It has taken a number of years, but finally the exceptional World war two code-breaker and father of computing, Alan Turing has been honoured with a commemorative blue plaque placed on the outside of his childhood home in sleepy Sussex town of St Leonards.
Turing is widely acknowledged for breaking Germany’s Enigma code that became vital in the Allied war effort, saving hundreds of thousands of lives. Later on his work on binary code and computation became the founding basis of the modern computing we all rely on so much these days, without which you would not be reading this.
Turing should have been hailed as a national hero, however, during 1952 he was charged with offences relating to his homosexuality, remember homosexuality was still illegal in the United Kingdom at that time. Faced with a choice of a lengthy prison sentence, possibly with hard labour or medical treatment, Turing settled for the treatment, which amounted to chemical castration. Turing died of ingesting cyanide in 1954, some believe this was a tragic accident whilst others are of the opinion that he took his own life.
The blue plaque was unveiled on the 100th anniversary of Turing’s birth on the wall of his former childhood home in Upper Maze Hill, St Leonards in Sussex.
“I think it is only right that we mark the town’s connection with this amazing man, who changed the world twice. It is no exaggeration to say that Alan Turing was one of the most remarkable people ever to have lived, and I am very pleased indeed that his childhood home in St Leonards has now been recognised.” Peter Chowney, the deputy council leader said.
