THE HISTORY OF COMPUTERS
Directions:
1. Open a blank document in Smart Notebook 11 by double clicking the
SMART Notebook 11 icon on your desktop.
2. Once in Smart Notebook 11, click the picture frame button (2nd button on the left):
3. Click Lesson Activity Toolkit 2.0 and select Interactive and Multimedia.
4. Scroll down until you see Blue-Time line Reveal. Double click to open, or click and
drag onto the white space.
5. When the time line is opened, click Edit and change the number of dates to 10.
6. Title and save the page in your CTE/Unit 2 folder: “The History of Computers.”
7. Create a timeline using the dates and information below.
1000bc-500bc: the abacus was invented. A series of beads on columns of wires used to do
math problems. It can be used to add, subtract, multiply and divide.
1621: the invention of a slide ruler allowed mathematicians to do basic math operations.
1801: machines were invented which used punch cards. The US government used this same type
of punch card machine to keep track of the population count in the United States.
1822: Charles Babbage: known as the “father of computers”, is credited with developing the
first mechanical computer.
1940’s: the dawn of the digital computer. Electronic circuits, relays and tubes were replacing
the slower computers.
1946: ENIAC (electronic numerical integrator and computer): this was the first all-electric
computer.
World War II: the British built Colossus which was totally electronic. This computer was
used to break codes used by the Nazis.
1947/48: Transistors were created to replace the use of vacuum tubes. They controlled the flow
of electricity in and out of the computer.
1951: UNIVAC Computer: First commercial computer.
1953: International Business Machines (IBM): IBM enters the “history of computers”.
1958: Integrated circuits were invented, otherwise known as the “chip.”
1962: The first computer game was created: Space Wars.
1971: The first microprocessor was created.
1974/75: The first home computer was used.
1976: Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs invent the Apple 1 computer.
1983: The first home computer with GUI (graphical user interface) is used: GUI made using a
computer easier by having icons, windows, and menus that could be controlled by using a
mouse.
1985: Bill Gates/Microsoft launch the first real version of Microsoft Windows.
Due at the end of class period on Thursday, October 2nd.
_________/25 points
________/10 points extra credit: Insert at least 5 images into your time line.