John Atanasoff

John Vincent Atanasoff (1903-1995) was an American physicist and inventor known for his work on the Atanasoff-Berry Computer (ABC). The ABC was the first electronic digital computer, incorporating key elements of modern computing. Atanasoff's contributions were instrumental in the development of computer technology and laid the groundwork for subsequent advancements.

He is is credited with designing and building the first electronic digital computer. In the late 1930s, Atanasoff and his graduate student, Clifford Berry, developed the Atanasoff-Berry Computer (ABC), which used binary arithmetic and electronic switches to perform calculations. Although the ABC was not fully completed or widely recognized at the time, its design principles influenced subsequent computer development. Atanasoff's work made significant contributions to the advancement of computing technology.

John Vincent Atanasoff 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. Challenges to his claim were resolved in 1973 when the Honeywell v. Sperry Rand lawsuit ruled that Atanasoff was the inventor of the computer. His special-purpose machine has come to be called the Atanasoff–Berry Computer.