Where would we be without them?

Last month, we told you a little about some of the women computing pioneers whose photos and stories grace some of our meeting rooms at IT Services. This time we want to share a little about some of the men who have helped to shape our IT world. The exceptional people we tip our hats to include:

Portrait of Charles Babbage
Mathematician, Charles Babbage was born on 26 December 1791 and was the inventor of the first mechanical computer, which could perform mathematical calculations. He also designed his now famous Analytical Engine, which even had a memory unit.  
Image of Nikola Tesla
Nikola Tesla (July 1856) made invaluable contributions to the design of the modern alternating current (AC) electricity supply. His inventions and discoveries, including the Tesla coil which was widely used in radios and televisions, were ahead of his time.  
Photo of a young Alan Turing
Born on 23 June 1912, Alan Turing’s pivotal role in Britain's code breaking helped shorten the Second World War by more than two years, saving over fourteen million lives.​ He is widely known as the 'father of theoretical computer science and artificial intelligence'.  
Photo of Tim Berners-Lee
Sir Timothy Berners-Lee (8 June 1951) is an English engineer and computer scientist, who invented the World Wide Web. He also created the first web browser, server and editor, ensuring that the technology was freely available. We are proud that he is here with us at Oxford.  

 

Although we can’t be there at the moment, these remarkable individuals have IT Services meeting rooms named after them to recognise and celebrate their contributions to computing history. Their portraits and stories are there to remind us how they have influenced and shaped the world we live in today.