Alan Turing

Alan Turing was a British mathematician and computer scientist. He was born in London in 1912. He helped break secret codes during World War II. Many people call him the father of computer science.

Early Life

Turing showed his talent for math at a young age. He loved puzzles and solving problems. He studied at Cambridge University in England. He later went to Princeton University in the United States.

A blue plaque in London marks where Alan Turing was born.
A blue plaque in London marks where Alan Turing was born. (Simon Harriyott from Uckfield, England / Wikimedia Commons)

Big Achievements

During World War II, Turing helped crack the German Enigma code. This helped the Allies win the war and saved many lives. He also created the idea of a Turing machine, which is the basic concept behind all modern computers.

Fun Facts

  • Turing created a test to see if a machine can think like a human, called the Turing Test.
  • He was a fast runner and almost qualified for the Olympics.
  • Turing chained his coffee mug to a radiator so no one would take it.

Did You Know?

Experts believe Turing's code-breaking work shortened World War II by about two years. In 2013, Queen Elizabeth II gave him an official pardon for an unfair conviction he received in 1952.