Royal pardon for codebreaker Turing

Computer pioneer and codebreaker Alan Turing has been given a posthumous royal pardon. It addresses his 1952 conviction for homosexuality for which he was punished by being chemically castrated. The conviction meant he lost his security clearance and had to stop the code-cracking work that had proved vital to the Allies in World War Two. The pardon was granted under the Royal Prerogative of Mercy after a request by Justice Minister Chris Grayling. 'Appalling' treatment "Dr Alan Turing was aexceptional man with a brilliant mind," said Mr Grayling. He said the research Turing carried out during the war at Bletchley Park undoubtedly shortened the conflict and saved thousands of lives. Continue reading the main story Turing centenary 2012 saw a series of events that celebrated the life and work of Alan Turing. The events were held to mark the 100th anniversary of his birth Celebrating Turing Turing's work helped accelerate Allied efforts to read German Naval messages enciphered with the Enigma machine. He also contributed some more fundamental work on codebreaking that was only released to public scrutiny in April 2012. "His later life was overshadowed by his conviction for homosexual activity, a sentence we would now consider unjust and discriminatory and which has now been repealed," said Mr Grayling. "Turing deserves to be remembered and recognised for his fantastic contribution to the war effort and his legacy to science. A pardon from the Queen is a fitting tribute to an exceptional man." The pardon comes into effect on 24 December. Turing died in June 1954 from cyanide poisoning and an inquest decided that he had committed suicide. However, biographers, friends and other students of his life dispute the finding and suggest his death was an accident. Many people have campaigned for years to win a pardon for Turing. Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. //

Royal pardon for codebreaker Turing 2013-12-24T10:53:00-08:00 Rating: 4.5 Diposkan Oleh: Undercover 999