It could be argued that the first computer to be invented was the abacus in the Ancient era or its descendant the slide rule, invented by William Oughtred in 1622. However, the history of computing is longer than the history of computing hardware and computing technology, so the first computing device which resembles today’s computers was the Analytical Engine, originated by English mathematician and inventor Charles Babbage in 1837.
Known as the “father of the computer”, Charles Babbage designed the first mechanical computer, which would eventually lead to more complex designs in the future. The Analytical Engine was the successor to Babbage’s difference engine, which was never built or programmable. The difference engine was strictly just a calculator, and couldn’t be used for arithmetical calculations. However the Analytical Engine contained many of the ideas that can be found in modern computers, the main two being a central processing unit (CPU), and integrated memory. Babbage referred to the CPU as the “mill”, and memory as the “store.” Programs and data was inputted into the machine using punched cards, which was a method used for controlling the operation of a machine and containing digital information. In order to output information, Babbage had a device which would record results on paper, which he called a printer, the predecessor to inkjet printing and laser printing used today.
Although he was never able to finish construct his design for the Analytical Engine, the first general-purpose computers were actually built in the 1940’s, more than a century after Babbage had originated the concept, proving that his designs worked and crediting him with the invention of the first computing device.
Ada Lovelace was an English Mathematician who became known for her work on Charles Babbage’s design for the Analytical Engine. When she was seventeen years old, she met Charles Babbage and they became friends, with Babbage serving as a mentor to her. She became quite interested in Babbage’s work, as she got to have a look at Babbage’s early work with the difference engine.
Later, after Babbage had designed the Analytical Engine, Lovelace was asked to translate an article by an Italian engineer named Luigi Federico Menabrea on the Analytical Engine. Not only did she translate it, but she added her own thoughts and ideas with a set of notes on the machine. Her notes contained the first computer program, an algorithm designed to be carried out a machine. Her notes proved to be very important as she was the first to recognize that the Analytical Engine had more applications to it than just calculations, which is why she is regarded as the first computer programmer in history.
The Evolution of Computers 