Timeline of Alan Turing's life and work, from his birth in 1912 to his death in 1954, covering his foundational contributions to computer science, AI, cryptography, and mathematical biology.
Alan Mathison Turing is born at 2 Warrington Crescent, Maida Vale, London, to Julius Mathison Turing and Ethel Sara Stoney. #history #computing
Turing begins attending Sherborne School in Dorset, where he displays exceptional aptitude in mathematics and science. #education #computing
Turing's close friend Christopher Morcom dies from bovine tuberculosis. This deeply affects Turing and strengthens his intellectual resolve. #history #computing
Turing begins studying mathematics at King's College, University of Cambridge. He later graduates with a first-class degree. #education #computing
Turing is elected a Fellow of King's College, Cambridge, for his dissertation on the central limit theorem. #mathematics #computing
Turing submits his seminal paper 'On Computable Numbers, with an Application to the Entscheidungsproblem', introducing the universal Turing machine. #computing #mathematics
Turing starts his doctoral studies at Princeton University under Alonzo Church. He earns his Ph.D. in 1938. #education #computing
Turing returns to Cambridge and starts part-time work for the Government Code and Cypher School (GC&CS). #cryptography #history
Turing's Ph.D. dissertation introduces the concept of oracle machines and hypercomputation. #mathematics #computing
The day after Britain declares war on Germany, Turing reports to Bletchley Park, the wartime codebreaking center. #cryptography #history
Turing becomes head of Hut 8, responsible for decrypting German naval Enigma messages. #cryptography #history
Turing and Gordon Welchman design the Bombe, an electromechanical device that speeds up Enigma decryption. #cryptography #computing
Turing travels to the US to work with American codebreakers and share techniques for breaking naval Enigma. #cryptography #history
Turing invents 'Turingery', a method to break the Lorenz cipher (Tunny), used by German high command. #cryptography #computing
Turing is moved to Hanslope Park to work on speech encryption systems, including Delilah. #cryptography #history
Turing designs the ACE, a stored-program computer, at the National Physical Laboratory. #computing #history
Turing completes a detailed report on the ACE, outlining a full stored-program computer design. #computing #history
Turing gives a lecture to the London Mathematical Society, anticipating AI and machine learning. #computing #AI
Turing submits a report on machine intelligence, introducing concepts of neural networks and genetic algorithms. #AI #computing
Turing becomes Deputy Director of the Computing Machine Laboratory at Manchester, working on the Manchester Mark 1. #computing #history
Turing writes the first programming manual for the Manchester Mark 1, including a subroutine system. #computing #history
Turing's landmark paper in Mind introduces the Turing Test and addresses the question 'Can machines think?'. #AI #philosophy
Turing is elected a Fellow of the Royal Society for his contributions to mathematics and computing. #science #computing
Turing publishes 'The Chemical Basis of Morphogenesis', proposing a reaction-diffusion model for pattern formation in biology. #biology #mathematics
Turing is arrested and charged with gross indecency under the Labouchere Amendment. He is forced to undergo chemical castration. #history #LGBTQ
Turing is convicted and given a choice between imprisonment or probation with estrogen injections. He chooses the latter. #history #LGBTQ
Despite personal difficulties, Turing publishes further papers on morphogenesis, exploring Fibonacci patterns in plants. #biology #mathematics
Alan Turing is found dead from cyanide poisoning. An inquest rules suicide, though debate persists. #history #computing
The Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) establishes the Turing Award, the highest honor in computing. #computing #award
Prime Minister Gordon Brown issues an official apology for Turing's conviction and treatment. #history #LGBTQ
Turing is granted a posthumous royal pardon under the Royal Prerogative of Mercy. #history #LGBTQ
The Policing and Crime Act 2017 pardons men convicted of historic homosexual offenses, known as the 'Alan Turing law'. #history #LGBTQ
The Bank of England issues a new £50 note featuring Alan Turing, celebrating his contributions to computing. #history #computing