How to use this page
Each section gives the answer first, then explains why that answer matters in the larger history of computer science.
First machine algorithm
Who was the first person to create a machine algorithm, also known as a computer program? In what year?
Ada Lovelace in 1843.
Ada Lovelace wrote the first machine algorithm for Charles Babbage’s machine.
She understood that a machine could follow a sequence of instructions, not just do one calculation. That idea became the starting point for computer programming.
First programming language
Who created what is known as the first programming language for computers? What was the program called?
Konrad Zuse created it in the early 1940s, and it was called Plankalkul.
Plankalkul is considered the first true programming language for computers.
It allowed engineers to store code and use instructions for repeated tasks, which made computer work more organized and much more efficient.
Assembly Language
What did the creation of Assembly Language do?
Assembly Language simplified the instructions used to make a computer function.
Before easier languages existed, programming a computer was much closer to writing in raw machine level instructions.
Assembly made it easier for humans to tell the computer what to do without writing everything directly in machine code. It helped bridge the gap between people and the hardware.
Oldest language still in use
What is the oldest programming language that is said to still be in use today? When was it created?
FORTRAN, created in 1957.
FORTRAN was created by John Backus in 1957.
Even though it is very old, it is still used for scientific, mathematical, and supercomputer work. That shows how powerful a well designed language can be.
Python
When was Python invented? Name one company that uses this language.
Python was invented in 1991. One company that uses it is Google.
Python was developed by Guido van Rossum in 1991.
Python is high level, readable, and flexible, so it became one of the most popular languages in the world. The article also says Spotify uses Python, so that would be another correct company example.
21st century language
Name one programming language developed in the 21st Century and the year it was invented.
Swift, 2014.
Swift was developed by Apple in 2014.
It was designed to be easier and more versatile for building apps. It also shows that programming languages keep changing as technology changes.
Other acceptable answers for question 6
These would also be correct examples of languages developed in the 21st century.