Many people think that programming is the most demanded profession in the world today, and that it has a future. One cannot disagree with this. In the middle of the twentieth century, the rapid growth of information technology began, and a new profession appeared - a programmer. The person who creates the source code for computer programs. There are more than 20 million such specialists in the world, but in our short review the most outstanding programmers in history. We note right away that there are no specialists born in the post-Soviet space.
15
David patterson
Our list opens with a computer scientist, professor at the University of California, Berkeley. He is considered a pioneer in programming.
Patterson is known for his contribution to the development of the RISC processor. This is a computer with a reduced set of commands. He studied redundant arrays of independent disks (RAID). He is also the creator of NOW (Workstation Network).
For his work in the field of IT technology development, he received several prestigious awards and prizes, including the Eckert-Mockley Prize, and the ACM Distinguished Service Award. In addition, in 1976, David Patterson received a Ph.D. But it seems that programming and philosophy are so different things that one person cannot be successful in these areas at the same time.
14
John Carmack
American programmer, computer engineer, computer game developer. In addition, a successful entrepreneur and co-founder of well-known companies Id Software and Armadillo Aerospace.
John Carmack became famous for being among the developers of games in the FPS genre - Wolfenstein 3D, Quake, Doom. He developed innovative algorithms, including in 3D-graphics and the Reverse algorithm for creating shadow volumes.
In 2016, he was awarded the BAFTA Fellowship for his significant contribution to the development of the gaming industry. In 2019, he left several projects to start developing in the field of creating innovative software projects.
13
Erwin Donald Knut
A scientist in the field of information technology was born in 1938 in Milwaukee, and stood at the origins of programming, in fact, becoming his main ideologist.
Professor at Stanford University and a doctor at St. Petersburg State University. The author of 19 books and monographs, wrote more than 160 scientific articles. He created many programs, including typing systems and typesetting books.
In his piggy bank many prizes and awards in the field of computational mathematics and programming. In 1996, the Donald Knuth Prize was established for outstanding achievements in the development of information technology.
12
Guido van Rossum
Photo by: Doc Searls / flicr
Guido was born in the Netherlands, and in 1982 received a diploma from the University of Amsterdam, becoming a specialist in computer science and computational mathematics.
Guido van Rossum worked at several research institutes in the Netherlands and the USA, and became famous when he created his own Python language. He collaborated with Google and personally made decisions during the development and improvement of Python. In 2019, he decided to move away from the functions of a good-natured life-long dictator and focused on his own developments.
In 2001, he received the prestigious Free Software Award in Computer Science. After Google from 2012 to 2019 he worked at Dropbox. Now lives in California, continuing to write programs and applications. TheBiggest editors say special thanks to this programmer, because we love to use dropbox.
11
James Arthur Gosling
Canadian programmer who is considered the father of a oriented and cross-platform Java language. At the University of Calgary, he received a bachelor's degree, and in 1983 he defended his thesis, becoming a doctor.
He created several mail systems and compilers, the developer of a multiprocessor Unix system. For many years he collaborated with Sun Microsystems. When the company was absorbed by the corporation, Oracle left due to disagreements with management.
He has published over 30 scientific articles on computer science and the development of IT technologies.
James Arthur Gosling had a great influence on the research of young computer specialists. In 2007, the government awarded him the highest civilian award of the Order of Canada.
10
Brian Kernigan
The Canadian programmer worked at Bell Labs, where he began his research in the field of computer science and computer technology.
Brian Kernigan has written many articles on programming languages, computer science theory, the basic principles of operating systems. With dennis
Ritchie published the book Programming Language C. He worked in the group for the creation of languages AWK, as well as copyright Brian Kernighan.
In 2002, he was admitted to the United States National Academy of Engineers. Like the others on our list, Kernigan has no high-profile awards, but his teaching activities are highly noted.
9
Ken Thompson
A New Orleans native is considered a pioneer in the development of computer software. He was engaged in the development of the Unix OS.
Ken Thompson developed the language "B", and also the first to start creating a new operating system, "Plan 9". Together with Ritchie worked hard on Multics. Collaborating with Google, Ken created the language “Go.” He developed the software for a chess computer, as well as for the communications company Bell.
His work has influenced many modern programmers, especially everyone likes his style of brevity and accessibility of expressions. Many believe that Ken Thompson was one of the first hackers in history. Honorary winner of the Turing Prize, as well as a number of other prestigious awards.
8
Nicklaus Wirth
A well-known computer language theorist was born in Switzerland in 1934. In 1984 he received the Turing Prize.
As a child, Nicklaus became interested in aircraft modeling and rocket design. This hobby became the reason for doing programming. His first technological developments were remote controls for models. The scientist devoted himself wholeheartedly to a new business, and became the creator and led the group of language developers Pascal, Modula-2, Oberon.
Honorary Doctor of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Professor of Computer Science at the Swiss Higher Technical School and winner of prestigious prizes awarded only for a significant contribution to the development of computer science.
7
Alan Curtis Kay
Photo by: Marcin Wichary / flicr
Alan is a native of the American city of Springfield, and received his education at the universities of Utah and Colorado. He is a mathematician and molecular biologist by education, but in Utah he defended his thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.
As a student, he began to work on creating programs. It was his early works that made him recognizable in the field of computer science. He created an innovative graphic design for the user interface - the GUI. His designs were widely used to create Lisa and Macintosh computers.
Actively collaborated with Apple. In addition, he is an excellent bass player, but the creation of software took up, and Alan in his youth ended his career as a professional musician.
6
John McCarthy
A native of American Boston is the author of the term “artificial intelligence”. The world first heard this phrase in 1956.
From childhood, he showed mathematical abilities. First I studied this science on my own, and then at the university. Used mathematical logic in the creation of artificial intelligence. The author of Lisp. Since 1989, a member of the United States National Academy of Sciences.
Honorary Doctor of several universities, stood at the origins of the emergence of computer technology. Awarded the award of the renowned Englishman Turing. Also in the piggy bank award Kyoto, Benjamin Franklin medal. He passed away in 2011, leaving a good memory of himself.
5
Tim Berners-Lee
Together with Robert Cayo, Tim Lee created the World Wide Web. Created the concept of a public semantic web. His inventions for many years determined the direction of development of IT-technologies.
The author of the URI URL, HTTP, HTML, without which the Internet is now impossible. He began his career at Plessey Telecommunications Ltd, and then moved to D.G Nash Ltd. Here he developed programs for printers, and also began work on creating a multi-tasking OS.
For outstanding work in the computer field, Elizabeth II knighted him. He received the “Software System Award” and was also awarded the “Pride of Britain” badge of honor.
4
Bjarne Straustrup
The Danish programmer became famous for creating the C ++ language, which became a new word in the world of computer science.
To do what he loves, he moved to the United States, where he got the opportunity to freely work on software development. In 1993 received the Grace Murray Hopper Award.
He wrote a textbook on C ++ and many other articles on computer science. Continues work on improving programs and their support. For merits and works he was admitted to the National Academy of Engineering of the United States.
3
Linus Torvalds
A software scientist was born in Helsinki, where he began his first steps in computer technology. Over time, he moved to the United States.
Inspired by the work of Andrew Tanenbaum, Linus created his own Linux OS. Over the course of his career, he replaced several companies in which he continued to work on the Linux kernel. Secured a worldwide recognized trademark for its OS. In his piggy bank there is a medal for the development of new information systems.
He was awarded numerous awards and prizes, and in 1996 an asteroid was named in his honor under number 9793. The popular magazine “Time”, conducting research on influential people of our time, put Linus in 17th place.
2
Dennis Ritchie
As a child, the boy showed interest in physics and applied mathematics. His father worked for Bell Labs, and after earning a doctorate at Harvard, Dennis also became an employee of this huge corporation.
A talented computer man, he created several programming languages and had a hand in creating the Unix operating system. The C language created by Ritchie was an important milestone in the history of computer science. Many modern technologies are based on it.
Dennis Ritchie died alone in 2011. The Fedora distribution, released a month after his death, was dedicated to the illustrious programmer.
1
Alan Mathison Turing
In 1936, the Englishman introduced the world to his abstract computer. Most believe that she became the prototype of the computer.
He widely disclosed his mathematical and analytical abilities during the Second World War, heading the department for deciphering ciphers of the German Navy. It was his development that made it possible to break the Enigma code. Alan is rightly called the father of theoretical computer science. Recognizing his merits, the award of his name was established, which is awarded for outstanding merits in the world of computer technology.
He was unreasonably accused of obscene behavior and in 1954 was poisoned with cyanide. Elizabeth II in 2013 dropped all charges against him.
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In conclusion
Our list is complete, but we will be glad if in the comments our readers name their outstanding programmers. And from us, in conclusion, one detail about the principle of their interesting work. Many programmers like to work at night, when no one and nothing distracts from the main thing. No one will call, try to speak, distract with extraneous sounds. They program in a stream. This state allows you to focus on the main thing when the complex becomes simple.
TheBiggest editors are asking you to write what else, in your opinion, talented outstanding programmers should be included in our list.
Article author: Valery Skiba