What was the name of the first general-purpose electronic computer, completed in 1945?

The Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer, or ENIAC, holds a landmark position in the history of technology as the first general-purpose electronic digital computer. Completed in 1945, this revolutionary machine was developed at the University of Pennsylvania by John Mauchly and J. Presper Eckert. Its creation was primarily driven by the United States Army's need for faster and more accurate calculations of artillery firing tables during World War II, a task that was previously performed manually and was prone to errors.

ENIAC was a colossal undertaking, occupying approximately 1,800 square feet and weighing around 27 tons. It was composed of 40 panels arranged in a U-shape and housed an astonishing 17,000 to 18,000 vacuum tubes, 70,000 resistors, 10,000 capacitors, and 6,000 switches. This immense collection of components allowed ENIAC to perform calculations at speeds vastly superior to its electromechanical predecessors, capable of executing 5,000 additions or 300 multiplications per second.

Programming the ENIAC was a complex and time-consuming process, requiring operators to manually manipulate thousands of switches and physically reconfigure cables for each new problem. Despite its completion after the war's end, ENIAC quickly found a crucial new purpose, performing the initial calculations for the development of the hydrogen bomb. Its groundbreaking design and capabilities, which cost an estimated $400,000 to $500,000 at the time, laid the essential groundwork for the digital era and the modern computers we use today.