Alan Turing, the British mathematician who committed suicide almost 60 years ago, has been royally pardoned by Queen Elizabeth decades after his death.
Turing helped create the devices that helped unscramble the Enigma code used by the Nazis during World War II, was convicted of gross indecency in 1952 when being homosexual was illegal, and was sentenced to chemical castration by injections of female hormones, instead of going to prison. He killed himself two years later at 41. “His action saved countless lives," said British prime minister, David Cameron. "He also left a remarkable national legacy through his substantial scientific achievements, often being referred to as the ‘father of modern computing.’”
[via NY Times]