Dennis Ritchie, the co-creator of Unix and developer of the programming language C, has passed away. He was 70 years old. Ritchie was instrumental in the development of computers, and is one of the key contributors to the technology that made possible the personal computer.
Ritchie’s work with Unix is the basis of the Apple iOS, and the programming language C has been vital to the writing and development of websites. He may not be as well-known as many other computer scientists and innovators, but his work has made a lasting impact on personal computing. Every day consumers use products that relied on his work to develop to their current state.
Ritchie was known as ‘dmr’ in Usenet circles. In fact, Usenet would not have been possible without UNIX code co-developed by Ritchie. Usenet has been a prominent means of sharing and communication amongst the computer programming and technology community, and it’s even been used to announce various projects and innovations.
Reports have indicated that Ritchie had been treated for prostate cancer and heart disease. He worked for Bell Labs beginning in 1967 until 2007, earning a Ph.D from Harvard a year after starting. He, along with Ken Thompson, is a recipient of the Turing Award in 1983, and the pair were awarded the National Medal of Technology in 1998 for the development of C and Unix.
