Charles P. Thacker facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Charles P. Thacker
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Thacker in 2008
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Charles Patrick Thacker
February 26, 1943 Pasadena, California, U.S.
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| Died | June 12, 2017 (aged 74) Palo Alto, California, U.S.
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| Alma mater | University of California, Berkeley (B.S., 1967) |
| Known for | Alto (computer) |
| Awards | IEEE John von Neumann Medal (2007) Turing Award (2009) Computer History Museum Fellow (2007) Eckert–Mauchly Award (2017) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Computer Science |
| Institutions | Xerox, DEC, Microsoft Research |
Charles Patrick "Chuck" Thacker (born February 26, 1943 – died June 12, 2017) was an American computer expert. He was a pioneer in designing computers. He helped create the Xerox Alto, which was a very important early computer. This computer was special because it used a mouse and a graphical user interface (GUI). A GUI lets you click on pictures and icons instead of typing commands.
Biography
Chuck Thacker was born in Pasadena, California on February 26, 1943. His father was an electrical engineer. His mother raised him and his brother.
He studied physics at the University of California, Berkeley. He earned his degree in 1967. After college, he joined a project at the university. This project helped develop early computer systems. Later, he and other smart people formed a company. This group then became key members at the Computer Systems Laboratory. This lab was part of Xerox Palo Alto Research Center (PARC).
During the 1970s and 1980s, Thacker worked at PARC. He led the team that created the Xerox Alto personal computer. He also helped invent the Ethernet. Ethernet is a way for computers to connect and share information in a local network. He also worked on other important projects. One of these was the first laser printer.
In 1983, Thacker helped start the Systems Research Center (SRC). This was a part of Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC). In 1997, he joined Microsoft Research. He helped set up their research center in Cambridge, England.
Later, Thacker returned to the United States. He designed the hardware for Microsoft's Tablet PC. This was a new type of computer that used a pen. He had worked on similar pen-based computers before. These included the "interim Dynabook" at PARC and the Lectrice at DEC SRC.
Chuck Thacker passed away on June 12, 2017. He was 74 years old.
Awards and Recognition
Chuck Thacker received many awards for his work. These awards recognized his important contributions to computers.
In 1994, he became a Fellow of the Association for Computing Machinery. This is a special honor for computer professionals.
In 2004, he won the Charles Stark Draper Prize. He shared this award with three other computer pioneers.
In 2007, he received the IEEE John von Neumann Medal. This medal is given for outstanding achievements in computer science.
Also in 2007, he was honored by the Computer History Museum. He became a Fellow for leading the development of the Xerox PARC Alto. He was also recognized for his work on networked computers and laser printing.
In 2010, he won the 2009 Turing Award. This is one of the highest honors in computer science. He received it for his work on the Alto, the first modern personal computer. He was also honored for his contributions to Ethernet and the tablet computer.
Thacker also received an honorary doctorate from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology. He was also a Technical Fellow at Microsoft.
See also
In Spanish: Charles Thacker para niños
