John Backus
Computer scientist
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About John Backus
John Backus was a radio technician before he was hired by the International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) in 1950. Three years later, he developed the programming language known as ‘Speedcoding’. He shot to stardom in 1954 when he led a group of computer experts to design another programming language called Fortran.
He went ahead to work with the groups that created ALGOL 60 and ALGOL 58 before developing the Backus–Naur form. He also conducted a comprehensive study on the function-level programming model.
Personal Life
His marriage to Marjorie Jamison ended in 1966. Two years later, he tied the knot with Barbara Una. He had two kids.
Education
Backus attended a number of institutions including the University of Pittsburgh, the University of Virginia, and Columbia University.
Awards
In 1967, he received the W. W. McDowell Award from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. He was also a recipient of the National Medal of Science, as well as the Turing Award.
Other Facts
Asteroid 6830 Johnbackus was named after him in 2007.
He served in the army, but was discharged due to medical reasons.
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F.A.Q. about John Backus
When is his birthday?
John Backus' birthday is on December 3, 1924.
In how many days is his birthday?
John's birthday is in 222 days
How old was John when he died?
He was 82 years old.
When did he die?
He died in March 17, 2007.
How old would he be today?
John Backus would be 99 years old if he was alive today.
Where was John from?
He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S..