AT A GLANCE:
A University
of Pennsylvania graduate in electronic engineering, he and John W.
Mauchly developed the first practical electronic digital computer, the
Electronic Numerical Integrator and Calculator (ENIAC) (1942--46); it
weighed several tons and used thousands of valves and resistors. In
1951 an improved version of their computer, the UNIVAC I, became one
of the first commercially sold computers. Eckert had more than 85
patents for his various electronic inventions.
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Inventor: |
J. Presper
Eckert |
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Criteria: |
First practical. Entrepreneur. |
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Birth: |
April 9, 1919 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
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Death: |
June 3, 1995 |
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Nationality: |
American |
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TO
LEARN MORE
RELATED INFORMATION:
Invention of the ENIAC Computer
from The Great Idea Finder
John Mauchly, Inventor Profile
from The Great Idea Finder
History of Computing
from The Great Idea Finder
ON THE BOOKSHELF:
100 Inventions
That Shaped World History
by Bill Yenne, Morton, Dr. Grosser (Editor) / Paperback - 112 pages (1983) / Bluewood Books
This book contains inventions from all around the world from microchips to fire. This is a
really good book if you are going to do research on inventions.
Dream Machine:
Exploring the Computer Age
by Jon Palfreman, Doron Swade / Paperback (October 1993) / Bbc Pubns
The Dream Machine provides a plethora of information to the reader. It gives specific
detials of the
evolution of the computer. Including: many people, companies (IBM, Remington Rand), the
languages of programming, the personal computer and more.
ENIAC: The Triumphs and Tragedies of the World's First Computer
by Scott McCartney / Hardcover - 262 pages / Walker & Co
Eckert and Mauchly later lost the patent on their machine
when it was claimed that another early experimenter, John Atanasoff, had given them all
the ideas about ENIAC that mattered.
American Computer Pioneers
by Mary Northrup / Library Binding - 112 pages (July 1998) / Enslow Publishers,
Inc.
This entry in the Collective Biographies series covers major players in the development of
the computer, from Herman Hollerith, the inventor of punch cards, through the inventors of
ENIAC and UNIVAC, as well as Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Marc Andreessen of Netscape.
ON THE WEB:
The
ENIAC Museum Online
John Mauchly and J. Presper Eckert. From the Birthplace of ENIAC.
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN HISTORY
Transcript of an Interview with J. Presper Eckert at the Smithsonian
Institution.
Invention Dimension - Inventor of the Week
Celebrates inventor/innovator role models through outreach activities
and annual awards to inspire a new generation of American scientists,
engineers, and entrepreneurs.
National Inventors Hall of Fame
Located at Inventure Place, the online home of creative minds.
Computer
History
ENIAC's underlying architecture was very different to that of modern computers.
DID YOU KNOW?:
Recognition for invention is highly prized
among scientists and academic engineers, whose rewards tend to be more
intangible than those of their counterparts in industry.
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