Occupation

Charles Babbage spent most of his life building two machines. The first one, the difference engine, was supposed to carry out mathematical problems more accurately than any human ever could. Unfortunately, it was never completed due to a lack of funding. Although over 37,000 pounds were spent on the project, it was still far from being completed while Babbage proposed another machine, the analytical engine, which was supposed to carry out mathematical problems out to the twentieth digit. Again, the government refused to pay for this new machine after the old machine wasn?t even completed.

 Family and Death

 Charles married Georgiana Whitmore in 1814. Although he had eight children, only three of those eight survived to adulthood. One of Babbage?s sons built six other working difference engines based on his father?s designs and sent most of them to Howard Aiken. Babbage died on October 18, 1871 at the age of 79.