I learned how to program on a TI-83 graphing calculator. I was bored in class and I made a simple text-based blackjack game. Later my friends and I would use the link cable to share programs between our calculators, and I would pour over the source code and try to understand everything. There was an ASCII fighting game I loved and I added new moves and characters. Once I learned how to "view source" a website I start…
Same for me, had a TI-85 when I was 13 (which now I wish I hadn't sold, it's a collector's item! Never giving up my 89!) Friend and I wrote a Drug Wars clone and a bunch of math solvers. Then we got into websites in the same way. Also had an old Windows machine, on which I pored through every DOS man page (didn't turn onto *nix till way later). Took AP CS in high school on a whim just for the credit and haven't looke…
People started writing programs for graphing calculators because the needed these devices for school, so somebody should introduce kids to Raspberry Pis and Python.
It's a shame that in the US there is a lack of proper CS education in most schools. Not only is programming well-paying (most of the time) but it also helps students break down difficult tasks into simpler ones.