Battle of the Bits: How 1940s geniuses laid the foundation for the information age

The creation of the computer is one of the most significant achievements of mankind in the 20th century, paving the way for the information age. Here is a detailed history of this invention: Early predecessors: 1. 17th century: Blaise Pascal creates a mechanical calculator. 2. 19th century: Charles Babbage develops the concept of an analytical machine. 3. 1890: Herman Hollerith invents the tabulator to process census data. The first electronic computers: 1. 1937-1942: John Atanasoff and Clifford Berry develop the ABC (Atanasoff-Berry Computer). 2. 1943: Colossus is created in the UK to decipher German codes. 3. 1945: ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer) is finalized in the United States. Key figures: Alan Turing: 1. 1936: Publishes On Computable Numbers, introducing the concept of a universal computing machine. 2. 1940s: Participates in the development of the Colossus computer to break German ciphers. 3. Makes fundamental contribut