Computer History Trivia Quiz

Computer History Trivia Quiz: Test your knowledge of computing evolution with our collection of computer history quizzes featuring 50+ questions about pioneers, innovations, milestones, and the fascinating journey of technology!

Welcome to our Computer History Trivia Quiz collection!

Put your knowledge of computing evolution to the test – we're covering everything from early mechanical calculators to modern quantum computers, from Ada Lovelace to Steve Jobs. All quizzes are totally free, no sign-up needed, and you can play as many times as you like!

Our computer history trivia dives deep, spanning from the first programmable computers of the 1940s all the way to today's AI revolution. We've got questions on famous inventors, groundbreaking innovations, company origins, landmark software, and fascinating tech milestones. Whether you're a tech historian, computer science student, or just curious about how we got here, we've got quizzes that'll challenge and entertain you!

For each quiz, 20 questions will be randomly selected from the list below. Are you a true Computer History Expert? Come on and test your knowledge!

1In what year was ENIAC, the first electronic computer, created?

1936

1946

1956

1966

In what year was ENIAC, the first electronic computer, created? 26001

2What was the primary purpose of ENIAC, the first electronic computer?

Weather forecasting

Business data processing

Ballistics calculations

Word processing

What was the primary purpose of ENIAC, the first electronic computer? 26002

3Who is generally referred to as the "father of the computer"?

Bill Gates

Steve Jobs

Alan Turing

John von Neumann

Who is generally referred to as the "father of the computer"? 26003

4Who is widely considered the world's first computer programmer?

Grace Hopper

Ada Lovelace

Margaret Hamilton

Jean Jennings Bartik

Who is widely considered the world's first computer programmer? 26004

5Who invented the computer mouse?

Steve Wozniak

Douglas Engelbart

Tim Berners-Lee

Robert Metcalfe

6What material was the casing of the first computer mouse made from?

Plastic

Metal

Wood

Rubber

What material was the casing of the first computer mouse made from? 26006

7What is widely considered the first personal computer?

IBM PC

Apple II

Altair 8800

Commodore PET

What is widely considered the first personal computer? 26007

8What development trend does "Moore's Law" predict?

Hard drive capacity

The number of transistors on an integrated circuit

Internet speed

Display resolution

What development trend does "Moore's Law" predict? 26008

9What was the major significance of the invention of the transistor for computer development?

It made computers run slower.

It made computers larger and more expensive.

It replaced vacuum tubes, making computers smaller, faster, and more reliable.

It increased the power consumption of computers.

What was the major significance of the invention of the transistor for computer development? 26009

10What network was the predecessor to the Internet?

NSFNET

ARPANET

Ethernet

World Wide Web

What network was the predecessor to the Internet? 26010

11Who invented the World Wide Web (WWW)?

Marc Andreessen

Tim Berners-Lee

Vint Cerf

Robert Kahn

Who invented the World Wide Web (WWW)? 26011

12Which company produced the first successful graphical user interface (GUI) operating system?

Microsoft

IBM

Apple

Xerox

Which company produced the first successful graphical user interface (GUI) operating system? 26012

13The term "bug" in computing, referring to a program error, originated from what?

An actual moth causing a computer malfunction.

A programmer's typo.

A virus infection.

A description in a science fiction novel.

The term "bug" in computing, referring to a program error, originated from what? 26013

14Approximately how much did the world's first commercial portable computer (laptop) weigh?

About 1 kg (2.2 lbs)

About 5 kg (11 lbs)

About 11 kg (24 lbs)

About 20 kg (44 lbs)

Approximately how much did the world's first commercial portable computer (laptop) weigh? 26014

15Which company launched the IBM PC in 1981, greatly impacting the personal computer market?

Apple

Compaq

IBM

Which company launched the IBM PC in 1981, greatly impacting the personal computer market? 26015

16What technology did early computers use to store data?

Solid State Drives (SSD)

Optical Discs (CD/DVD)

Magnetic core memory or punched cards

USB flash drives

What technology did early computers use to store data? 26016

17What was the name of the world's first computer virus?

Melissa

ILOVEYOU

Creeper

Brain

What was the name of the world's first computer virus? 26017

18Who is the creator of the Linux operating system?

Richard Stallman

Linus Torvalds

Bill Gates

Andy Rubin

Who is the creator of the Linux operating system? 26018

19When was the first email sent?

1961

1971

1981

1991

20The concept of "WYSIWYG" (What You See Is What You Get) was first primarily applied to what type of software?

Database software

Programming tools

Word processing and desktop publishing software

Web browsers

The concept of "WYSIWYG" (What You See Is What You Get) was first primarily applied to what type of software? 26020

21What is a personal computer commonly abbreviated as?

MAC

CPU

What is a personal computer commonly abbreviated as? 26021

22What was the name of Apple's first computer?

Macintosh

Apple Lisa

Apple I

iMac

What was the name of Apple's first computer? 26022

23Who are the main founders of Microsoft Corporation?

Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak

Bill Gates and Paul Allen

Larry Page and Sergey Brin

Mark Zuckerberg

Who are the main founders of Microsoft Corporation? 26023

24Which component is commonly referred to as the "brain" of a computer?

Hard drive

Memory (RAM)

Central Processing Unit (CPU)

Monitor

Which component is commonly referred to as the "brain" of a computer? 26024

25What problem was the QWERTY keyboard layout originally designed to solve?

Increase typing speed

Prevent typewriter keys from jamming

Reduce finger movement

Adapt to a specific language

What problem was the QWERTY keyboard layout originally designed to solve? 26025

26What was the first widely commercially successful arcade video game?

Pong

Pac-Man

Space Invaders

Donkey Kong

What was the first widely commercially successful arcade video game? 26026

27Approximately how much storage capacity did early floppy disks have?

A few hundred KB (kilobytes)

A few MB (megabytes)

A few GB (gigabytes)

A few TB (terabytes)

Approximately how much storage capacity did early floppy disks have? 26027

28The name "Google" was derived from which mathematical term?

Algorithm

Googol

Binary

Matrix

The name "Google" was derived from which mathematical term? 26028

29What was the first popular graphical web browser?

Internet Explorer

Mosaic

Netscape Navigator

Opera

What was the first popular graphical web browser? 26029

30What does the name "Wi-Fi" stand for?

Wireless Fidelity

Wireless Fiber

World Internet Fiber Optic

It's not an abbreviation, but a brand name.

What does the name "Wi-Fi" stand for? 26030

31How large were early electronic computers like ENIAC?

The size of a suitcase

The size of a refrigerator

Occupied an entire room

The size of a desk

How large were early electronic computers like ENIAC? 26031

32What is the fundamental number system used for processing information inside a computer?

Decimal

Binary

Hexadecimal

Octal

What is the fundamental number system used for processing information inside a computer? 26032

33Which computer was the first commercial computer to be sold bundled with a mouse?

Apple Macintosh

Xerox Star

IBM PC

Commodore Amiga

Which computer was the first commercial computer to be sold bundled with a mouse? 26033

34Why is unsolicited email called "Spam"?

The inventor's last name was Spam.

It originated from the name of a canned meat product and a comedy sketch.

It was the codename for an early virus.

It's an acronym for "Stupid Pointless Annoying Mail."

Why is unsolicited email called "Spam"? 26034

35What does "USB" in USB port stand for?

Universal Serial Bus

United System Block

User Service Bay

Ultra Speed Buffer

What does "USB" in USB port stand for? 26035

36What was the first domain name ever registered on the Internet?

google.com

apple.com

symbolics.com

microsoft.com

What was the first domain name ever registered on the Internet? 26036

37What was the original Japanese name for the famous arcade game "Pac-Man"?

Paku-Paku

Puck-Man

Ghost-Man

Dot-Man

What was the original Japanese name for the famous arcade game "Pac-Man"? 26037

38What was the approximate storage capacity of the world's first hard disk drive (IBM 350 RAMAC)?

About 5 Megabytes

About 5 Kilobytes

About 5 Gigabytes

About 5 Terabytes

What was the approximate storage capacity of the world's first hard disk drive (IBM 350 RAMAC)? 26038

39What was the main function of an early modem?

Increase computer processing speed

Connect to the internet via a phone line

Store files

Play games

What was the main function of an early modem? 26039

40What is the term "pixel" in image display an abbreviation for?

Picture Element

Photo Extension Link

Primary Illumination Emitter

Point of Xylography

What is the term "pixel" in image display an abbreviation for? 26040

41Which company introduced the world's first commercial microprocessor, the Intel 4004, in 1971?

AMD

Intel

Motorola

Texas Instruments

Which company introduced the world's first commercial microprocessor, the Intel 4004, in 1971? 26041

42What was the original function of the "Shift" key on a typewriter, which was later adopted by computer keyboards?

Delete characters

Switch between uppercase and lowercase letters

Create a space

Start a new line

What was the original function of the "Shift" key on a typewriter, which was later adopted by computer keyboards? 26042

43How was the Altair 8800 (an early personal computer) initially programmed?

Using a mouse and graphical interface

By typing high-level languages via a keyboard

By inputting machine code via toggle switches

Using voice commands

How was the Altair 8800 (an early personal computer) initially programmed? 26043

44Which company launched the first widely adopted mobile phone with internet access (via WAP) in 1999?

Apple

Samsung

Nokia

Motorola

Which company launched the first widely adopted mobile phone with internet access (via WAP) in 1999? 26044

45What type of organization did ".com" in a web address originally represent?

Communication

Community

Commercial

Computer

What type of organization did ".com" in a web address originally represent? 26045

46What technology is primarily used for color displays in laptop computers?

Cathode Ray Tube (CRT)

Light Emitting Diode (LED)

Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)

Plasma

What technology is primarily used for color displays in laptop computers? 26046

47What is the core idea behind "Open Source Software"?

The software must be free of charge.

The software's source code can be publicly accessed, modified, and shared.

It can only be developed by large corporations.

Users cannot modify the software.

What is the core idea behind "Open Source Software"? 26047

48What sound would users typically hear when connecting to the internet via dial-up in the early days?

A quiet hum

A series of sharp beeps and noises

Melodious music

No particular sound

What sound would users typically hear when connecting to the internet via dial-up in the early days? 26048

49Who proposed the first widely used computer emoticon, :-) ?

Tim Berners-Lee

Ray Tomlinson

Scott Fahlman

Larry Tesler

Who proposed the first widely used computer emoticon, :-) ? 26049

50What is the main role of RAM (Random Access Memory) in a computer?

Permanently store the operating system and files

Save data after the computer is turned off

Temporarily store currently running programs and data

Improve network connection speed

What is the main role of RAM (Random Access Memory) in a computer? 26050

51Who is credited with designing the "Analytical Engine," an early concept for a mechanical general-purpose computer?

Alan Turing

Charles Babbage

John Atanasoff

Konrad Zuse

Who is credited with designing the "Analytical Engine," an early concept for a mechanical general-purpose computer? 26051

52Which software was one of the very popular word processors on early personal computers?

Microsoft Word

WordStar

Google Docs

Notepad

Which software was one of the very popular word processors on early personal computers? 26052

53In computer science, what does an "algorithm" refer to?

A type of computer hardware

A series of steps to solve a problem or complete a task

A programming language

A computer virus

In computer science, what does an "algorithm" refer to? 26053

54What was the world's first home video game console?

Atari 2600

Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)

Magnavox Odyssey

ColecoVision

What was the world's first home video game console? 26054

55During which period did Apple launch its famous "Think Different" advertising campaign?

Late 1970s

Mid 1980s

Late 1990s

Early 2000s

During which period did Apple launch its famous "Think Different" advertising campaign? 26055

56For what purpose was Compact Disc (CD) technology originally developed?

Computer software

Video movies

Digital audio

Large databases

For what purpose was Compact Disc (CD) technology originally developed? 26056

57The Y2K Bug (Year 2000 problem) was primarily related to which aspect of computer systems?

Network security vulnerabilities

Insufficient processor speed

The way dates and times were represented

Lack of storage capacity

The Y2K Bug (Year 2000 problem) was primarily related to which aspect of computer systems? 26057

58Which was one of the earliest social media websites that allowed users to create profiles and connect with friends?

Facebook

MySpace

SixDegrees.com

Twitter

Which was one of the earliest social media websites that allowed users to create profiles and connect with friends? 26058

59Before becoming common in smartphones, where was touchscreen technology earlier applied?

Home TV remotes

Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) and information kiosks

Car radios

Game controllers

Before becoming common in smartphones, where was touchscreen technology earlier applied? 26059

60What is the core idea of "Cloud Computing"?

Performing all computations on a local computer

Using computing resources and services on demand over the internet

A new weather forecasting technology

Protecting computers from lightning strikes

What is the core idea of "Cloud Computing"? 26060

61Which university developed Mosaic, the first graphical web browser?

Stanford University

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

University of California, Berkeley

Which university developed Mosaic, the first graphical web browser? 25061

62The word "blog" is a shortened form of which word?

Biography Log

Weblog

Broadcasting Log

Book Log

The word "blog" is a shortened form of which word? 25062

63What was the content of the world's first text message (SMS)?

Hello

LOL

Merry Christmas

What was the content of the world's first text message (SMS)? 25063

64Which company developed the PowerPoint presentation software?

Apple

Google

IBM

Microsoft

Which company developed the PowerPoint presentation software? 25064

65On what media were early computer games typically stored?

CD-ROM

Cassette tapes or floppy disks

USB Drive

Cloud storage

On what media were early computer games typically stored? 25065

66In what year was the term "Artificial Intelligence" (AI) first coined?

1946

1956

1966

1976

In what year was the term "Artificial Intelligence" (AI) first coined? 25066

67Which scientist is considered the "father of information theory"?

Alan Turing

John von Neumann

Claude Shannon

Albert Einstein

Which scientist is considered the "father of information theory"? 25067

68What does the "Ctrl" key on a computer keyboard usually stand for?

Copy

Control

Continue

Center

What does the "Ctrl" key on a computer keyboard usually stand for? 25068

69How many buttons did the world's first computer mouse have?

One

Two

Three

No buttons

How many buttons did the world's first computer mouse have? 25069

70Which company launched the PalmPilot, the first successful Personal Digital Assistant (PDA)?

Apple

Microsoft

Palm Computing

IBM

Which company launched the PalmPilot, the first successful Personal Digital Assistant (PDA)? 25070

71What is the primary role of the Domain Name System (DNS) on the internet?

Encrypt network data

Convert domain names to IP addresses

Increase download speed

Filter spam emails

What is the primary role of the Domain Name System (DNS) on the internet? 25071

72What was the original meaning of the term "hacker"?

Cybercriminal

Creator of computer viruses

An expert enthusiastic about solving problems with computer systems

Password cracker

What was the original meaning of the term "hacker"? 25072

73What was the first widely used spreadsheet software?

Microsoft Excel

Lotus 1-2-3

VisiCalc

Google Sheets

What was the first widely used spreadsheet software? 25073

74What were the primary colors of early computer monitors?

Full color

Black and white

Green or amber monochrome

Blue monochrome

What were the primary colors of early computer monitors? 25074

75What is the main purpose of a "firewall" in network security?

Speed up network connections

Block unauthorized access

Back up data

Clean computer viruses

What is the main purpose of a "firewall" in network security? 25075

76Which programming language is named after a 17th-century mathematician?

Java

Python

Pascal

C++

Which programming language is named after a 17th-century mathematician? 25076

77Which technology made it possible for computers to become smaller, faster, and cheaper?

Vacuum tubes

Integrated circuits

Punched cards

Magnetic drum memory

Which technology made it possible for computers to become smaller, faster, and cheaper? 25077

78Which organization primarily develops the "Wi-Fi" technology standards?

United Nations (UN)

International Organization for Standardization (ISO)

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)

World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)

Which organization primarily develops the "Wi-Fi" technology standards? 25078

79What was the name of the world's first search engine?

Google

Yahoo

Archie

Bing

What was the name of the world's first search engine? 25079

80The computer game "Tetris" was invented by someone from which country?

United States

Japan

Soviet Union/Russia

China

The computer game "Tetris" was invented by someone from which country? 25080

81The word "modem" is a combination of which two words?

Mode-Demonstration

Modulator-Demodulator

Modern-Element

Motion-Decoder

The word "modem" is a combination of which two words? 25081

82Which company is well-known for its Graphics Processing Units (GPUs), especially in gaming and AI?

Intel

AMD

NVIDIA

Qualcomm

Which company is well-known for its Graphics Processing Units (GPUs), especially in gaming and AI? 25082

83What was the inspiration for the name of "Bluetooth" technology?

A type of blue flower

The name of an ancient Danish king

The color of the inventor's teeth

A type of blue bird

What was the inspiration for the name of "Bluetooth" technology? 25083

84Which company originally developed the very popular early word processing software WordPerfect?

Microsoft

Apple

Satellite Software International

IBM

Which company originally developed the very popular early word processing software WordPerfect? 25084

85Who invented the "cut, copy, and paste" functions for computers?

Bill Gates

Steve Jobs

Larry Tesler

Tim Berners-Lee

Who invented the "cut, copy, and paste" functions for computers? 25085

86Which early operating system was known for its command-line interface and was widely used on IBM PCs?

Windows 3.1

macOS

MS-DOS

Linux

Which early operating system was known for its command-line interface and was widely used on IBM PCs? 25086

87When was the term "Virtual Reality" (VR) first coined?

1960s

1970s

1980s

1990s

When was the term "Virtual Reality" (VR) first coined? 25087

88Which company was the first tech company to reach a market capitalization of $1 trillion?

Microsoft

Google/Alphabet

Apple

Amazon

Which company was the first tech company to reach a market capitalization of $1 trillion? 25088

89What was the first photo uploaded to the World Wide Web?

A cat

The surface of the Moon

The band Les Horribles Cernettes

A coffee pot

What was the first photo uploaded to the World Wide Web? 25089

90What does the "Pod" in "Podcast" refer to?

Pea pod

iPod

Podium

Portable On Demand

What does the "Pod" in "Podcast" refer to? 25090

91Which company developed the Java programming language?

Microsoft

IBM

Sun Microsystems

Apple

Which company developed the Java programming language? 25091

92At which research institution was the "desktop" metaphor for computers first developed?

Bell Labs

MIT Media Lab

Xerox PARC

IBM Research

At which research institution was the "desktop" metaphor for computers first developed? 25092

93What is the main purpose of a "CAPTCHA"?

Encrypt data

Improve website loading speed

Distinguish between computer and human users

Scan for viruses

What is the main purpose of a "CAPTCHA"? 25093

94Which storage device replaced floppy disks due to its portability and capacity?

Magnetic tape

CD-ROM

USB flash drive

Zip drive

Which storage device replaced floppy disks due to its portability and capacity? 25094

95What is considered the world's first smartphone?

iPhone

BlackBerry 850

IBM Simon

Nokia 9000 Communicator

What is considered the world's first smartphone? 25095

96What is "HyperText Markup Language" (HTML) primarily used to create?

Operating systems

Databases

Web pages

Video games

What is "HyperText Markup Language" (HTML) primarily used to create? 25096

97Which computer scientist proposed the "Turing Test" to determine if a machine can exhibit intelligent behavior indistinguishable from that of a human?

John von Neumann

Claude Shannon

Alan Turing

Charles Babbage

Which computer scientist proposed the "Turing Test" to determine if a machine can exhibit intelligent behavior indistinguishable from that of a human? 25097

98Who originally coined the term "meme"?

Tim Berners-Lee

Scott Fahlman

Richard Dawkins

Collectively by internet users

Who originally coined the term "meme"? 25098

99Which company developed Flash animation technology, which was once very popular on the internet?

Microsoft

Apple

Macromedia

Google

Which company developed Flash animation technology, which was once very popular on the internet? 25099

100What does BIOS on a computer motherboard stand for?

Binary Input Output Signal

Basic Integrated Operating System

Basic Input/Output System

Boot Interface Operating Software

What does BIOS on a computer motherboard stand for? 25100