Charles Babbage: Facts & Quotes

A collection of interesting and engaging facts and quotes from Charles Babbage, often termed the Father of the Computer

Charles Babbage Biography & History Includes:
Babbage biography Inventions Facts & quotes

During his life, Charles Babbage contributed a significant amount to science. Although not always able to conform with the thinking of others, his free thinking and strongly held beliefs meant that he pushed the boundaries of scientific, mathematical, and educational thinking of the day.

Some of the salient facts about the life of Charles Babbage are given along with some Charles Babbage quotes in the sections below.

Key Charles Babbage facts

There are many notable facts about Charles Babbage. A selection of some of the key Charles Babbage facts is include below.

Key Charles Babbage Facts
Charles Babbage Fact	Details
Full Name	Charles Babbage
Date of birth	26 December 1791
Place of birth	London, England
Father	Benjamin Babbage, a banking partner of William Praed.
Mother	Betsy Plumleigh Babbage, nee Teape
Brothers and sisters	Babbage was one of four children
University education	Trinity College, Cambridge
Marriage	In 1814 to Georgiana Whitmore
Children	Benjamin Herschel Babbage * (1815) Charles Whitmore Babbage (1817) Georgiana Whitmore Babbage (1818) Edward Stewart Babbage (1819) Francis Moore Babbage (1821) Dugald Bromheald Babbage * (1823) Henry Prevost Babbage * (1824) Alexander Forbes Babbage (1827) Timothy Grant Babbage (1829) Only those marked survived into adulthood.*
Key inventions	Mechanical computing machines: Difference Engine; designed & demonstrated in 1820s Difference Engine 2; designed but not completed Analytical Engine; designed but not completed.
Other invention	Railway cow-catcher for Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Other successes	Developed cryptography: broke Vigenere's autokey cipher & Vigenere cipher.
Honours	Babbage was elected a fellow of the Royal Society in 1816. In 1824 Babbage won the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society.
Date of death	18 October 1871 (age 79)
Place of death	At his home in Marylebone, London, England

Charles Babbage quotes

There is a good selection of the quotes from Charles Babbage that have been kept. A few Charles Babbage quotes are included below.

Errors using inadequate data are much less than those using no data at all.
The public character of every public servant is legitimate subject of discussion, and his fitness or unfitness for office may be fairly canvassed by any person.
The economy of human time is the next advantage of machinery in manufactures.
It will be readily admitted, that a degree conferred by an university, ought to be a pledge to the public that he who holds it possesses a certain quantity of knowledge.
Telegraphs are machines for conveying information over extensive lines with great rapidity.
If un-warned by my example, any man shall undertake and shall succeed in really constructing an engine ... upon different principles or by simpler mechanical means, I have no fear of leaving my reputation in his charge, for he alone will be fully able to appreciate the nature of my efforts and the value of their results. - this quote was written towards the end of Babbage's life.

All of these quotes are from Charles Babbage.