Monday, December 23, 2013

Alan Turing pardoned by Queen Elizabeth II


A blue plaque marking Turing's home at Wilmslow, Cheshire

Alan Turing pardoned by Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Elizabeth II has pardoned Alan Turning, the father of computing and World War II hero, for his 1952 conviction for having sex with another man.

Turing helped crack the Enigma code, helping the Allies understand German communications and ultimately win the war.

But in 1952 he was convicted for ‘gross indecency’ with another man by a British court. Instead of prison, he accepted treatment with female hormones – also known as chemical castration.

This led to Turing committing suicide in 1954. aged 41