Results for: pioneers in tech
Pioneers in Tech: Guido van Rossum, creator of the Python Programming Language
Happy early birthday to this month’s ‘Pioneers in Tech’ spotlight, Guido van Rossum, born Jan. 31, 1956, in the Netherlands, and creator of the Python programming language. Until 2018, he was known as Python’s “Benevolent Dictator for Life (BDFL),” a...
Pioneers in Tech: John Backus makes programming accessible with FORTRAN
If you ever feel like the chips are down, consider the story of A.M. Turing Award recipient John Backus, who overcame academic difficulties, expulsion due to poor attendance, and a cranial bone tumor to develop the ground-breaking FORTRAN programming language....
Pioneers in Tech: George Boole, Mathematician AND Innovator
You’ve heard of Boolean algebra and Boolean logic, and you know the Boolean system forms the basis for the modern digital computer. But you probably don’t know much about George Boole, the man himself, described as “one of the great...
Pioneers in Tech: The answer to the security question is “Fernando Corbáto”
This year’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month theme—“See Yourself in Cyber”—encourages computer users of all types to focus on the personal role they play in protecting themselves online. After all, if your go-to password is “password,” no mitigation measure will be effective.
Pioneers in Tech: Charles Simonyi, the brain behind Word and Excel
It’s estimated at least 1.2 billion people worldwide use Microsoft Office products. The tech pioneer behind the flagship Office programs Word and Excel is the fascinating Charles Simonyi, whose Microsoft success has enabled him to become the first repeat space...
Pioneers in Tech: Mina Rees, a mid-century technology trailblazer
Like so many “pioneers in tech,” Mina Rees did not let much dissuade her from her ultimate goals. Born Aug. 2, 1902, in Cleveland, Ohio, Rees grew up in New York City. After graduating summa cum laude from Hunter College...
Pioneers in Tech: Happy birthday to “Killer App” creator Dan Bricklin
Spreadsheet jockeys of the world, be sure to raise a glass this weekend to toast Dan Bricklin, born July 16, 1951, the co-creator of VisiCalc, the first spreadsheet program for personal computers.
Pioneers in Tech: Lynn Conway’s story
For this week’s Pioneers in Tech, Lynn Conway is in the spotlight. Lynn, a 2014 Computer History Museum fellow, belongs on any list of technology pioneers for her work alone. Working at Xerox PARC, she invented scalable design rules for VLSI...
Pioneers in Tech: Ajay Bhatt, co-inventor of USB technology
For this week’s Pioneers in Tech, we’re looking into the story of the USB. Like so many now-ubiquitous innovations, USB technology has a fascinating origin story you probably don’t know—and it might make you think twice about the “old” USB...
Pioneers in Tech: John Roach and the story of the TRS-80
In this week’s edition of Pioneers in Tech, we’re highlighting legendary business executive John Roach. On March 20, 83-year-old John Roach died in his beloved Fort Worth, Texas, where he was a titan of the community. His legacy goes far...
