Howard Aiken: The Harvard Scientist Who Built the World’s First Programmable Computer
Howard Aiken: The Harvard Scientist Who Built the World’s First Programmable Computer Do you know who was the mastermind behind the first programmable computer in the 1940s? Meet Howard Aiken, the mathematical genius who worked for Harvard University and blazed a trail for computer innovation and engineering. At the start of the 20th-century, Aiken was born in Indiana and raised in St. Joseph, Missouri. Growing up, he was an exceptional student who always stood out both academically and socially with his unusual level of intelligence. After eventualy graduating school, Aiken pursued his interest in mathematics and went on to attend the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where he obtained a degree in chemical engineering. Following his undergraduate studies, Aiken moved to Harvard to obtain a Master's degree, a reward that solidified his opportunity to work in the laboratories of the prestigious school. As a Ph.D. student in the early 1930s, Aiken's work focused on the numerical...