Lesson 2: The First Generation of Computers (1G)

In the 1940s, electromechanical computer features such as storage wheels and electrical switches were invented. With the invention of vacuum tubes, controlling the flow of electricity within these features became possible. This combination enabled a rapid growth in devices such as computers, televisions, and radios.

After Turing returned to England in 1946, he was hired into Bletchley Park, a top-secret operation commissioned by the Allied Powers to defeat the Nazis in the later years of World War 2. It was at Bletchley Park that we saw the first electronic, programmable digital computer, Colossus. Colossus was created by Turing and his colleagues using electromechanical devices called "bombes". These devices were instrumental in decoding and interpreting "Enigma", a German naval communications code. Scientists estimate that this advance in technology saved 14 million lives and shortened the war by two years!

Then came ENIAC, the first general-purpose computer. Both Colossus and ENIAC were programmed by controlling switches and plugging and unplugging cables. Along with others, these machines were the first generation (1G) of computers.