The abacus - invented by the Chinese between 2500 and 3000 B.C., is a simple calculation tool with parallel wires and sliding beads. The position of the beads represents numbers, allowing basic arithmetic operations like addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. 

The Pascaline - invented in 1642 by French mathematician Blaise Pascal at age 19, was a mechanical calculator for addition and subtraction. It used toothed wheels and gears, where each gear had 10 teeth. A full rotation moved the next gear, allowing calculations from units to tens, hundreds, and thousands. 

Leibniz's calculating machine - created in 1671 by German mathematician Gottfried Leibniz, was an improved version of the Pascaline. It could perform all four arithmetic operations—addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division—using successive calculations. 

Babbage's Difference Engine (1823) - was a programmable calculating machine designed for addition and subtraction using finite differences, enabling logarithmic and trigonometric calculations.

Babbage's Analytical Engine (1834) - introduced a programmable system for various calculations. Though never completed, it was a precursor to modern computers. Ada Lovelace, considered the first programmer, developed its programming.

Hollerith's Tabulating Machine (1889) - was an electromechanical device that counted, classified, and organized data stored on punched cards. These cards could hold programs or information. The machine won a contest in 1888 to process the 1890 U.S. census and later became widely used worldwide. 

John von Neumann and His Contributions

John von Neumann (1903–1957) developed the von Neumann architecture, where memory stores both data and instructions, enabling sequential execution.

ENIAC - built between 1943 and 1946, used 18,000 vacuum tubes and 1,500 relays. It weighed 30 tons and consumed a lot of energy, requiring a large space and cooling system to manage the heat. 

John von Neumann contributed to the EDVAC, improving stored-program computing. His model, with a control unit, memory, input/output, and arithmetic logic unit (ALU), became the foundation of modern computers.

Gordon Moore and His Contributions

Gordon Moore (1929–2023) was a co-founder of Intel and the creator of Moore's Law, which predicted that the number of transistors on a chip would double approximately every two years, increasing computing power. His insights drove advancements in semiconductor technology, shaping the modern computing era.

The First Microprocessor (Intel 4004 - 1971)

In 1971, Intel introduced the Intel 4004, the first commercial microprocessor. This small chip allowed computers to become more powerful and compact. The project was led by Federico Faggin, an important figure in microprocessor development.

The Creation of UNIX (1970s)

In the early 1970s, Ken Thompson and Dennis Ritchie at Bell Labs created UNIX, a powerful and flexible operating system. UNIX became the foundation for modern systems like Linux and macOS.

Microsoft and Apple (1975-1976)

In 1975, Bill Gates and Paul Allen founded Microsoft, developing software for personal computers. A year later, in 1976, Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne founded Apple, introducing user-friendly personal computers.

The Beginning of the Internet (ARPANET - 1969, WWW - 1990)

The Internet started in 1969 as a military project called ARPANET. In 1990, Tim Berners-Lee created the World Wide Web (WWW), allowing people to browse and create websites.

The IBM PC and the Personal Computer Revolution (1981)

In 1981, IBM launched the IBM PC, making computers more accessible. It used the MS-DOS operating system, developed by Microsoft, helping PCs become widely used.

Open Source and Linux (1991)

In 1991, Linus Torvalds created Linux, an open-source operating system. Today, Linux runs on servers, supercomputers, and even smartphones (Android).

Artificial Intelligence and Deep Learning (2010s - Present)

Recent advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI) have transformed technology. AI systems like AlphaGo and ChatGPT use deep learning to perform complex tasks, shaping the future of computing.