Backus, John Warner

Backus, John Warner
▪ 2008

      American computer scientist

born Dec. 3, 1924 , Philadelphia, Pa.

died March 17, 2007 , Ashland, Ore.
led the team at IBM that during the 1950s designed FORTRAN (formula translation), the first important algorithmic language for computers and the most continuously used high-level language in information technology. The development of FORTRAN was instrumental in paving the way for modern software. Backus, who tired of laborious hand coding, was granted permission to assemble a team at IBM that would work on improving efficiency; the group devised FORTRAN, which produced programs that were as good as those written by professional programmers. Backus also cocreated (with Gene M. Amdahl) FORTRAN for the IBM 704 computer and designed (with Peter Naur) Algol 60, a new international scientific programming language. Restless as a young man, Backus found his niche in mathematics, earning a B.S. (1949) and an M.A. (1950) from Columbia University, New York City. He joined IBM in 1950 and remained there until his retirement in 1991. Among his many honours, Backus received the 1977 Turing Award, the National Medal of Science (1975), and the Charles Stark Draper Prize (1993), the highest award given by the National Academy of Engineering.

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  • John Warner Backus — (* 3. Dezember 1924 in Philadelphia; † 17. März 2007 in Ashland, Oregon) war einer der Pioniere der Informatik. Er war Leiter des Entwicklungsteams von Fortran, der ersten Programmierhochsprache. Mit …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • John Backus — John Warner Backus John Warner Backus (* 3. Dezember 1924 in Philadelphia; † 17. März 2007 in Ashland, Oregon) war einer der Pioniere der Informatik. Er war Leiter des Entwicklungsteams von Fortran, der ersten Programmierhochsprache. Mit …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • John W. Backus — John Warner Backus John Warner Backus (* 3. Dezember 1924 in Philadelphia; † 17. März 2007 in Ashland, Oregon) war einer der Pioniere der Informatik. Er war Leiter des Entwicklungsteams von Fortran, der ersten Programmierhochsprache. Mit …   Deutsch Wikipedia

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  • Warner — /wawr neuhr/, n. 1. Charles Dudley /dud lee/, 1829 1900, U.S. editor and essayist. 2. Glenn Scobey /skoh bee/, ( Pop ), 1871 1954, U.S. football coach. 3. Jack L(eonard), 1892 1978, U.S. film producer, born in Canada. * * * (as used in… …   Universalium

  • john — /jon/, n. Slang. 1. a toilet or bathroom. 2. (sometimes cap.) a fellow; guy. 3. (sometimes cap.) a prostitute s customer. [generic use of the proper name] * * * I known as John Lackland born Dec. 24, 1167, Oxford, Eng. died Oct. 18/19, 1216,… …   Universalium

  • John — /jon/, n. 1. the apostle John, believed to be the author of the fourth Gospel, three Epistles, and the book of Revelation. 2. See John the Baptist. 3. (John Lackland) 1167? 1216, king of England 1199 1216; signer of the Magna Carta 1215 (son of… …   Universalium

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