Pascal's Calculator: The Birth of Modern Calculating

Blaise Pascal, the inventor of the world's first calculator, was born on this day in 1623. He was one of the great mathematicians, physicists, and inventors of the 17th century. As well as creating the first calculator, he is known as the founder of probability theory. Pascal is remembered for inventing the world's first mechanical calculator. The machine he built is called the Pascal calculator or Pascaline. This calculator allowed calculations such as addition and subtraction. It is on this calculator that the foundations of today's modern calculators and computers are laid. Blaise Pascal was born on 19 June 1623 in Clermont-Ferrand, France. His father was also a mathematician and a tax officer. At the age of 12, Pascal began studying geometry on his own without formal mathematical education and was 16 years old.