Niklaus Wirth was a Swiss computer scientist best known for designing the Pascal programming language, released in 1970 and named after the mathematician Blaise Pascal, which was created specifically to encourage clear, structured programming practices and became one of the most widely taught programming languages for a generation of computer science students. Wirth went on to design several successor languages built on similar structured principles, including Modula-2 and Oberon, often developing not just the language but also the compiler and even, in some cases, the underlying computer hardware and operating system needed to run it, reflecting his broader interest in the complete design of simple, coherent computing systems. He is also known for an aphorism about the tendency of software to grow more bloated even as hardware grows faster, often summarized as software gets slower more quickly than hardware gets faster, sometimes called Wirth's law. Wirth received the Turing Award in 1984 for developing a sequence of innovative computer languages, that being Euler, Algol-W, Modula and Pascal.
Facts
Birth YearSourced to the subject's own account Birth DateSourced to the subject's own account Death DateSourced to the subject's own account Death YearSourced to the subject's own account FieldSourced to the subject's own account Death PlaceSourced to the subject's own account NationalitySourced to the subject's own account Notable WorkSourced to the subject's own accountDesigned several programming languages including Pascal and pioneered classic topics in software engineering; won the 1984 Turing Award for developing a sequence of innovative computer languages. 1 BirthplaceSourced to the subject's own accountWinterthur, Switzerland 1 Connections
Associated With
Wirth designed Pascal (1970), one of the most influential early structured programming languages and a standard teaching language for decades.
Works In
In the Other Atlases
- Also in Geography Atlas: Switzerland, nationality there.
Sources
1. Wikipedia
WikipediaLead section, birth and death dates
Niklaus Emil Wirth (IPA: ) (15 February 1934-1 January 2024) was a Swiss computer scientist. He designed several programming languages, including Pascal, and pioneered several classic topics in software engineering. In 1984, he won the Turing Award, generally recognized as the highest distinction in computer science, "for developing a sequence of innovative computer languages".
Lead section, birth date
Niklaus Emil Wirth (IPA: ) (15 February 1934-1 January 2024) was a Swiss computer scientist. He designed several programming languages, including Pascal, and pioneered several classic topics in software engineering. In 1984, he won the Turing Award, generally recognized as the highest distinction in computer science, "for developing a sequence of innovative computer languages".
Early life and education section, birthplace
Niklaus Emil Wirth was born in Winterthur, Switzerland, on 15 February 1934.
Lead section, nationality
Niklaus Emil Wirth (IPA: ) (15 February 1934-1 January 2024) was a Swiss computer scientist. He designed several programming languages, including Pascal, and pioneered several classic topics in software engineering. In 1984, he won the Turing Award, generally recognized as the highest distinction in computer science, "for developing a sequence of innovative computer languages".
Lead section, field
Niklaus Emil Wirth (IPA: ) (15 February 1934-1 January 2024) was a Swiss computer scientist. He designed several programming languages, including Pascal, and pioneered several classic topics in software engineering. In 1984, he won the Turing Award, generally recognized as the highest distinction in computer science, "for developing a sequence of innovative computer languages".
Lead section, notable work
Niklaus Emil Wirth (IPA: ) (15 February 1934-1 January 2024) was a Swiss computer scientist. He designed several programming languages, including Pascal, and pioneered several classic topics in software engineering. In 1984, he won the Turing Award, generally recognized as the highest distinction in computer science, "for developing a sequence of innovative computer languages".
Death section, date
Wirth died in Zürich on New Year's Day 2024, at age 89.
Death section, place
Wirth died in Zürich on New Year's Day 2024, at age 89.
View the Source Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.