Binary code was invented before computers

The binary system, forming modern digital computing's foundation, predates electronic computers by over 250 years. Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz developed it in the late 17th century (published 1705). Leibniz was motivated by mathematical curiosity and philosophical ideals rather than practical computing—computers wouldn't exist for 250+ years. Leibniz was fascinated by reducing all numbers to two symbols and saw profound philosophical significance. His binary work was largely theoretical and philosophical. Centuries later, when 1930s-1950s electronic computers were developed, engineers discovered binary was perfectly suited to electronic circuits where switches could be 'on' (1) or 'off' (0). This fundamental alignment between Leibniz's abstract system and electronic circuit reality proved revolutionary. Binary represents an unusual historical example where an abstract mathematical concept, developed for philosophical reasons, later became essential to a world-transforming technology.