In what year did Charles Babbage create the First Mechanical Computer?

Charles Babbage is credited with conceptualizing the first mechanical computer, known as the Difference Engine, which he began developing in 1822. This machine was an ambitious project designed to automate polynomial calculations, primarily to create mathematical tables more accurately and efficiently than manual calculations allowed at the time. Babbage's work laid the foundational principles for later developments in computing, making 1822 a significant year in the history of computer science.

While he continued his work and proposed the more advanced Analytical Engine later on, the initial creation of the Difference Engine in 1822 marks the critical milestone of introducing a mechanical approach to computation.