Invention of computers

During the 1930s and 1940s, ideas of many scientists and engineers led to its invention. There was not only one inventor. Before 1900s, there were scientists raising the idea of building a machine that could cope with general problems.

In 1938, a German mathematician, Konrad Zuse, invented Z1. Many historians believe that it was the first computer. Z1 then led to the invention of Z2 and Z3. the last was only the world's first programmable calculator. The work done by Zuse was then interrupted by the World War two.

In America, Howard Aitkins and his team at Harvard University, completed Mark 1 in 1943. It could perform basic mathematical functions. This invention occurred during a very important era for computer development. During this war, Britain wanted to develop a computing machine that would break the secret codes used by the Nazis. Some of the country’s most brilliant mathematicians were based at Bletchley Park, including the outstanding Alan Turing. Even before the war, Turing had attempted to develop a machine capable of performing all the operations of mathematics. Such a machine would have been able to crack even the most difficult of secret codes.

By December 1943, a new device was invented at Bletchley Park called "Colossus". It was not a true computer but it did show that machines could do a lot more than handle numerical problems. By today, computers are getting more advanced and is much more complicated. Without the help of scientists and their inventions, we would not be able to communicate so easily but a different way.