Fernando J. Corbató facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Fernando José Corbató
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| Born | July 1, 1926 Oakland, California, U.S.
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| Died | July 12, 2019 (aged 93) Newburyport, Massachusetts, U.S.
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| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | California Institute of Technology (B.S., 1950) Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Ph.D., 1956) |
| Known for | Multics |
| Awards | Turing Award (1990) Computer History Museum Fellow (2012) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Computer Scientist |
| Institutions | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| Thesis | A calculation of the energy bands of the graphite crystal by means of the tight-binding method (1956) |
| Doctoral advisor | John C. Slater |
| Doctoral students | Jerome H. Saltzer |
Fernando José "Corby" Corbató was an American computer scientist. He was born on July 1, 1926, and passed away on July 12, 2019. He was a very important person in the world of computers.
Corbató helped create time-sharing operating systems. These systems let many people use one computer at the same time. He also invented the password system we use today. This system keeps our computer information safe.
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Who Was Fernando Corbató?
Fernando Corbató was born in Oakland, California. He studied at the California Institute of Technology. Later, he earned his Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He spent most of his career working at MIT.
His work changed how people used computers. Before time-sharing, only one person could use a computer at a time. This made computers very slow and expensive to use.
What is Time-Sharing?
Imagine a big, powerful computer. Before Corbató's work, only one person could sit and use it. Everyone else had to wait their turn. This was like having only one TV in a house with many people.
Time-sharing changed this. It allowed the computer to quickly switch between different users. Each user felt like they had the computer all to themselves. This made computers much more useful and available to many people. It was a huge step forward!
The Password System
With many people using one computer, there was a problem. How could each person keep their files private? Fernando Corbató came up with the idea of using passwords.
Passwords made sure that only the right person could access their own information. This system is still used everywhere today. Think about logging into your phone or a website. That's thanks to his idea!
His Amazing Awards
Fernando Corbató received many important awards for his work.
The Turing Award
In 1990, he won the Turing Award. This is one of the highest honors in computer science. It's like the Nobel Prize for computer scientists. He received it for his work on time-sharing systems. The award recognized his ideas that helped create large computer systems for many users.
Computer History Museum Fellow
In 2012, Corbató was named a Fellow of the Computer History Museum. This honor recognized his early work on time-sharing. It also highlighted his contributions to the Multics operating system. Multics was one of the first time-sharing operating systems.
His Later Life
Fernando Corbató lived a long life. He passed away on July 12, 2019. He was 93 years old. He died in Newburyport, Massachusetts, due to health issues related to diabetes. His ideas continue to shape how we use computers every day.
See also
In Spanish: Fernando Corbató para niños
