A history of calculation from ancient times to the modern era.
Ancient Times: The abacus emerges as a crucial tool for arithmetic, widely used across cultures for basic calculations.
Circa 1600: John Napier introduces a device inspired by the Arabian lattice method, streamlining the process of multiplication.
1620: A precursor to the modern slide rule for multiplication and division is developed by William Gunter.
1622: William Oughtred creates the circular slide rule, which would evolve into a more familiar rectilinear version by 1633.
1623: Wilhelm Schickard builds the first mechanical calculator capable of addition and subtraction.
1642: Blaise Pascal creates the Pascaline, a mechanical device that facilitates addition and subtraction, though it fails to sell.
1673: Gottfried Leibniz builds his Stepped Reckoner, which performs all four basic arithmetic operations but has mechanical difficulties that make it unreliable.
1820: The Arithmometer is born, thanks to Charles Xavier Thomas.
1851: Victor Schilt impresses the audience at the Crystal Palace Exposition by showcasing a key-operated adding machine.
1853: The first printing calculator is completed, known as the Scheutz Difference Engine.
1874: W.T. Odhner of Sweden develops the pin-wheel calculator, paving the way for more advanced mechanical calculation machines.
1875: Frank Baldwin patents his own design for a pin-wheel calculator in America.
1878: Raymond Verea builds the first direct multiplication machine.
1884: Dorr E. Felt, an American inventor, creates the first commercially successful key-operated adding machine, known as the Comptometer.
1891: William S. Burroughs begins producing his own printing adding machine, contributing significantly to the mechanical calculator market.
1893: The Millionaire calculator, known for its ability to perform direct multiplication in fewer steps compared to its predecessors, is unveiled.
1902: The Dalton adding machine is the first to use a 10-key keyboard, a major innovation that simplifies data entry and makes calculations more efficient.
1948: The hand-held Curta mechanical calculator is introduced, representing a major step forward in personal calculation technology.
1961: The emergence of electronic desktop calculators using vacuum tubes marks the beginning of a new era in calculation, despite their bulkiness.
1962: Philips showcases an early prototype of a transistor-based calculator, underscoring the shift toward smaller and more efficient electronic devices.
1963: The first commercially available desktop calculators with transistors hit the market, but their prices are very high.
1965: Texas Instruments begins working on creating a handheld electronic calculator called the Cal-Tech.
1969: Sharp introduces the QT-8B, the first battery-powered, handheld calculator.
1970: Compact models like the Sharp EL-8 and Canon Pocketronic emerge, making calculators much easier to carry around, although they still carry a high price tag.
1971: The Busicom 141-PF desk calculator becomes the first calculator to feature a microprocessor, the Intel 4004. This groundbreaking innovation allows the calculator to perform complex functions more efficiently, making it smaller, faster, and more powerful than its predecessors.
1972: Hewlett-Packard releases the HP35, the first pocket-size scientific calculator. Many other companies soon enter the market, leading to price reductions and faster technological advances.
1973: Sharp introduces calculators equipped with reflective LCD (liquid crystal display) technology, which greatly enhances both battery life and display clarity.
1974: Texas Instruments receives a patent for its miniature electronic calculator, based on the Cal-Tech design from 1965.
1975: Mechanical calculators are almost entirely phased out as electronic calculators become cheap and widely available. The Casio pocket-LC introduces the twisted nematic LCD, which would become the standard for calculator displays.
1978: The first solar-powered calculators, such as the Teal Photon, and credit-card-sized models, like the Casio Mini Card LC-78, enter the market.
1980: The Sharp PC1211 becomes the first hand-held computer in the world. It features a QWERTY keyboard and has the ability to run code written in BASIC.
