Michael Dertouzos facts for kids

Michael Leonidas Dertouzos (Greek: Μιχαήλ Λεωνίδας Δερτούζος; November 5, 1936 – August 27, 2001) was a smart professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He taught about computers and electrical engineering. From 1974 to 2001, he was the leader of the MIT Laboratory for Computer Science (LCS).

Michael Dertouzos knew very early that computers would become super important. He was one of the first people to work on many new technologies. He helped create the internet as we know it. He imagined a world where computers were everywhere, helping us all the time.

Early Life and Education

Michael Dertouzos was born in Athens, Greece. His dad was an admiral in the Greek navy. Young Michael often went with him on ships like destroyers and submarines. This made him very interested in technology. He learned Morse code, how ship machines worked, and math when he was young.

When he was 16, he found out about Claude Shannon's ideas on how information works. He also learned about MIT trying to build a robot mouse. These things made him want to study at MIT.

Dertouzos went to high school at Athens College. After World War II ended, he came to the United States. He got a special scholarship called a Fulbright scholarship. This helped him study electrical engineering. He earned his first two degrees at the University of Arkansas in 1957 and 1959. Then, he got his Ph.D. in electrical engineering from MIT in 1964.

Michael Dertouzos's Career at MIT

After finishing his studies, Michael Dertouzos immediately joined the teachers at MIT. He stayed there for his whole career. While Dertouzos was in charge, the LCS lab invented many cool things.

These inventions included:

• RSA encryption (a way to keep information secret)
• The spreadsheet (like programs you use for numbers)
• The NuBus (a type of computer connection)
• The X Window System (a way for computers to show graphics)
• The Internet (the worldwide network we use every day)

Dertouzos was very important in starting the World Wide Web Consortium. This group helps make sure the internet works well for everyone. He also strongly supported the GNU Project, Richard Stallman, and the FSF. These groups work to create free computer software. He also helped start Project Oxygen at MIT. This project wanted to make computers so common that they would be like the air we breathe. They wanted computers to be everywhere and easy for people to use.

In 1968, he started a company called Computek, Inc. He started it with Marvin C. Lewis and Dr. Huber Graham. This company made special computer screens and smart terminals.

Michael Dertouzos passed away on August 27, 2001. He was 64 years old. He is buried in Athens, Greece.

Special Recognition

On November 5, 2018, Google honored him with a special picture on their homepage. This picture is called a doodle.