AT A GLANCE:
After
graduating from Johns Hopkins University, John W. Mauchly then joined John P. Eckert
at the University of Pennsylvania in the development of ENIAC, the
first practical electronic digital computer. Their improved version,
UNIVAC I, was acquired for use by the U.S. Census Bureau in 1951.
These early Eckert-Mauchly machines helped launch the computer
revolution of the second half of the 20th century.
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Inventor: |
John
William Mauchly |
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Criteria: |
First practical.
Modern prototype. Entrepreneur. |
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Birth: |
August 30, 1907 in Cincinnati, Ohio |
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Death: |
January 8, 1980
in Ambler, Pennsylvania |
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Nationality: |
American
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TO
LEARN MORE
RELATED INFORMATION:
Invention of the ENIAC Computer
from The Great Idea Finder
J. Presper Eckert Biography
from The Great Idea Finder
History of Computing
from The Great Idea Finder
ON THE BOOKSHELF:
100 Inventions
That Shaped World History
by Bill Yenne, Morton, Dr. Grosser (Editor) / Paperback - 112 pages (1983) / Bluewood Books
This book contains inventions from all around the world from microchips to fire. This is a
really good book if you are going to do research on inventions.
Dream Machine:
Exploring the Computer Age
by Jon Palfreman, Doron Swade / Paperback (October 1993) / Bbc Pubns
The Dream Machine provides a plethora of information to the reader. It gives specific
detials of the
evolution of the computer. Including: many people, companies (IBM, Remington Rand), the
languages of programming, the personal computer and more.
ENIAC: The Triumphs and Tragedies of the World's First Computer
by Scott McCartney / Hardcover - 262 pages / Walker & Co
Eckert and Mauchly later lost the patent on their machine
when it was claimed that another early experimenter, John Atanasoff, had given them all
the ideas about ENIAC that mattered.
American Computer Pioneers
by Mary Northrup / Library Binding - 112 pages (July 1998) / Enslow Publishers,
Inc.
This entry in the Collective Biographies series covers major players in the development of
the computer, from Herman Hollerith, the inventor of punch cards, through the inventors of
ENIAC and UNIVAC, as well as Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Marc Andreessen of Netscape.
ON THE WEB:
The
ENIAC Museum Online
John Mauchly and J. Presper Eckert. From the Birthplace of ENIAC.
Invention Dimension - Inventor of the Week
Celebrates inventor/innovator role models through outreach activities
and annual awards to inspire a new generation of American scientists,
engineers, and entrepreneurs.
National Inventors Hall of Fame
Located at Inventure Place, the online home of creative minds.
Computer
History
ENIAC's underlying architecture was very different to that of modern computers.
The ABC Computer
The contributions of an Iowa State College professor, John V. Atanasoff, who
had designed and built an electronic computing device between 1937 and 1942
with the assistance of his graduate student, Clifford Berry. While there are
some doubts as to whether the Atanasoff-Berry Computer (ABC) was ever fully
operational, Mauchly visited Atanasoff during the summer of 1941 and had a
close look at the machine. There is actually little doubt that Mauchly was
inspired by Atanasoff's work. In 1941 Atanasoff knew more about basic
elements of electronic computation than Mauchly and openly shared this
knowledge.
DID YOU KNOW:
- Recognition for invention is highly prized
among scientists and academic engineers, whose rewards tend to be more
intangible than those of their counterparts in industry.
- Patent Number 2,577,141 issued for ENIAC
computer
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