Unix creator dies: Computer industry loses another leading light
by Steven Mostyn - Oct 14 2011, 09:55
Ritchie (centre) meets President Clinton alongside Kenneth Thompson. (Image: Wikimedia)
October has not been a good month for the world of technology where untimely departures are concerned. Moreover, following on from the death of Apple chief executive Steve Jobs, influential computer scientist Dennis Ritchie has also lost his battle with a prolonged illness.
Ritchie, who was born in Bronxville, New York, in 1941, was perhaps best known in the field of computer development for his contributions towards the creation of both the Unix operating system and the landmark ‘C’ programming language.
In terms of assessing Ritchie's legacy, the C programming language—which was created almost 40 years ago—remains in widespread use today and is commonly utilized by those working to build websites.
It’s also worth noting that the existence of Ritchie’s C language inspired the future creation of C++ and Java, both of which are hugely popular tools today.
In 1983, Dennis Ritchie and his development partner Kenneth Thompson were awarded the coveted Turing Award for their work on the Unix platform.
His death was announced on Thursday of this week by Alcatel-Lucent’s Bell Labs, where he had been a mainstay contributor from the early 1960s through to his retirement in 2007.
“Dennis was well loved by his colleagues at Alcatel-Lucent Bell Labs, and will be greatly missed,” said company president Jeong Kim in an official statement. “He was truly an inspiration to all of us, not just for his many accomplishments, but because of who he was as a friend, an inventor, and a humble and gracious man.”
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