First Generation

Background
When you are dealing with computers you need switches which are either set to ON (=1) or OFF (=0). After the Second World War, the developers of computers turned to vacuum tubes to serve as ON/OFF switches to allow computation in binary code. The vacuum tube is based on Thomas Edison's invention of the light bulb in 1878. In 1906 Lee de Forest modified Edison's lightbulb to act as a triode or switch. Lee de Forest's invention was made long before the first computers were built. His vacuum tubes were first used for building radios.

Lee de Forest
De Forest received his Ph.D from Yale in 1899. Though he worked briefly for various companies, he spent the remainder of his life as an independent inventor. In 1959 he received an honorary Oscar for bringing sound to motion pictures.

The Gossip Corner
Lee de Forest has remained a controversial figure among American inventors. Evidence suggests that he was not the most ethical person. He spent a lot of time in court litigations. He also married four times.