68: Turing

From On This Day’s Facebook:

June 7, 1954 - Alan Turing passed away from cyanide poisoning - suspected suicide. Considered to be the Father of computer science & artificial intelligence as well as enigma code breaker but ostracized in his lifetime due to his sexuality. Officially pardoned of his “crime” he is now on the £50 bank note in the U.K.

^ Not only did he break Nazi Germany’s Codes during World War 2 and save countless Soldiers and Civilians, but in 1936 he created the Turing Machine, published “The Turing Proof” in 1937, created “The Turing Test” in 1950 and  created “The Turing Pattern” in 1952.

He committed suicide 16 days before his 42^nd Birthday.

In 2009, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown made an Official Government Apology on the way Turing was treated for being Gay. In 2013, Queen Elizabeth II granted him a posthumous pardon.

Also, the term "Alan Turing Law" is now used informally to refer to a 2017 Law in the United Kingdom  (only in England and Wales) that retroactively pardoned men cautioned or convicted under historical legislation that outlawed Homosexual acts (around 50,000 Dead Men have automatically been pardoned and around 15,000 Living Men who have applied have been pardoned.)  

Other countries have similar Gay Pardon Laws: Canada (in 2018) and Germany (in 2002 just for Gays discriminated against by the Nazis and in 2017 for all Gays.) ^