Alan Turing’s Contribution to the World History
Alan Turing lived a short life, but during it, he made a lot of discoveries that helped to shape the world as we know it today. His technological achievements not only aided the Allies in World War II but also helped in the development of modern computers. Considering how much he contributed to the creation of a computer – a device that everyone heavily relies on nowadays – it is strange that his name is not famous all over the world.
Born in 1912, Turing paid a lot of attention to education since his very childhood, with science and mathematics as his primary focus. Turing’s solid efforts paid off and his published work leaded to recognition from fellow mathematicians while just in his 20s.
In 1939, Turing made a significant contribution to Allies’ victory during the World War II. Along with a group of mathematicians and cryptanalysts, Turing created the Bombe—a code-breaking machine used to intercept coded messages from the Nazi forces. This machine decoded thousands of messages monthly and supplied information that helped the Allies win the war.
After the war, Turing joined a group at the National Physical Laboratory working to create the first electronic computing device. Lacking resources, the group was unable to produce a machine as complex as Turing designed, and the first electronic computer was produced by Turing’s competitors (Copeland).
Turing may have lost the battle to produce the first computer, but he remained victorious. His work laid a foundation for computer development that researchers still acknowledge today. Rick Rashid, chief research officer at Microsoft Research, stated, “Alan Turing is one of the first people to establish what a computer was, and what computation meant” (Lanxon). Ultimately, Turing’s life demonstrates that one man’s determination can affect society significantly.
Works Cited
Copeland, B.J. “Alan Turing.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 23 Aug. 2018, www.britannica.com/biography/Alan-Turing.
Lanxon, Nate. “Head of Microsoft Research, Rick Rashid, on Alan Turing’s Legacy.” Wired, 2015.
