Alan Turing was a mathematician and scientist renowned for his contributions to the development of Computer Science, the Turing machine, and the Allied war effort in World War Two during which he and his team famously cracked several German ciphers. The efforts of him and his colleagues secured crucial information for the allies, and are estimated to have saved many thousands of lives. His legacy is extensive and controversial: while his efforts are now widely celebrated, his life tragically ended in suicide after he and his male partner were convicted for “gross indecency” (the legal term used to describe homosexual acts until the late 1960s, when homosexuality was legalised). On the 7th of June, 1954 Turing was found dead, with a half-eaten, allegedly self-poisoned apple at his bedside counter determined to be the cause of death. Whether the cause of death was suicide or accidental is fiercely debated among historians, however what is for certain is that Turing’s actions, accomplishments and his inventions in the field of Computer Science earn him a firm place on this list.
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