Computing History
Computation has been around before digital computers existed!
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the abacus and celestial navigation
Explore how ancient tools like the abacus and nautical computation techniques helped humans quantify and navigate their world.
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the invention of the slide rule
Learn how the 17th-century invention of the slide rule brought logarithmic calculation into scientists' pockets.
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mechanical devices
See how mechanical computation evolved through innovations like Herman Hollerith’s machine, which powered the 1890 US Census.
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Herman Hollerith and the tabulating machine
Discover the era when computation became faster and semi-automated through relays and early programmable machines.
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electronic devices and the world at war
Trace the shift to fully electronic computers like ENIAC, where vacuum tubes replaced moving parts.
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the transistor revolution
Learn how the invention of the transistor drastically reduced computer size and power consumption, sparking a new era of electronics.
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PCBs and integrated circuits
Explore how printed circuit boards and integrated chips made electronics more compact, reliable, and scalable.
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the personal computer revolution
Witness how computing broke free from labs and corporations, becoming personal, portable, and a part of everyday life.