Harvard Mark I

The Harvard Mark I, also known as the IBM Automatic Sequence Controlled Calculator, was a pioneering electromechanical computer developed in the early 1940s by Howard Aiken and IBM. It was about 51 feet long and used thousands of mechanical parts, including gears and relays, to perform calculations. The Mark I could execute complex mathematical operations automatically and was used for various tasks, including military calculations during World War II. Its development marked a significant step in the evolution of computing technology, bridging the gap between mechanical calculators and electronic computers that followed.