing, Cambridge University, England

1937: The ABC by John Atanasoff and Clifford Berry at Iowa State College

1937: Z1 in Germany by Konrad Zuse

1938: The Mark-K machine, a relay concept machine was built by George Stibitz at Bell Telephone Laboratories; Stibitz demonstrated the first control of a machine over the telephone in 1940.

1938: Howard Aiken designed the Harvard Mark I computer, but it was not built until 1943.

The first "real" computers: 1940-1950

A convergence of technology, people, and motivation.
Important projects included:

1941-44: Z2, Z3 in Germany by Konrad Zuse
1943: Mark I at Harvard University by Howard Aiken, aka ASCC, built by IBM
1944: Colossus at Bletchley Park, England by Thomas Flowers, Alan Turing and others.
1946: ENIAC at University of Pennsylvania, by John Mauchly and J. Presper Eckert
The "Baby" at Manchester University, England by (Sir) Freddy Williams - the first store program computer
1948: EDSAC at Cambridge University, England by (Sir) Maurice Wilkes - the first true modern computer
1949: EDVAC at University of Pennsylvania by Herman Goldstine and others (designed by John von Nuemann)

The first commercial machine in the US was the UNIVAC I, bought by the Census Bureau in 1951. The first in the world was the LEO, built by Lyons Catering Corp., in London, England, 1950.