Monday, 14 September 2009

PM apologises to computer genius

The Prime Minister has given a public apology for the "appalling" way computing genius Alan Turing was treated for being gay.

Turing, who worked as a code-breaker at Bletchley Park during WW2, went on to develop the first modern computers, including Pilot ACE which we have here at the Museum.

In 1952 Turning was prosecuted for admitting a sexual relationship with a man and committed suicide two years later.

Image: Wikimedia Commons

1 comment:

Louis@Antenna said...

It was an online petition on the Downing Street website, supported by author Ian McEwan, scientist Richard Dawkins and gay-rights campaigner Peter Tatchell. Turing was also recently chosen for an exhibition on Gay Icons at the National Portrait Gallery - http://www.npg.org.uk:8080/gayicons/smith.htm