Reference articles on history, science, culture and more
Surprise meSurprise meSubscribe
Encyclopedia

Timeline of computing

Wikipedia contributorsAdapted for Fathomly · View authors
1 min read
Source updated September 10, 2026
Image credit is listed at the end of this article.

Timeline of computing presents events in the history of computing organized by year and grouped into six topic areas: predictions and concepts, first use and inventions, hardware systems and processors, operating systems, programming languages, and new application areas.

Detailed computing timelines: before 1950, 1950-1979, 1980-1989, 1990-1999, 2000-2009, 2010-2019, 2020-present

01Resources

Watch videos about Timeline of computingExplainers and documentaries on YouTube (opens in a new tab)

Sources and credits

This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Timeline of computing”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.

Images, from Wikimedia Commons:

Fathomly is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Wikimedia Foundation. Spotted a problem? Tell us.

Continue exploring

Related topics

History of compiler construction

In computing, a compiler is a computer program that transforms source code written in a programming language or computer language, into another computer language (the target language, often having a binary form known as object code or machine code). The most common reason for transforming source code is to create an executable program.

History of computing hardware

The history of computing hardware spans developments from early devices used for simple calculations to today's complex computers, encompassing advances in both analog and digital technology. The first aids to computation were purely mechanical devices which required the operator to set up the initial values of an elementary arithmetic operation, then manipulate the device to obtain the result.

History of computing hardware (1960s-present)

The history of computing hardware starting at 1960 is marked by the conversion from vacuum tube to solid-state devices such as transistors and then integrated circuit chips. Around 1953 to 1959, discrete transistors started being considered sufficiently reliable and economical that they made further vacuum tube computers uncompetitive.