Alan Turing was a mathematician and computer scientist. Aged 22, Turing was elected a Fellow of King’s College, following his dissertation – in which he proved the central limit theorem.
Later on, Turing was enlisted by the Government’s Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park in the Second World War, where he achieved the task of breaking the code of German cyphers.
How was the Enigma code cracked?
German authorities increased the level of security at the outbreak of the war, changing their cypher system daily. Along with codebreaker Gordon Welchman, Turing broke the code, developing a machine called the Bombe.
By the mid-1940s, German Air Force signals were being read at Bletchley, allowing the Ultra team to assist British military commanders in the war effort.
What happened with Alan Turing, after all?
Alan got engaged to Joan Clarke. The reason for his breakup with her was his sexual orientation. Later, Alan was arrested and taken to jail after a trial for admitting his homosexuality.
On June 8, 1954, Turing’s housekeeper found him dead, aged 41. His bedside found a half-eaten apple, and it was ruled that he had died of cyanide poisoning.
It wasn’t until 2013 that Alan Turing was granted a posthumous pardon from Queen Elizabeth II. And now, The Alan Turing £50 banknote has begun entering circulation, coinciding with the codebreaker’s birthday. What do you about having this iconic character in your wallet?
