ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

UNIVAC I

Univac I was a big and powerful machine that made it possible for people to do difficult math automatically. It was invented a long time ago, in the 1950s. It was the first computer that was able to do lots of calculations very quickly.

It was made up of lots of different parts that worked together like a team. A team needs different players with different skills to win, and Univac I was no different. It had parts that could store information, parts that could do calculations, and parts that could talk to the outside world.

All these parts were connected by big copper wires that helped them talk to each other. It was kind of like a bunch of people having a big conversation in a room where everyone is sitting in different spots, but they can all hear each other clearly.

Univac I was such a powerful machine that it was used to do all kinds of important jobs. It helped people in businesses and governments keep track of important things like how much money they were earning, how many people were living in the country, and even how to launch rockets into space.

And while modern computers are much smaller and faster than Univac I, it was a really important step in the history of technology and helped pave the way for the computers we use today.