Alan Turing was a brilliant English mathematician who helped allied armies to break the encrypted messages from Nazis during World War II, the famous Enigma Code. Turing is also considered the father of modern mathematics and computers.
But Turing was homosexual and he was sentenced in 1952 to 61 years in prison, cause homosexuality was a crime in UK until 1967. Turing died two years after being prisoned. The official version declared it was a suicide, but a further investigation revealed that he had been poisoned.
Over 60 years after, Queen Elizabeth II has granted him a posthumous pardon for "a judgment that is now considered unfair and discriminatory", as announced by Chris Grayling, British Justice Minister.
The Turing's pardon finishes a multi-year campaign to clear his name, supported by scientists like Stephen Hawking, and signature requests via internet which collected tens of thousands of signatures.
It's a necessary but belated act. Besides, during the 50's and early 60's, many as 1,000 men were locked up in Britain's prisons every year amid a widespread police clampdown on homosexual offences. There have not been pardon for all of them.
In any case, Turing can finally rest in peace.
Benedict Cumberbatch as Alan Turing
in The Imitation Game,
an upcoming film about mathematician.
By Gerry James:
ReplyDeleteHe saved so many of the allied forces lives through his work on the Enigma codes and the building of the first Computer which now gives us so much information and things to do it all comes from this genius. A man like this because he was gay was treated so wrong but that's how things were at the time. This man with his work in the second world war was a genius he saved as i said so many lives through his work finding how to avoid the enemy submarines from decoding. i have watched so many TV program's on this man and the way he did things. And through him in a way we gained as gays our freedom of choice and being able to speak out loud we are gay. through his work we gained Freedom.
By shawn mccool:
ReplyDeletebetter late then never
By John Hindman:
ReplyDeleteThat "judgment" was ethically, morally, and totally wrong ... regardless of now, then, or when!
By Caesar A. Ramirez:
ReplyDeleteA little late I think
By René LaFleur:
ReplyDeleteHe was a hero of mine. When I would visit my maternal grandparents, they would tell me stories about him. My maternal grandfather knew him very well. I am glad for his pardon. Imagine, as a young boy, who already knew he was different from most other boys, found comfort in hearing about this wonderful man.