Rhode Island Computer Museum Homepage

A Time Line of Computer Evolution

ca 3000 BC

Construction started on Stonehenge and Avebury
"dust abacus" invented, perhaps in Babylonia

ca 1800 BC

Babylonian mathematicians develop algorithm

ca 1500 BC

Shadow clock invented in Egypt

ca 650 BC

Merkhetinvented in Egypt

ca 500 BC

Abacus invented in Egypt

ca 325 BC

Salamis tablet constructed (early form of abacus)

ca 150 BC

Astrolabe invented

ca 82 BC

Antikythera navigational calculator constructed,
probably by Geminus at Rhodes

ca 65 BC

Antikythera device lost in wreck at sea

50 BC

Andronicos of Kyrrhos builds tower of the Winds at Athens

48 BC

Julius Caesar reforms the Roman Calendar

ca 200 AD

Construction started on American "Woodhenge" at Cahokia

ca 1200 AD

Chinese abacus developed

1335

First great clock constructed at Milan

1410

Astrolabe clock constructed at Prague

1617

John Napier invents the logarithm and his "numbering rods"

1622

William Oughtred develops slide rule

1623

Wilhem Schickard builds his calculating clock

1642

Blaise Pascal builds the Pascaline adder

1674

Baron Leibnitz completes his 4 function calculator

1709

Poleni's calculating machine

1731

John Hadley invents sextant

1757

Campbell produces improved sextant

1774

Hahn's calculator

1786

J.H.Muller proposes a difference engine

1805

Jean-Marie Jacquard invents perforated card for use on his looms

1819

David Napier builds rotary press

1820

Charles Thomas builds arithmometer

1822

Charles Babbage proposes Difference Engine

1833

Charles Babbage proposes Analytical Engine

1838

Thomas Fowler builds ternary calculator

1847

Robert Bakewell constructs copying telegraph

1855

Printing telegraph developed in United States
Georg and Edvard Sheutz build mechanical computer based on Babbage's work

1860

C. S. Sholes builds functional typewriter

1870

Stock ticker installed in New York City

1872

Remington Company manufactures Sholes' typewriter

1873

Lord Kelvin builds tide calculator

1882

First wire-photo sent in England

1886

William Burroughs develops successful mechanical adding machine

1889

Hollerith's Electric Accounting Machine wins U.S.Census Bureau tests
Leon Bollee calculating machine

1890

A.B. Dick markets mimeograph

1893

Torres Quevedo proposes an electro-mechanical difference engine

1895

In England, Friese-Greene invents photo-typesetting

1901

Antikythera device recovered

1904

H.P. Babbage completes portion of Analytical Engine - it works flawlessly.

1918

Hoover Company introduces the automatic typewriter

1924

Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company becomes IBM

1928

L.J. Comrie calculates lunar positions using punched cards and tabulating machines
Johnston-Straus totalisator prototype completed
Comrie establishes first computer service bureau, Scientific Computing Services, Ltd.

1931

Vannevar Bush's Differential Analyzer is completed
IBM introduces 600 series calculating machines

1932

American Totalisator formed

1933

Duplicates of Bush's Differential Analyzer completed at
Aberdeen Proving Grounds and University of Pennsylvania

1937

Alan Turing publishes decription of Turing machine
George Stiblitz completes model K computer

1938

Zuse Z1 completed

1940

Atansoff and Berry complete the ABC
Stiblitz completes COMPLEX I
Zuse Z2 completed

1942

COMPLEX II completed
Zuse S1 completed

1943

MIT Rockefeller Differential Analyzer completed 
Heath Robinson completed
COLOSSUS I completed
Zuse Z3 completed

1944

ASCC Mark I completed
COLOSSUS II completed

1945

ASCC Mark II completed
ENIAC completed

1947

BINAC completed
Association for Computing Machinery founded
Northrop DIDA completed

1948

Manchester Mark I completed
SSEC completed

1949

CSIRAC completed
ASCC Mark III (ADEC) completed
EDSAC completed
IBM CPC introduced

1950

BARK completed
EDVAC completed
AVDIAC completed 	
EAC completed
ERA 1101 (ATLAS I) completed
Remington Rand purchases Eckert-Mauchly Computer Company
Pilot  ACE completed
Zuse Z4 completed

1951

Ferranti Mark I introduced, first mass production computer
First UNIVAC completed for U.S. Census Bureau
SWAC completed
ADEC completed
Remington Rand purchases Engineering Research Associates
LEO I completed
MADAM completed
Whirlwind I completed

1952

MANIAC I completed
ILLIAC I completed
IAS completed
U.S. government files anti-trust suit against IBM
ORDVAC completed
PERM completed
ASCC Mark IV completed
UNIVAC predicts U.S. presidential election results

1953

RAYDAC completed
FLAC completed
OARAC completed
MINIAC I completed
STRELA completed
BESM-1 completed
IBM delivers first Defense Calculator (IBM 701)

1954

Leo Computers, Ltd. formed
NORC completed
DYSEAC completed
TRADIC completed
JOHNNIAC completed
IBM delivers first 650 computer

1955

MINIAC II completed
BIZMAC I and II completed
MIDAC completed
PENNSTAC completed
Bendix G15 introduced
ERMETH completed
WEIZAC completed
URAL completed
Remington-Rand merges with Sperry Corporation
IBM delivers 702, 704 and 705 computers

1956

TAC completed
IRMAC completed
MIL completed
TX-0 completed at MIT, first transistor based computer
ILLIAC completed
MISTIC completed

1957

MANIAC II completed
Ferranti Pegasus introduced
Burroughs delivers Atlas Guidance Computer
Remington Rand delivers Athena Guidance Computer
Digital Equipment Corporation founded
IBM ships FORTRAN

1958

First Leo II installed
SAGE (Whirlwind II) system operational
ACE completed

1959

DERA completed
Rice Institute Computer (R1) completed

1960

MANIAC III completed
IBM introduced 1401
Packard-Bell introduces 250
LARC completed
DEC ships PDP-1

1961

DECUS formed
IBM introduces Selectric typewriter

1962

First Leo III installed
DEC introduces PDP-4
Burroughs introduces D825 and B2000

1963

English Electric introduces KDF9
RCA introduces 601
Burroughs introduces B5000
Sperry Rand delivers AN/USQ-20
Leo Computer merged with English Electric

1964

IBM 360 introduced
CDC 6600 introduced

1965

DEC ships PDP-5
DEC ships PDP-7 and PDP-8

1967

DEC introduces PDP-9 and PDP-10
First BESM-6 shipped

1968

English Electric/Leo Marconi merged into ICL
CDC 7600 introduced

1969

U.S. Government files antitrust suit against IBM

1970

DEC introduces the PDP-11 line
Amdahl founded

1971

The National Radio Institute introduces the first computer kit
Intel  introduces the MCS-4 
IBM introduces System 370
IBM offers floppy disk 
Lexitron introduces the VT1200  word processor

1972

Intel introduces 8008 microprocessor
CPT and Redactron introduce tape based text editors
Automatic Electronic Systems introduces the AES 90 word processor.

1973

IBM introduces MagCard II
Scelbi Computer Consulting Company offers the first computer kit
Gary Kildall writes earliest version of CP/M 
Vydec introduces its word processor

1974

IBM introduces the memory typewriter
Intel  introduces 8080 microprocessor 
Xerox builds Alto for internal use
Motorola introduces its 6800 microprocessor  
Popular Electronics publishes article on MITS Altair 8800 kit

1975

Amdahl ships 470V/6
IBM introduces 5100 portable 
Bill Gates and Paul Allen license their newly written BASIC to MITS  
Bill Gates and Paul Allen adopt the name Micro-Soft 
MITS introduces Altair 8800
MOS Technology introduces the MC6501 and MC6502  processors
IMSAI introduces the IMSAI 8080 microcomputer
BYTE magazine is published

1976

MOS Technology introduces the 6502 microprocessor
MOS Technology introduces the KIM-1 Microcomputer System
Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs complete computer circuit board - the Apple I
Intel introduces the 8085
Wang introduces 2200 series
Seymour Cray introduces Cray I 
Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak form the Apple Computer Company, 
Processor Technology introduces the Sol-20 microcomputer
Zilog introduces the Z80
Michael Shrayer finishes the Electric Pencil word-processor for microcomputers

1977

Bill Gates and Paul Allen sign a partnership agreement establishing MicroSoft
Commodore Business Machines introduces PET 2001 
Apple Computer introduces the Apple II at the West Coast Computer Faire. 
Radio Shack introduces the TRS-80

1978

Intel introduces the 8086 microprocessor
Intelligent typewriter is developed
Epson announces the MX-80 dot matrix printer
Atari introduces Atari 400 and 800 personal computers

1979

Apple Computer introduces the Apple II Plus
Intel introduces the 8088 microprocessor 
Texas Instruments introduces the TI-99/4 personal computer  
MicroPro International ships WordStar
Motorola introduces the 68000 16-bit microprocessor
Personal Software ships VisiCalc
IBM introduces System 4pi
Wang introduces the VS series

1980

Hewlett-Packard introduces the HP-85 
Sinclair Research announces the ZX-80
Apple announces Apple III
Amdahl ships 580 series
Microsoft introduces XeniX operating system
Radio Shack introduces the TRS-80 Color Computer
IBM engages Microsoft to write its PC operating system
IBM introduces System 80 Displaywriter

1981

Commodore introduces VIC-20
Acorn introduces BBC
Xerox introduces Star 8010
Ashton-Tate ships DbaseII 
Intel introduces 8087 math co-processor
IBM PC by IBM creates de facto PC standard
IBM offers CGA- Colour Graphics Adaptor
Xerox introduces 820 
Apollo introduces DN-100 workstation 
Osborne Computer Corporation incorporated
Adam Osborne launches Osborne 1 portable


1982

  
US Govt drops IBM anti-trust suit 
Commodore introduces C-64
Timex introduces the Timex sinclair 1000
Columbia Data Products introduces MPC-1600, first PC clone
Non-Linear Systems introduces Kaypro II
Cray Research introduces Cray XMP
Intel introduces 80286
Shugart introduces the half-height floppy drive
Time Magazine names Computer as Machine of the Year  
DEC announces Rainbow 100, DECmate II, & Professional 325 and 350 
Compaq Computer founded
Amstrad International established in Hong Kong

1983

Cray Research introduces Cray2
IBM announces PCjr 
Atari introduces 1200XL
IBM introduces 5160 PC-XT
Commodore introduces SX-64
Franklin announces Franklin Ace 1200
Apple introduces Apple IIe
Radio Shack introduces TRS-80 model 100
Coleco introduces Adam
Mattel introduces Aquarius
ACT introduces Apricot
HP introduces HP-150 
Atari introduces 800XL
Osborne Computer Corporation files for Chapter 11 (partial bankruptcy)
Apple launches Lisa 
Novel offers NetWare OS
MicroSoft and 15 manufacturers announce MSX computer standard
First Compaq computer ships

1984

IBM introduces PC AT (Advanced Technology)
Apple introduces Macintosh 
Radio Shack introduces Tandy 1000 series
Dell Computer founded
IBM introduces 5155 portable
Hewlett-Packard introduces Laser-Jet printer
Amstrad introduces CPC464 
IBM offers EGA Enhanced Graphic Adaptor
Apple introduces Apple IIc
Commodore introduces the C-16
Compaq introduces the DeskPro line
Commodore purchases Amiga Corporation

1985

IBM ships 3090 Sierra system 
Macintosh Office launched by Apple,
Atari introduces 520XT
Commodore introduces Amiga 1000
Commodore introduces C-128
Aldus offers Pagemaker desktop publisher for Macintosh computers
Amstrad introduces PCW8256 word processor
Intel introduces 80386DX microprocessor
MicroSoft ships Windows 1.0

1986

Software Publishers Association names Microsoft Windows Best Product/1985
Hewlett-Packard introduces Spectrum RISC line
Apple introduces Apple IIGS
Amdahl ships 5890 series
Advanced Logic Research Access 386  and Compaq DeskPro 386 introduced 
Amstrad introduces PCI 512
Commodore introduces C-64C
Amstrad buys Sinclair Research Ltd
Commodore introduces Amiga 1000
Compaq introduces 386
Sperry-Rand and Burroughs merge to form Unisys

1987

Acorn introduces the Archimedes
IBM offers EGA -Video Graphics Array .
Cray Research introduces Cray 22
Aldus ports Pagermaker to IBM PC
Claris launched by Apple - Apples software business
IBM introduces PS/2 series
IBM offers Micro-Channel Architecture (MCA)
DEC introduces MicroVAX 3500, 3600, VAXstation 2000
Amstrad introduces PC 1640 
Commodore introduces Amiga 500, 2000
Apple introduces Mac II, Mac SE
Sun offers RISC-based workstation
Motorola introduces 68030 microprocessor
MicroSoft ships Excel
IBM announces SAA

1988

Unisys introduces 22001400 series
Open Software Foundation formed
Amdahl ships 5990 series
Apple Introduces Mac IIx
NeXT introduces NeXT cube
MicroSoft and IBM ship OS/2
Intel introduces 80386SX microprocessor
Cray introduces Cray YMP
Amstrad introduces PC2000
DEC VAXstation 8000
IBM introduces MVS/ESA - Mainframe operating system
IBM introduces AS/400  
Mortorola introduces 38000 RISC microprocessor
Worm invades Internet
IBM introduces ES/S 900
Compaq and others launch EISA bus standard
IBM and Sears launch PRODIGY

1989

IBM announces Officevision for mainframes
Sun introduces RISC Sparcstation
Apple introduces Macintosh portable
Seymour Cray establishes Cray Computer Corp
Solbourne Computer introduces Sun 4 compatible
Intel announces 80486 microprocessor and I860 RISC chip
Poqet introduces pocket-sized MS-DOS machine
DEC introduces VAX 9000  mainframe
Compaq introduces LTE/286 
Grid offers handwriting recognition laptop

1990

IBM introduces RS/6000

2000

IBM ships ASCI WHITE