The first mechanical computer was invented by Charles Babbage, an English mathematician and inventor. He designed the Difference Engine in 1822, which was intended to mechanically compute polynomial functions using the method of finite differences. Although the Difference Engine was never completed in his lifetime due to funding and technical challenges, it is considered the first mechanical computer. Babbage later designed the more advanced Analytical Engine, which had many features of modern computers, including programmability via punched cards. His work laid the foundation for the development of digital computers, earning him the title "father of the computer"