Alan Turing was a mathematical genius and a visionary whose work laid the foundation for modern computing. During World War II, he led efforts at Britain’s Bletchley Park to crack the Nazis’ Enigma code, a breakthrough that dramatically shortened the war and saved countless lives.
Turing’s ideas and innovations were decades ahead of their time. His concept of a “universal machine” is widely regarded as the theoretical basis for today’s computers, and his contributions to artificial intelligence and cryptography continue to shape science and technology.
But despite his enormous contributions, Turing was persecuted for being gay. In 1952, he was arrested under British laws that criminalized homosexuality. Although he continued to work in science, his conviction cost him his security clearance and subjected him to state-imposed punishment.
Turing died at just 41, his legacy largely unrecognized during his lifetime. But today, he is celebrated not only as a scientific pioneer, but also as a symbol of the countless LGBTQ+ people whose talents and dignity were denied because of prejudice.
In 2013, the British government issued a formal apology and posthumous pardon. A 2017 act of Parliament offers a pardon to men convicted for homosexual acts that are no longer considered criminal offenses; it has informally become known as the Alan Turing Law.
