Historedia
Person

Charles Babbage

Events
4
Episodes
7
Years
1822–1843

Every event in Historedia whose sources name Charles Babbage, with the role they cite and all of that event’s episodes. This is not a biography, and mentions are grouped by name, so two people with the same name can share this page.

Events and episodes

  1. Charles Babbage proposes the difference engine

    1822–1842

    Role: Inventor and Proposer

    1. 14 June 1822 · Royal Astronomical SocietyAnnouncement to Royal Astronomical Society

      Babbage announced his invention in a paper to the Royal Astronomical Society on 14 June 1822.

    2. 1823 · British GovernmentInitial Government Funding

      The British government provided £1700 to Babbage in 1823 to start work on the difference engine.

    3. 1842 · British GovernmentAbandonment of Construction

      The British government abandoned the project in 1842 after Babbage spent over £17,000 without a working engine.

  2. Ada Lovelace introduced to Charles Babbage

    1833

    Role: Host

    1. 5 June 1833 · One of Charles Babbage's Saturday night soirées, LondonFirst Meeting at Babbage's Soirée

      Ada Lovelace and her mother attended Charles Babbage's Saturday night soirée in London on 5 June 1833, facilitated by Mary Somerville.

  3. Charles Babbage begins the conceptual design of the Analytical Engine

    1833–1837

    Role: Designer of the Analytical Engine

    1. 1833 · LondonStart of Conceptual Design

      Babbage began work on the Analytical Engine around 1833, moving beyond the Difference Engine to a general-purpose machine.

    2. 1837 · LondonFirst Description

      The Analytical Engine was first described in 1837 as the successor to the Difference Engine.

  4. Ada Lovelace's notes on the Analytical Engine published

    1843

    Role: Inventor of the Analytical Engine

    1. September 1843 · Taylor's Scientific MemoirsPublication in Taylor's Scientific Memoirs

      Lovelace's translation and notes on Menabrea's sketch were published in September 1843 in Taylor's Scientific Memoirs under her initials AAL.

Sources

  1. Difference engine Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-29
  2. Ada Lovelace Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-23
  3. Analytical engine Wikipedia, revision of 2026-07-06
  4. Charles Babbage Wikipedia, revision of 2026-10-02