Educator Resources for Alan Turing

Cracking secret codes. Defeating deadly dictators. Inventing artificial intelligence. These aren't the fictional adventures of a video game super-spy. They're just a few of the accomplishments of a real-life hero, Alan Turing. The English mathematician conceived of many of the fundamental principles of digital computing and computer programming. During World War II, Turing used his unique approach to numbers, logic, and problem-solving to aid the British war effort. He led a team of top-notch code-breakers in unraveling the Enigma, the seemingly unbeatable Nazi encryption machine. The groundbreaking machine they designed helped decode thousands of German messages and save countless Allied lives. It also happened to be one of the forerunners of the modern computer. Despite his invaluable contributions, Turing was unheralded during his life. He was prosecuted for a homosexual relationship at a time when that was illegal in England. Two years later, he killed himself. Press "Play" to learn more about this unsung innovator who helped lay the foundation for the entire field of computer science.