Who is credited with developing the first programmable computer?

The first programmable computer is attributed to Konrad Zuse, who developed the Z3 in 1941. The Z3 is recognized as the world's first fully automatic, programmable digital computer. Zuse's machine utilized electromechanical relays and was capable of performing arithmetic operations and executing sequences of commands based on a program. His work laid the foundation for future developments in computing, illustrating the concept of programmability that is fundamental to modern computers.

While Charles Babbage is often referred to as the "father of the computer" for his concepts of the Analytical Engine, which was never completed in his lifetime, it did not operate as a programmable computer in the same sense that Zuse's machines did. Alan Turing made significant contributions to computer science, especially concerning algorithms and the concept of a theoretical computing machine, but he did not create a physical programmable computer. John von Neumann contributed to computer architecture but was not the developer of the first programmable computer. Thus, Zuse's innovation stands out as the critical milestone in programmable computing.