1916–1975 Christopher Strachey, Computer Scientist

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08-12-2020 10:45 AM

1916–1975 Christopher Strachey, Computer Scientist

Christopher Strachey –  Computer Scientist – England

 (Photo: courtesy of AlanTuring.net

Text: Sean Dunnington, "LGBTQ History of Geography & Computers” Project)

Christopher Strachey was born in Hampstead, England, and his father worked alongside Alan Turing as a cryptographer at Bletchly Park during World War II. Strachey studied mathematics and physics at Kings College, Cambridge, where he suffered a nervous breakdown during his third year (which his sister attributed to his struggles to come to terms with his homosexuality). After an early career as a research physicist and teacher, Strachey developed a program in 1951 that allowed the Pilot Ace computer at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) and later the Manchester Mark 1 to play a game of draughts (checkers). He also wrote one of the first computer music programs, which played “Baa Baa Black Sheep” on the Ferranti Mark 1. Strachey is also remembered as one of the developers of Combined Programming Language (CPL), an early precursor to the influential C programming language.

(xHistory  xLGBTQIA  xEngland xComputerScientist )

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