Dennis Ritchie
C and Unix
Ritchie
was best known as the creator of the C programming language, a key
developer of the UNIX operating system, and co-author of The C
Programming Language, and was the 'R' in K&R (a common reference to
the book's authors Kernighan and Ritchie). Ritchie worked together with
Ken Thompson, the scientist credited with writing the original Unix; one
of Ritchie's most important contributions to Unix was its porting to
different machines and platforms.
The C
language is widely used today in application, operating system, and
embedded system development, and its influence is seen in most modern
programming languages. UNIX has also been influential, establishing
concepts and principles that are now precepts of computing.
Ritchie was elected to
the National Academy of Engineering in 1988 for "development of the 'C'
programming language and for co-development of the UNIX operating
system.
Awards
Turing Award
In 1983,
Ritchie and Thompson jointly received the Turing Award for their
development of generic operating systems theory and specifically for the
implementation of the UNIX operating system. Ritchie's Turing Award
lecture was titled "Reflections on Software Research.
IEEE Richard W. Hamming Medal
In
1990, both Ritchie and Thompson received the IEEE Richard W. Hamming
Medal from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE),
"for the origination of the UNIX operating system and the C programming
language.
Fellow of the Computer History Museum
In
1997, both Ritchie and Thompson were made Fellows of the Computer
History Museum, "for co-creation of the UNIX operating system, and for
development of the C programming language.
National Medal of Technology
On
April 21, 1999, Thompson and Ritchie jointly received the National Medal
of Technology of 1998 from President Bill Clinton for co-inventing the
UNIX operating system and the C programming language which, according to
the citation for the medal, "led to enormous advances in computer
hardware, software, and networking systems and stimulated growth of an
entire industry, thereby enhancing American leadership in the
Information Age.
Japan Prize
In 2011,
Ritchie, along with Thompson, was awarded the Japan Prize for
Information and Communications for his work in the development of Unix
operating system.
Death and legacy
Ritchie
was found dead on October 12, 2011, at the age of 70 at his home in
Berkeley Heights, New Jersey, where he lived alone. First news of his
death came from his former colleague, Rob Pike.The cause and exact time
of death have not been disclosed.He had been in frail health for several
years following treatment for prostate cancer and heart disease.His
death came a week after the death of Steve Jobs; although Ritchie's
death did not receive as much media coverage, computer historians such
as Paul E. Ceruzzi said his influence was comparable.
Notable books
- Unix Programmer's Manual (1971).
- The C Programming Language (1978 with Brian Kernighan; see K&R).
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