Intel created the Intel 4004, widely recognized as the first commercially available microprocessor, in 1971.
The 4004 was a 4-bit central processing unit designed by Intel engineers Federico Faggin, Ted Hoff, and Stanley Mazor, with contributions from Busicom engineer Masatoshi Shima. It was originally developed for Busicom’s programmable calculator project and became commercially available in November 1971.
The chip integrated the functions of a computer’s central processor onto a single silicon device. It operated at roughly 740 kHz and contained about 2,300 transistors, figures that illustrate how far semiconductor technology has advanced.
The 4004 was not the first computer processor in every possible sense; earlier CPUs existed as larger assemblies. Its historic distinction is that it was the first general-purpose microprocessor sold commercially as an integrated circuit.