Practice Mode•Instant Explanations & 50:50 Enabled
History Of Computers MCQs
High-yield multiple choice questions asked in previous years (UPSC, SSC CGL, JKSSB, RRB & State PSCs).
High-Yield Concept Capsule & Key Facts
📌 Historical foundations segment across all bank, railway, and state recruitment exams.
Early Calculating Engines & Pioneers of Computing
- • Abacus: Earliest mechanical calculating aid developed in ancient Mesopotamia/China for arithmetic.
- • Pascaline (1642): First mechanical gear-driven calculating machine invented by Blaise Pascal to perform addition and subtraction.
- • Charles Babbage: 'Father of the Computer'; conceived the Difference Engine (1822) to compute polynomial tables and the Analytical Engine (1837) incorporating the fundamental modern computer architecture (Store, Mill, Input/Output).
- • Ada Lovelace: 'First Computer Programmer'; wrote the first algorithm intended to calculate Bernoulli numbers on Babbage's Analytical Engine.
- • Herman Hollerith: Invented punched-card tabulating machine used in the 1890 US Census; founded the Tabulating Machine Company, which later became IBM (International Business Machines).
The Five Generations of Electronic Computers
- • First Generation (1940-1956): Core Electronic Component: Vacuum Tubes (thermionic valves). Memory: Magnetic drums. Language: Machine language. Key machines: ENIAC (first general-purpose electronic computer), EDVAC, UNIVAC I (first commercial computer). Massive power consumption and heat.
- • Second Generation (1956-1963): Core Electronic Component: Transistors (invented in 1947 by Bardeen, Brattain, and Shockley at Bell Labs). Memory: Magnetic core memory. Language: Assembly language and early high-level languages (FORTRAN, COBOL).
- • Third Generation (1964-1971): Core Electronic Component: Integrated Circuits (ICs) developed by Jack Kilby and Robert Noyce. Memory: Magnetic core / early semiconductor. Language: High-level languages (BASIC, Pascal). Operating systems introduced.
- • Fourth Generation (1971-Present): Core Electronic Component: Microprocessors using VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration) and ULSI. Key pioneer: Intel 4004 (first single-chip microprocessor in 1971). Introduction of Personal Computers (Altair, Apple II, IBM PC).
- • Fifth Generation (Present & Beyond): Core Electronic Component: Ultra Large Scale Integration (ULSI), Quantum Computing, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Neural Networks, and Natural Language Processing (NLP).
| Generation | Time Period | Key Switching Device | Primary Programming Language | Hallmark Computer Systems |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Gen | 1940 - 1956 | Vacuum Tubes | Machine Language (0s and 1s) | ENIAC, EDVAC, UNIVAC I, IBM 701 |
| 2nd Gen | 1956 - 1963 | Transistors | Assembly, FORTRAN, COBOL | IBM 1401, CDC 1604, UNIVAC 1107 |
| 3rd Gen | 1964 - 1971 | Integrated Circuits (ICs) | FORTRAN IV, COBOL, BASIC, PASCAL | IBM 360 series, PDP-8, PDP-11 |
| 4th Gen | 1971 - Present | Microprocessor (VLSI / ULSI) | C, C++, Java, Python, SQL | Intel 4004, Apple II, IBM PC |
| 5th Gen | Present & Future | ULSI, AI & Quantum Chips | Natural Language, AI Frameworks | Supercomputers, Quantum Systems |
Showing 15 Practice Questions
Q1IBPS RRB Clerk 2023Easy
Who is universally recognized as the 'Father of the Computer' for designing the Difference Engine and Analytical Engine?
Q2SSC CGL 2023Easy
First-generation electronic computers (1940-1956) relied on which core switching component?
Q3JKSSB Junior Assistant 2021Easy
Who is historically acclaimed as the 'First Computer Programmer' for writing algorithms for Charles Babbage's Analytical Engine?
Sponsored Advertisement
Ad Space • Google AdSense Partner Network
Q4SSC CHSL 2022Easy
The invention of the Transistor in 1947 by Shockley, Bardeen, and Brattain at Bell Labs marked the dawn of which computer generation?
Q5JKSSB FAA 2022Easy
What does the acronym ENIAC stand for in the history of electronic computing?
Q6JKSSB VLW 2023Easy
Integrated Circuits (ICs) combined multiple transistors onto a single silicon chip, defining which generation of computers?
Q7IBPS PO 2022Easy
Which company introduced the world's first commercial single-chip microprocessor, the '4004', in 1971?
Q8SSC CGL Tier-2 2023Medium
Herman Hollerith developed punched card tabulating machines to process which monumental data task?
Q9JKSSB Sub-InspectorMedium
The Stored-Program Architecture concept, where both program instructions and working data reside in the same read-write memory, was formulated by:
Q10UPSC CSATMedium
Which pioneer developed the compiler for the first human-readable programming language and played a pivotal role in creating COBOL?
Q11JKSSB Patwari 2024Easy
What was the first commercially produced and sold general-purpose electronic computer delivered to the US Census Bureau in 1951?
Q12IBPS RRB ClerkEasy
Which generation of computers is characterized by Ultra Large Scale Integration (ULSI), Artificial Intelligence, Neural Networks, and Quantum computing?
Q13JKSSB Assistant CompilerEasy
The mechanical gear-driven calculating machine 'Pascaline', capable of addition and subtraction, was invented in 1642 by:
Q14SSC CGLEasy
The British mathematician who cracked the German Enigma code at Bletchley Park and formulated the theoretical universal computing machine is:
Q15JKSSB Junior AssistantEasy
In 1981, which global technology corporation launched its iconic Model 5150 'Personal Computer' (PC), standardizing open personal computing for the world?
Frequently Asked Questions (History Of Computers)
Q: Why is Charles Babbage universally honored as the 'Father of the Computer'?
Charles Babbage designed the Analytical Engine in 1837, which introduced the foundational conceptual architecture of all modern electronic computers: an arithmetic calculation unit ('the Mill'), storage memory ('the Store'), sequential instruction control, and input/output mechanisms via punched cards.
Q: What was ENIAC and what switching hardware did it use?
ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer), designed by J. Presper Eckert and John Mauchly in 1945 at the University of Pennsylvania, was the world's first general-purpose, programmable electronic digital computer. It utilized over 17,000 vacuum tubes and occupied an entire large room.
Q: What was the world's first single-chip commercial microprocessor?
The Intel 4004, released in 1971 and engineered by Federico Faggin, Ted Hoff, and Stanley Mazor, was the world's first commercial 4-bit central processing unit on a single silicon microchip.
Explore More Computer Awareness & ICT Topics
Ready to test your speed under real exam conditions?
Attempt timed full-length CBT tests with negative marking and percentile analysis.