December 24th Events
December 24th
12-24-2013 Queen Elizabeth II grants Alan Turing a pardon. His code breaking prowess helped the Allies win against the Nazis. He was a mathematical genius and his theories laid the foundation for the computer age. Justice Secretary Chris Grayling describing Turing’s treatment for being gay unjust, said that the code breaker “deserves to be remembered and recognized for his fantastic contribution to the war effort and his legacy to science.”
Alan Turing didn’t “help” win the war, he made it possible for the allies to win in a way that no one else could.
Turing should never have been prosecuted by British authorities. I’m certain that the Crown knew what he was, but simply decided to leave him to British law. His pardon is way too little, way too late. I guess that in the 1950’s, it simply wouldn’t do to have to admit that the fellow that saved the world as we knew it was queer.