To become a successful programmer, we should not only understand the design principles of different programming languages but also learn about the history of programming to predict future trends. Here are eight lesser-known facts from the history of computing!
01
The first computer was steam-powered
Charles Babbage, recognized as the father of programming, invented one of the world’s first computers, called the Analytical Engine. It was larger than a house, powered by six steam engines, and used punch cards for programming. The Analytical Engine had four main components: the mill (equivalent to the modern CPU), the store (equivalent to modern memory and storage), the reader (input mechanism), and the printer (output mechanism).
02
The original purpose of computer viruses was not to cause harm
The first computer virus was designed by security expert Fred Cohen to demonstrate the feasibility of computer infections. He never intended for it to cause any harm. However, this program could infect computers and spread via floppy disks, earning the name “virus.” Later, he developed an active computer virus to help users find uninfected executable files.
03
The first programmer was a woman
A surprising fact is that the first programmer in history was a woman named Ada Lovelace. In 1843, this British mathematician translated an article on the Analytical Engine by Italian engineer Luigi Menabrea. During the translation, she annotated her understanding, accelerating the development of computer programming. She also designed the first algorithm for computing Bernoulli numbers using the Analytical Engine, which is considered the first computer program.
04
The first digital computer game never made a profit
While video games are now a major programming achievement, the first digital computer game was a commercial failure. Created in 1962 by MIT programmer Steve Russell and his team, the game “Spacewar!” took nearly 200 hours to develop. It allowed two players to control spaceships and try to destroy each other while avoiding small white dots representing planets. Despite its failure to generate profit, it paved the way for today’s booming video game industry.
05
The most widely used image in image processing algorithms comes from Playboy magazine
For 40 years, an image known affectionately by programmers as Lena has been a standard test image for image processing algorithms. Most people do not know that it comes from the November 1972 issue of Playboy magazine.
06
The SHA-1 value used in Git ensures file integrity
Linus Torvalds, the creator of the Linux kernel and Git, said that Git uses SHA-1 not for security but for data integrity. It ensures that when you check out a commit years later, it is exactly as it was, fully trustworthy.
07
The term “bug” in programming originated from a real bug
The term “bug” for a technical error was first coined by Thomas Edison in 1878 but did not become popular until later. Admiral Grace Hopper noted a bug in her logbook in the Mark II computer, which was an actual moth causing a malfunction by being trapped in a relay. This incident led to the widespread use of the term “bug.”
08
The diverse world of computer programming languages
If we consider the world of computer programming as a country, it would have the most diverse range of languages. Currently, there are 698 known programming languages, far surpassing the linguistic diversity of any country.
Moreover, programmers should understand the evolution of programming technologies and the contributions of key innovators. Historical knowledge can inspire passion for the field, motivating individuals to engage more deeply in their work.
Source: 良月柒 via Juejin
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