Final answer:
Blaise Pascal designed the first mechanical digital calculator in 1642, which showcased his advanced understanding of mathematics, despite early restrictions put in place by his father.
Step-by-step explanation:
Blaise Pascal designed his first calculating machine, which is considered to be the first mechanical digital calculator, in the year 1642. Despite being initially forbidden to study mathematics by his father, Pascal's curiosity led him to start teaching himself geometry at the young age of 12. His invention, known as the Pascaline, allowed users to perform addition and subtraction directly and multiplication and division through repeated addition or subtraction. Pascal's contributions to the fields of probability theory, number theory, and geometry were significant, and his work on fluid statics led to the formulation of Pascal's Principle, which has important applications in hydraulic systems like car brakes.