The Antikythera Mechanism and the History of Clockwork
Discovered in an ancient shipwreck on the southern periphery of the Aegean Sea, the Antikythera Mechanism is a 2,000 year old astronomical computer. Its discovery turned conventional wisdom on its head and forced scholars to rewrite the history of ancient technology and the origins of complex clockwork devices.

The Vacuum Tube in Computer History
The vacuum tube holds a particularly significant place in the evolution of electronic computing. With the invention of the triode in 1907 and a flurry of subsequent improvements, computing pioneers finally had the means to create fully electronic digital logic circuits.

From Boole to Bits - Claude Shannon's Digital Revolution
Claude Shannon propelled computer engineering into the modern age in 1937 when he published a paper demonstrating that Boolean algebra can be applied to the design of electronic circuits to express any mathematical or logical function.

George Stibitz and the Bell Laboratories Relay Computers
In the 1940s, driven by the innovations of George Stibitz and a heritage in switching technology, Bell Telephone Laboratories produced a series of increasingly capable computers using electromagnetic relay logic circuits.

Grace Hopper - Matriarch of Programming
Grace Murray Hopper enjoyed one of the most storied careers in computing history. From the earliest days working on the Harvard Mark I, her insights and innovations helped establish the foundations for modern, user friendly computers and launched the information age.

SCELBI, Altair and the Journey to Home Computing
In the late 1960s and early 1970s a network of electronics enthusiasts galvanized around the idea of building their own computers. The hobby computers they brought to market were an entirely new class of machine that created fortunes and shaped the personal computer industry well into the twenty first century.

The Commodore VIC-20 - The Friendly Computer
Released in 1981, the Commodore VIC-20 was the best selling computer of its day. Inexpensive and user-friendly, the computer opened up the market to a new group of consumers. It was the first computer many families owned, providing the earliest exposure to computing for countless future programmers, engineers and entrepreneurs around the world.

Computer History Timeline
An overview of computer history featuring highlights from the earliest counting devices and astronomical calculators to the marvels of the modern age.