{"id":1952,"date":"2026-10-13T07:42:07","date_gmt":"2026-10-13T02:12:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tiwaripedia.com\/?p=1952"},"modified":"2026-10-13T07:42:07","modified_gmt":"2026-10-13T02:12:07","slug":"incredible-facts-about-computers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tiwaripedia.com\/index.php\/2026\/10\/13\/incredible-facts-about-computers\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Incredible Facts About Computers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last updated: October 2026 \u00b7 3 min read<\/em><\/p>\n

Computers have shrunk from room-sized machines to chips smaller than a fingernail. Their history is full of surprises. Here are 10 incredible facts about computers.<\/p>\n

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10 Incredible Facts About Computers \u2013 infographic by Tiwaripedia<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

10 incredible facts about computers<\/h2>\n

1. “Computer” was once a job<\/h3>\n

Before machines, a “computer” was a person who performed calculations by hand, often for astronomy, engineering or navigation.<\/p>\n

2. The idea dates back to the 1830s<\/h3>\n

Charles Babbage designed the Analytical Engine, a mechanical general-purpose computer, and Ada Lovelace wrote what is considered the first computer algorithm for it.<\/p>\n

3. Early computers were enormous<\/h3>\n

ENIAC, completed in 1945, weighed about 27 tonnes, filled a large room and used around 18,000 vacuum tubes.<\/p>\n

4. The first “bug” was a real insect<\/h3>\n

In 1947, engineers working on the Harvard Mark II found a moth stuck in a relay and taped it into their logbook as the “first actual case of bug being found”.<\/p>\n

5. India built its first computer in 1960<\/h3>\n

TIFRAC, developed at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in Mumbai, became operational in 1960 as India’s first indigenous computer.<\/p>\n

6. India built a supercomputer in 1991<\/h3>\n

C-DAC unveiled PARAM 8000 in 1991, India’s first supercomputer, after the country was denied access to imported supercomputers.<\/p>\n

7. The first mouse was made of wood<\/h3>\n

Douglas Engelbart and his team built the first computer mouse in the 1960s using a wooden shell and two metal wheels.<\/p>\n

8. Keyboards are arranged for old typewriters<\/h3>\n

The QWERTY layout was designed for typewriters in the 1870s and has stayed with us ever since.<\/p>\n

9. Computers think in 0s and 1s<\/h3>\n

All digital data, from photos to songs, is stored and processed as binary digits, or bits.<\/p>\n

10. Supercomputers now do quintillions of calculations<\/h3>\n

Exascale supercomputers, the first of which came online in 2022, can perform more than a billion billion calculations per second.<\/p>\n

Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n

Who is called the father of the computer?<\/h3>\n

Charles Babbage, for designing the first general-purpose mechanical computer.<\/p>\n

What is the difference between hardware and software?<\/h3>\n

Hardware is the physical parts you can touch; software is the programs and instructions that run on it.<\/p>\n

What is a supercomputer used for?<\/h3>\n

Weather forecasting, climate modelling, scientific research, drug discovery and complex engineering simulations.<\/p>\n

Keep exploring<\/h2>\n