Alan Mathison Turing Biography and Quotes
Born: June 23rd, 1912
Commemoration: June 7th, 1954
Nationality: British
41
Years Old
Famously Known For
Alan Turing is famously remembered as the father of computing. He was a great mathematician, computer scientist, philosopher, and theoretical biologist. Some of his greatest achievement include breaking the German Enigma machine which the Germans were using to send coded messages to their troops in the war. Alan’s device known as the Bombe helped to intercept and decrypt the messages which aided Britain in winning the second world war. According to Winston Churchill, who was Britain’s prime minister between 1940 to 1945, Alan Turing’s contribution in the war helped to shorten the war by two years.
Early Life
Alan Turing was born in Maida Vale in London. He was the son to Julius Mathison and Ethel Sara. At the age of six, Turing was enrolled to St. Michael’s day school where his headteacher, as well as other teachers, recognized his genius abilities, especially in sciences and mathematics. He later joined the king’s college in Cambridge where he pursued mathematics and graduated with first-class honors.
Career
Turing worked with the Government Code and Cypher School from September 1938. His focus was on deciphering coded messages. It was from this school that Turing was deployed to Bletchley Park to help the British troops and their allies in intercepting messages sent to German troops.
Apart from cryptanalysis, Turing was able to develop projects such as Bombe, the Naval Enigma, Turingery, and Delilah.
Personal Life
Turing was engaged to Joan Clarke for a while before his fiancée called off the engagement after Turing admitted that he was gay. In 1952, Turing got into a romantic relationship with Arnold Murray, a 19-year-old man at the time.
A burglary that occurred to in Turing’s house revealed to the police that Turing was gay and they were both charged with gross indecency. Turing was put on probation to lower his libido. The treatment which served as a sentence rendered him impotent and led to the growth of breast tissue.
Death
Turing was found dead in 1954 by his housekeeper. Cyanide poisoning was established to be the cause of his death. His remains were cremated on 12th June 1954 and the ashes scattered at Working crematorium.
He died at the age of 41.
