Charles Babbage is known as the "father of the computer" for his invention of the Analytical Engine. Designed in the early 19th century, the Analytical Engine was a mechanical, general-purpose computing device that could perform any calculation if programmed correctly. Although he never completed the machine, Babbage's ideas laid the groundwork for modern computing concepts such as the stored program architecture and the use of algorithms. His innovative vision fundamentally transformed how we understand computation today.