Legendary, Persecuted Code-Breaker Alan Turing Finally Recognized for His Achievements

If it weren't for the legendary World War II code-breaker Alan Turing, the outcome for the Allied forces might have looked very different. The mathematician and computer scientist has been widely credited with hastening the end of the war, thanks to his work decoding German naval messages. But only seven years after the end the war, Turing, who was gay, was convicted of "gross indecency" for his relationship with a 19-year-old man. Turing wasn't formally pardoned until 2014. Now, 65 years after Turing's death, the Bank of England is recognizing the trailblazer's contributions to science and technology by featuring his face on the brand-new design of their 50-pound note.

"It was nothing short of a tragedy how a country he had served with such distinction treated him after the war, persecuting him for his homosexuality," said Demis Hassabis, a British artificial intelligence (AI) researcher, at the unveiling ceremony in Manchester. "That's why it's wonderful to see Turing on the note, as a powerful symbol of the long overdue recognition he deserves."

Not only did Turing's contributions to math and computer science aid the Allied war effort, they also laid the foundations for modern computers. In his 1936 paper titled "On Computable Numbers," Turing invented the concept of algorithms, sets of instructions that dictate how computers operate, BBC reported. He was also one of the earliest computer scientists to begin thinking about AI. His 'Turing test' is still used to determine whether a machine is "intelligent" or not.

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Isobel Whitcomb is a contributing writer for Live Science who covers the environment, animals and health. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, Fatherly, Atlas Obscura, Hakai Magazine and Scholastic's Science World Magazine. Isobel's roots are in science. She studied biology at Scripps College in Claremont, California, while working in two different labs and completing a fellowship at Crater Lake National Park. She completed her master's degree in journalism at NYU's Science, Health, and Environmental Reporting Program. She currently lives in Portland, Oregon.