History and Generation of Computers MCQ Set 1 - 21 MCQ Practice
Who is known as the "Father of Computers"?
Charles Babbage designed the Difference Engine and the Analytical Engine, which laid the architectural foundations for modern programmable computers.
Which was the first mechanical calculating device invented by man?
The abacus, invented thousands of years ago, is considered the earliest mechanical calculating device used for basic arithmetic.
The Analytical Engine developed during 19th century by Charles Babbage was a/an ________ machine.
The Analytical Engine was designed as a fully mechanical, general-purpose computer powered by steam and constructed from gears and shafts.
Who is considered as the world's first programmer for writing an algorithm for Babbage's Analytical Engine?
Ada Lovelace wrote the first algorithm intended to be executed by Babbage's Analytical Engine, earning her recognition as the world's first programmer.
Which device used punched cards for the first time to control a weaving loom pattern, later inspiring computer data storage?
The Jacquard Loom used punched wooden cards to automate weaving patterns, introducing a concept that later inspired binary computer data storage.
Tabulating Machine Company, founded by Herman Hollerith in 1896 to process census data, later became which famous company?
Herman Hollerith's Tabulating Machine Company merged with other firms to form CTR, which was later renamed International Business Machines (IBM) in 1924.
Pascaline, the mechanical adding machine, was invented by Blaise Pascal in which century?
Blaise Pascal invented the Pascaline in 1642, which falls within the 17th century, to assist with tax calculations.
Which calculating device used a set of numbered rods for performing multiplication and division?
Napier's Bones, invented by John Napier, is a manual calculating device consisting of numbered rods used for arithmetic operations.
The first electronic general-purpose digital computer was named:
ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer) was the first programmable, electronic, general-purpose digital computer, completed in 1945.
ENIAC stands for:
ENIAC stands for Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer, developed by J. Presper Eckert and John Mauchly.
Which primary electronic component was used in the First Generation computers?
First-generation computers (roughly 1940-1956) relied on vacuum tubes for electronic circuitry.
What was the main memory/storage technology used in most First Generation computers?
Magnetic drums were the primary internal memory and storage technology utilized in first-generation computer systems.
Which language was directly understood by First Generation computers without any translation?
First-generation computers were programmed entirely in machine language (binary code), which the hardware executes directly.
The first commercial computer produced in the United States, delivered to the Census Bureau in 1951, was:
UNIVAC I (Universal Automatic Computer I) was the first commercial digital computer produced in the US, designed by the creators of ENIAC.
UNIVAC stands for:
UNIVAC stands for Universal Automatic Computer, marking the transition of electronic systems into business applications.
Which computer architecture introduced the concept of "Stored Program" where data and instructions are stored in the same memory?
Von Neumann architecture established the stored-program computer model, where instructions and data share a unified memory space.
The first computer that used the stored-program concept by implementing mercury delay lines for memory was:
EDSAC (Electronic Delay Storage Automatic Calculator), built in Cambridge, was the first practical stored-program computer to become fully operational.
EDSAC stands for:
EDSAC stands for Electronic Delay Storage Automatic Calculator, developed by Maurice Wilkes and his team in 1949.
Which invention replaced vacuum tubes and marked the beginning of the Second Generation of computers?
The invention of the transistor replaced fragile, power-hungry vacuum tubes, enabling smaller, faster, and more efficient second-generation computers.
Transistors were invented in 1947 at Bell Labs by John Bardeen, Walter Brattain, and:
The transistor was co-invented at Bell Labs by John Bardeen, Walter Brattain, and William Shockley, earning them the Nobel Prize.
High-level programming languages like FORTRAN and COBOL were first introduced during which computer generation?
High-level programming languages were introduced during the second generation to simplify coding compared to assembly or machine languages.