Charles Babbage was born on December 26, 1791, in London, England, and died on October 18, 1871.¹⁾

From a young age, Babbage displayed a remarkable aptitude for mathematics.²⁾

He attended Trinity College, Cambridge, and later moved to Peterhouse, Cambridge.³⁾

Babbage co-founded the Analytical Society at Cambridge, promoting the use of Leibnizian calculus over Newtonian methods.⁴⁾

Babbage is best known for designing the Difference Engine, an early mechanical calculator intended to compute polynomial functions.⁵⁾

His most revolutionary invention was the Analytical Engine, considered the first general-purpose computer.⁶⁾

Ada Lovelace, a mathematician and writer, wrote the first algorithm intended for implementation on Babbage's Analytical Engine, earning her the title of the first computer programmer.⁷⁾

The Analytical Engine had a concept of programming through punched cards, inspired by the Jacquard loom.⁸⁾

Babbage’s design for the Analytical Engine included an arithmetic logic unit, control flow via conditional branching and loops, and memory.⁹⁾

His ideas laid the foundation for modern computing, even though the Analytical Engine was never completed in his lifetime.¹⁰⁾

Babbage wrote about the impact of machinery on the economy in his book “On the Economy of Machinery and Manufactures.”¹¹⁾

He made significant contributions to the field of cryptanalysis, including breaking the Vigenère cipher.¹²⁾

Babbage was a founding member of the Astronomical Society of London, which later became the Royal Astronomical Society.¹³⁾

He invented an early prototype of the modern mechanical calculator.¹⁴⁾

His fascination with machinery extended beyond computing; he designed various mechanical devices, including a dynamometer car.¹⁵⁾