The father of theoretical computer science died on this day 70 years ago. Alan Turing was an English mathematician, computer scientist, logician, cryptanalyst, philosopher, and theoretical biologist. Turing provided a formalization of the concepts of algorithm and computation with the Turing machine, which can be considered a model of a general-purpose computer. During World War II, Turing worked for the United Kingdom's government, leading the section responsible for German naval cryptanalysis. He played a crucial role in cracking intercepted messages that enabled the Allies to defeat the Axis powers in many engagements, including the Battle of the Atlantic, the longest continuous military campaign in World War II. Turing was prosecuted in 1952 for homosexual acts. He accepted hormone treatment, a procedure commonly referred to as chemical castration, as an alternative to prison. Turing died on 7 June 1954, aged 41, from cyanide poisoning. An inquest determined his death as suicide, but theories emerged in the years since arguing for accidental poisoning. Following a campaign in 2009, the British government made an official public apology describing the treatment of Turing as “appalling”. Queen Elizabeth II granted a pardon in 2013. The term “Alan Turing law” is used informally to refer to a 2017 law in the UK that retroactively pardoned men cautioned or convicted under historical legislation that outlawed homosexual acts. Learn more about Alan Turing's life and legacy ➡️ w.wiki/a