Pascal's intellect helped him blaze trails in mathematics | The Tennessean | tennessean.com: "In 1642, when he was 19, Blaise Pascal thought he would try to ease his father’s burdens.
His father, Etienne Pascal, had been appointed chief tax collector in Rouen, France. The position was demanding, requiring hours of work each day adding up taxes due and paid. Blaise Pascal had an idea to speed up the arithmetical drudgery. Pascal, already a noted mathematician, built the first mechanical calculator and presented it to the chancellor of France in 1645. The machines were very expensive; he made about 20 of them."
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