Computers have been around for decades. The first ones used to take up a whole room. These devices are here to stay to help us with different aspects of life. Here are 6 interesting facts about the history of the computer.
Computers Were Originally Designed to Crunch Numbers
The U.S. had an explosive population growth in the 1880s. It took nearly 7 years to complete the census results. However, the room-sized punch-card-based computers helped the government do things a bit more efficiently.
The First Electronic Computer Was Built in 1937
Clifford Berry and Dr. John worked on the first computer. The unit was called the ABC but the first computer title was the Colossus. The first generation of computers weighed 39 tons! You need a whole squad to carry this out.
The First Web Browser Was Called “WorldWideWeb”
It was invented by Sir Tim Berners-Lee. It was renamed “Nexus” at a later date.
The First Computer Mouse Was Wooden
Douglas Engelbert was the first man to invent a computer mouse in 1964. He originally referred to it as “X-Y Position Indicator for a Display System.” However, when he looked at the device and saw how the cord came out the back, it reminded him of a mouse. The rest is history.
It Was Tough Sending the Word “Login” on the Original Internet
In 1969, a University Progress in Los Angeles tried to send another professor at the University of San Francisco the message “login” and the internet collapsed. They had to shorten it to “lo”. However, the programmers were able to transmit the entire word about an hour later. That’s crazy, right?
Most of the World’s Currency Exists on Computers
Apparently, about 10% of the world’s currency is in physical money. This isn’t too surprising with credit card transactions, mobile transactions, and now cryptocurrency getting its fair share of the action.