Origins & Early Life

John Vincent Atanasoff (October 4, 1903 – June 15, 1995) was an American physicist and inventor credited with inventing the first electronic digital computer. Atanasoff invented the first electronic digital computer in the 1930s at Iowa State College (now known as Iowa State University). Challenges to his claim were resolved in 1973 when the Honeywell v. Sperry Rand lawsuit ruled that Atanasoff was the inventor of the computer.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

His special-purpose machine has come to be called the Atanasoff–Berry Computer. Atanasoff was born on October 4, 1903, in Hamilton, New York to an electrical engineer and a school teacher. Atanasoff's father, Ivan Atanasov, was of Bulgarian origin, born in 1876 in the village of Boyadzhik, close to Yambol, then in the Ottoman Empire. While Ivan Atanasov was still an infant, his own father was killed by Ottoman soldiers after the Bulgarian April Uprising. In 1889, Ivan immigrated to the United States with his uncle.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

John's father later became an electrical engineer, whereas his mother, Iva Lucena Purdy (of mixed French and Irish ancestry), was a teacher of mathematics. Atanasoff was raised in Brewster, Florida. Young Atanasoff's...

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• 1903 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1903
• October 4 (10-04) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on October 4
• 1995 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1995
• June 15 (06-15) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on June 15