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Charles Babbage: Father of Computer (1791 - 1871)

Born December 26, 1791 in Teignmouth, Devonshire UK.
Died 1871, London.

Known to some as the "Father of Computing" for his contributions to the basic design of the computer through his Analytical machine. His previous Difference Engine was a special purpose device intended for the production of tables.

While he did produce prototypes of portions of the Difference Engine, it was left to Georg and Edvard Schuetz to construct the first working devices to the same design which were successful in limited applications.

Significant Events in His Life:

1791: Born.
1810: Entered Trinity College, Cambridge;
1814: graduated Peterhouse;
1817 received MA from Cambridge;
1820: founded the Analytical Society with Herschel and Peacock;
1823: started work on the Difference Engine through funding from the British Government;
1827: published a table of logarithms from 1 to 108000;
1828: appointed to the Lucasian Chair of Mathematics at Cambridge (never presented a lecture);
1831: founded the British Association for the Advancement of Science;
1832: published "Economy of Manufactures and Machinery"; 1833: began work on the Analytical Engine;
1834: founded the Statistical Society of London;
1864: published Passages from the Life of a Philosopher; 1871: Died.

Ada Byron

Ada Byron: First Programmer (1815 - 1851)

Ada Byron, Lady Lovelace, was one of the most interesting characters in computer history. Augusta Ada Byron was born December 10, 1815, the daughter of the famed and scandalous poet, Lord Byron. Shortly after Ada's birth her parents separated. Lady Byron was awarded sole custody of her daughter.

Lady Byron was an amateur mathematician. She hoped that Ada would ignore any poetical inclinations she may have inherited from her father. At the age of 17, Ada was introduced to Mary Somerville, a mathematician. Mrs. Somerville encouraged Ada in her mathematical studies. It was at one of Somerville's dinner parties in November of 1834 that Ada heard about Charles Babbage's ideas for a new calculating engine, the Analytical Engine.

Babbage worked on plans for this new engine and reported on the developments at a seminar in Italy during the fall of 1841. An article written in French by someone attending the seminar was published about Babbage's development. Ada translated the article into english and showed it to Babbage. He suggested that she add her own notes.
When she did, the article was three times the length of the original. In her article, published in 1843, Ada, now Lady Lovelace, included her predictions that such a machine might be used for both practical and scientific use.
She was correct.

William Gates: Chairman and CEO of Microsoft Corp.
(1955 - )

William (Bill) H. Gates is chairman and chief executive officer of Microsoft Corporation, the leading provider, worldwide, of software for the personal computer. Microsoft had revenues of $14.4 billion for the fiscal year ending June 1998, and employs more than 27,000 people in 60 countries.

In his junior year, Gates dropped out of Harvard to devote his energies to Microsoft, a company he had begun in 1975 with Paul Allen. Guided by a belief that the personal computer would be a valuable tool on every office desktop and in every home, they began developing software for personal computers.

<<Interesting Facts
	Charles Babbage: Father of Computer (1791 - 1871) Born December 26, 1791 in Teignmouth, Devonshire UK. Died 1871, London. Known to some as the "Father of Computing" for his contributions to the basic design of the computer through his Analytical machine. His previous Difference Engine was a special purpose device intended for the production of tables. While he did produce prototypes of portions of the Difference Engine, it was left to Georg and Edvard Schuetz to construct the first working devices to the same design which were successful in limited applications. Charles Babbage Significant Events in His Life: 1791: Born. 1810: Entered Trinity College, Cambridge; 1814: graduated Peterhouse; 1817 received MA from Cambridge; 1820: founded the Analytical Society with Herschel and Peacock; 1823: started work on the Difference Engine through funding from the British Government; 1827: published a table of logarithms from 1 to 108000; 1828: appointed to the Lucasian Chair of Mathematics at Cambridge (never presented a lecture); 1831: founded the British Association for the Advancement of Science; 1832: published "Economy of Manufactures and Machinery"; 1833: began work on the Analytical Engine; 1834: founded the Statistical Society of London; 1864: published Passages from the Life of a Philosopher; 1871: Died. Ada Byron Ada Byron: First Programmer (1815 - 1851) Ada Byron, Lady Lovelace, was one of the most interesting characters in computer history. Augusta Ada Byron was born December 10, 1815, the daughter of the famed and scandalous poet, Lord Byron. Shortly after Ada's birth her parents separated. Lady Byron was awarded sole custody of her daughter. Lady Byron was an amateur mathematician. She hoped that Ada would ignore any poetical inclinations she may have inherited from her father. At the age of 17, Ada was introduced to Mary Somerville, a mathematician. Mrs. Somerville encouraged Ada in her mathematical studies. It was at one of Somerville's dinner parties in November of 1834 that Ada heard about Charles Babbage's ideas for a new calculating engine, the Analytical Engine. Babbage worked on plans for this new engine and reported on the developments at a seminar in Italy during the fall of 1841. An article written in French by someone attending the seminar was published about Babbage's development. Ada translated the article into english and showed it to Babbage. He suggested that she add her own notes. When she did, the article was three times the length of the original. In her article, published in 1843, Ada, now Lady Lovelace, included her predictions that such a machine might be used for both practical and scientific use. She was correct. William Gates: Chairman and CEO of Microsoft Corp. (1955 - ) William (Bill) H. Gates is chairman and chief executive officer of Microsoft Corporation, the leading provider, worldwide, of software for the personal computer. Microsoft had revenues of $14.4 billion for the fiscal year ending June 1998, and employs more than 27,000 people in 60 countries. In his junior year, Gates dropped out of Harvard to devote his energies to Microsoft, a company he had begun in 1975 with Paul Allen. Guided by a belief that the personal computer would be a valuable tool on every office desktop and in every home, they began developing software for personal computers. Homepage : Services : Hardware : Links : Tutorials Useful Facts : Web Site Design : Database Design Terms : Keyboard Shortcuts Page : Map : Contact Us