WorldsFirst.net | Tech & Computing Firsts

Explore the breakthroughs that shaped our digital world — from Early Computing & Machines to Programming & Software to Hardware & Components to Storage & Memory.

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Technology & Computing Milestones That Came First

The first calculator was the abacus in 2400 BCE.

The first mechanical computer? The Antikythera mechanism.

The first programmable machine was by Al-Jazari (1206).

The first computer program was written by Ada Lovelace (1843).

The first algorithm was crafted centuries before by Al-Khwarizmi.

The first punch card computer was Herman Hollerith’s tabulator (1890).

The first digital computer was Atanasoff–Berry (1942).

The first computer bug was an actual moth (1947).

The first binary-based machine was Konrad Zuse’s Z3.

The first transistor-based computer was TRADIC in 1954.

The first software license was issued in 1969.

The first programming language was Fortran (1957).

The first line of code to say “Hello, World!” appeared in C.

first open-source software? IBM’s early releases.

The first software patent was issued in 1966.

The first GUI was created by Xerox PARC (1973).

The first compiler was written by Grace Hopper.

The first coding school? Code.org went global.

The first software virus was Creeper (1971).

The first video game code was written in assembly.

The first hard disk drive was IBM’s RAMAC 305 (1956).

The first RAM was magnetic core memory.

The first mouse was a wooden box (1964).

The first touch screen was invented in 1965.

The first solid-state drive (SSD) came out in 1991.

The first microchip was built by Jack Kilby (1958).

The first mechanical keyboard came from typewriters.

The first flat-screen monitor was developed in Japan (1990s).

The first webcam watched a coffee pot at Cambridge.

The first 3D printer was patented in 1986.

The first floppy disk was 8 inches wide (1971).

The first USB flash drive launched in 2000.

The first CD-ROM held 700 MB — huge for its time!

The first DVD player hit the market in 1996.

The first cloud storage idea appeared in 1960s mainframes.

The first external hard drive was the size of a fridge.

The first SD card arrived in 1999.

The first memory card for phones was MMC.

The first terabyte drive dropped in 2007.

The first tech company was founded in 1888 — NCR.

The first computer company was IBM (1911).

The first tech IPO was Apple in 1980.

The first wearable computer? A poker-cheating shoe rig (1961).

The first personal digital assistant was Apple’s Newton (1993).

The first smart glasses were Google Glass (2013).

The first major tech merger? HP + Compaq.

The first "Silicon Valley" startup boom was in the 1970s.

The first voice assistant software? Dragon NaturallySpeaking.

The first email was sent by Ray Tomlinson (1971).

The first chat room was born on CompuServe.

The first internet cafe opened in London (1994).

The first modem was as big as a suitcase.

The first Wi-Fi router hit homes in 1999.

The first mobile hotspot was a palm-sized miracle.

The first internet meme? The dancing baby (1996).

The first mobile phone call was made in 1973.

The first smartphone was IBM’s Simon (1994).

The first iPhone launched in 2007.

The first Android phone was HTC Dream (2008).

The first selfie camera phone was Sharp J-SH04 (2000).

The first smartwatch was the Seiko Ruputer (1998).

The first tablet computer? Microsoft’s Tablet PC (2001).

The first stylus-driven PDA was Palm Pilot.

The first flip phone? Motorola StarTAC.

The first facial recognition phone was Samsung Galaxy S8.

The first robot citizen was Sophia (2017).

The first self-driving car prototype was from Mercedes (1980s).

The first home robot vacuum was Roomba (2002).

The first drone delivery was in 2016.

The first AI-generated artwork sold for $432,500.

The first AI-written novel? The Day a Computer Writes a Novel.

The first bionic limb controlled by thoughts was in 2014.

The first AI to beat a Go master was AlphaGo (2016).

The first computer virus was a test — Creeper.

The first antivirus software was Reaper.

The first major data breach hit AOL in the '90s.

The first CAPTCHA was deployed in 2000.

The first ransomware attack happened in 1989.

The first digital fingerprint login? Toshiba in 2004.

The first hacker group? The 414s in the 1980s.

The first tech whistleblower was Edward Snowden.

The first blockchain was the Bitcoin ledger (2009).

The first password manager? RoboForm in 1999.

The first social network was SixDegrees.com (1997).

The first virtual classroom was built by MIT.

The first tech billionaire? Bill Gates.

The first “tech influencer” was Steve Jobs.

The first virtual assistant in pop culture? HAL 9000.

The first TikTok viral AI trend? Face morphing filter.

The first online coding bootcamp was Codecademy.

The first global coding challenge was Google Code Jam.

The first quantum computer was built by IBM.

The first AI chatbot was ELIZA (1966).



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