- John Von Neumann
John Von made the face of what modern computers are. He came up with the design and architecture of the same. He coined the idea of storing both the programs and its data in the same mainframe location which makes the processing faster and easier. The modern day computers still run on the same architecture as designed by John. He even made useful contributions in the production of an atom bomb.
- Vannevar Bush
Bush contributed a lot during the WWII. The National Defense Research Committee formed by him focused on improving technology like radio, radar, rockets, etc. Even after the world war, Bush made specific contributions and formed the National Science Foundation and worked for its development.
- Jack Kilby
Kilby made the exact contribution in shrinking the size of the computers that earlier used to fill up the room. In 1958, he made the revolution with the microprocessor which ultimately led to the computers to fit in a box. His idea of making processor out of silicon and then putting them in a single one made the computers what they are today. He went on to win Nobel Prizes for this.
- Douglas Engelbert
Engelbert wanted the computer to be more than a calculator; initially, people thought it just another machine to let one do the arithmetic operation but Engelbert vision was different, he researched and came up with GUI and bitmap images. He later invented mouse and he coined the term ‘mouse’ since the device looked like one.
- Alan Kay
The man behind XEROX and the one who took GUI to the next level, Alan Kay. He is the one who changed the course of graphics and presented the world a whole new interface. Later, Steve Jobs joined XEROX when he worked on working LISA, a computer he got impressed by their work and incorporated Alan’s work in his brand new fully functional workstation with improved graphics.
- C. R. Licklider
Licklider vision of forming a network of computer’s which can serve the world in a better way and change the diversity of human beings. He presented two papers; in the former one he says about the computer and the human brain getting connected which can bring unmatched intelligence and the latter one says that the interaction between people due to the interconnectivity of computers.
- Vint Cerf
The man behind the creation of TCP/IP Vint Cerf. The idea of linking was just a dream unless Vint and his other partner created TCP/IP. The invented the packet-switching in which they could transfer data in bundles/packets over distances using gateways, routers, etc.
- Ken Thompson
Earlier only main-frame computers were connected to each other but could not connect any other in the network. Ken and Dennis Ritchie developed their independent OS, UNIX which they used to connect the other computers in the network. UNIX proved to be easy, and one could easily get one for their own.
- Tim-Berners Lee
Tim mixed the internet with the concept of hypertext without him, today’s Google, Bing and all .com services would be just a dream and not real. His parents made one of the earlier, and he also made one using an M6800 processor, a soldering iron, and an old television.
- Marc Andreessen
With Berner’s idea of creating the web browser that can allow people to use the internet, many began to make one. Marc and his partner Eric created Mosaic, the web browser which smoothly displayed all images and did not lag while processing the data.
