History of Computers - John Ambrose Fleming

Introduction

John Ambrose Fleming was a key figure in the development of computer hardware. His invention of the vacuum tube accelerated the development of computers and paved the way for the computers of today.

Overview

Fleming was born the eldest of seven children in Lancaster on November 29, 1849. As a child he was avid about engineering and highly talented in geometry. He graduated from University College of London with a BSc in 1870 and went on to study chemistry at the Royal College of Science in South Kensington. He graduated again from Cambridge with a degree in chemistry and physics. He obtained a DSc from London College and served as a professor at the University of Nottingham. In 1904, he created a two-electrode vacuum tube, which he named the oscillation valve. He died in April 1945.