This chapter provides an introduction and overview of the history of computers and microprocessors. It discusses the early developments of mechanical calculating machines dating back to ancient times. Important milestones included Charles Babbage's analytical engine in the 1800s, the first general-purpose electronic computers in the 1940s like ENIAC, and the invention of the transistor and integrated circuit which led to the development of the first microprocessor at Intel in 1971. The chapter objectives are to introduce computer terminology, history, microprocessor families, and basic computer and microprocessor concepts.