Richard Brodie (programmer) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Richard Brodie |
|
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Quiet Lion |
| Residence | Kirkland, Washington, U.S. |
| Born | November 10, 1959 (age 65) Newton, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| World Series of Poker | |
| Bracelet(s) | None |
| Money finish(es) | 8 |
| Highest ITM Main Event finish |
None |
| World Poker Tour | |
| Title(s) | None |
| Final table(s) | None |
| Money finish(es) | 6 |
Richard Reeves Brodie (born November 10, 1959) is an American computer programmer and author. He is famous for writing the very first version of Microsoft Word. After working at Microsoft, he became a motivational speaker. He also wrote two books.
Contents
Richard Brodie's Life Story
Early Years and Education
Richard Brodie was born in Newton, Massachusetts, in 1959. His father was a child psychologist. Richard went to Newton South High School. After high school, he started studying at Harvard College in 1977. He focused on computer science.
He left Harvard after two years. He moved to Palo Alto, CA to work for Xerox Corporation. There, he helped create a word processor called Bravo X. This is where he met Charles Simonyi, who became his mentor. Simonyi later invited Brodie to join him at Microsoft.
Working at Microsoft
In 1981, Charles Simonyi hired Richard Brodie at Microsoft. Richard was the 77th employee and a key member of the new Microsoft Application Division.
Richard Brodie quickly became known for his skills. He created the first version of Microsoft Word in less than seven months. He also wrote Microsoft's first C programming language tool. Plus, he made the original Microsoft Notepad program. He even created a version of Word for the IBM PC Jr. computer.
His success caught the attention of Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft. In 1983, Gates made Brodie his technical assistant. Brodie helped manage a big project called Cashmere. This project later became Word for Windows.
During the design of Cashmere, Brodie came up with some important ideas. He invented the Combo box, which is a mix of a text box and a drop-down menu. You see these everywhere today. He also thought of the Ribbon, which is a strip of buttons at the top of a screen. It helps you change how text looks. And he created the wavy red line that automatically checks for spelling errors.
Brodie left Microsoft in 1986. But he came back in 1991 as a Chief Software Designer. He led the Omega project, which became Microsoft Access in 1992. He left Microsoft again in 1994.
Life After Microsoft
Between his times at Microsoft, Brodie went on a journey of self-discovery. He took many courses and attended retreats. He wanted to understand why money and success did not make him happy.
He wrote about his experiences in his first book, Getting Past OK. It was published in 1993. This book became very popular in his region. He then wrote Virus of the Mind in 1995. This book talked about memetics, which is the study of how ideas spread. Both books are now published in many languages.
Richard Brodie talked about his books on popular TV shows. He appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show and Phil Donahue.
Poker Player
Besides being a programmer and author, Richard Brodie loves games. In 2003, he started playing professional poker. He has won money in five World Series of Poker events. He also won money in six World Poker Tours. He played poker online using the name Quiet Lion.
He appeared on the TV game show Identity. He also played himself in the movie The Grand.
In 2023, Brodie won the 32nd annual World Recreational Gambling Poker Tournament. He beat 440 other players. This win earned him a special place in poker history.
Richard Brodie lives in Kirkland, Washington.
Books by Richard Brodie
