Have you ever wondered about the life of Alan Turing the man hailed as the father of computing? Strolling through London you can walk in the footsteps of this remarkable historical figure whose contributions as a World War II codebreaker helped shape the modern world. Join us as we explore the extraordinary achievements and enduring legacy of a man once forgotten, but now rightfully remembered and honoured.
Early Life
Alan Mathison Turing was born in 1912 in a nursing home in Maida Vale, west London close to Warwick Avenue tube station. He was a brilliant mathematician and computer pioneer. Some regard him as the father of modern computing. An English Heritage blue plaque marks the place where Turing was born, it is now a hotel.
War Hero and Codebreaker
During World War II he helped to crack the enigma code at Bletchley Park to the north of London, which meant secret German communications could be decoded especially regarding U boats (German submarines) attacking the Atlantic convoys of merchant vessels protected by the Royal Navy taking food and other goods across the north Atlantic. Cracking it shortened the war and saved many lives. Turing was awarded an OBE for his efforts. His contribution as a codebreaker is celebrated as a turning point in history underscoring his role as a silent hero.
Post-War Contributions to Computing
After the war he worked at the National Physical Laboratory where he pioneered a stored-program computer before helping to develop the Manchester computers at the Victoria University of Manchester (now the University of Manchester).
Persecution Due to Sexuality
Turing was a gay man and in 1954 was prosecuted for having a relationship with a man, Arnold Murray. The relationship was discovered after a burglary at Alan Turing’s home. The man he was in a relationship with was acquainted with the suspect. Turing was charged with Murray under a law passed in 1885 (Criminal Law Amendment Act) that created the offence of ‘gross indecency’ outlawing all sexual contact between men.
At the trial in March 1952 (Regina v Turing and Murray) held in Knutsford, Cheshire, Turing pleaded guilty but instead of imprisonment opted to undergo a series of injections which amounted to chemical castration. The chemicals made him impotent and took away his libido.
Tragic Death
Turing became very unhappy and took his own life. He was found dead on 8th June 1954 by his housekeeper at his home in Wilmslow, Cheshire. Cyanide poisoning was given as the cause of death. He was cremated at Woking crematorium in Surrey two days later, just 3 people attended his funeral. A tragic end for a genius who was a war hero. His former home in Wilmslow now has a blue plaque, this is not however an official English Heritage blue plaque, these are only found in London.
Legacy and Recognition
Turing was forgotten about until the 1990s but is now rightfully honoured and commemorated in many ways. There are now numerous plaques (including the ones mentioned above), street names and statues to honour him. In London near the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park there is the Turing Building which is on Turing Street. In Manchester there is the Alan Turing Building, a part of the University of Manchester plus a statue in Sackville Gardens near Canal Street, the heart of the ‘gay village’. Since 2021 the £50 note has featured Alan Turing, the first to feature someone who was LGBT+.
In 2009 he received an official posthumous public apology from the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown. In 2013 he received a posthumous pardon from Queen Elizabeth II on the recommendation of the Home Secretary Theresa May who was in the government of Prime Minister, David Cameron.
In 2017 all men convicted of historic offences committed under now repealed legislation were invited to request a pardon (i.e. between 1885 and 1967 in England and Wales; it was the 1980s before this happened in Scotland and Northern Ireland). This was under a section of the Policing and Crime Act 2017 which became known as ‘Turing’s Law’. All the men who have applied are old (same sex relationships between women were not included in the 1885 Act).
A highly acclaimed film called ‘The Imitation Game’ about the life of Alan Turing came out in 2014 which brought his story to new audiences.
I will end with the highly fitting wording on the memorial plaque underneath Turing’s statue in Manchester which rightly emphasises that Alan Turing was a victim of prejudice, thank goodness we have moved forward from the days in which a homophobic law forced him to take his own life.
If you’d like to explore more powerful stories like Turing’s and walk in the footsteps of LGBTQ+ individuals that helped shape our history, why not join me on a LGBTQ+ Walking Tour? Book your spot now!
