John BackusBY: RENEA YOUNG

ABOUT: John Warner Backus Born December 3, 1924

In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Died March 17, 2007

At the age of 82 at his home in Ashland, Oregon

Was an American Computer Science

Went to University of Virginia/ Studied Chemistry

Then quit to join the army

Began medical training at Haverford College

During his internship at the hospital, he was diagnosed with a bone tumor.

Successfully removed

Continue… John Warner Backus After moving to New York City, he trained to be a radio technician

and became interested in mathematics Graduated from Columbia University with a Master’s degree in

Mathematics in 1949

Later, joined International Business Machines Corporation

Achievements: First three at IBM, worked on the Selective Sequence Electronic

Calculator SSEC

In 1953, he developed the language Speedcoding

Was important in the development of compliers

Developed ALGOL 58 and influenced ALGOL 60 Short for ALGOrithmic Language

FORTRAN Is a high-level programming language

Stands for FORmula TRANslating System

Directed a team that invented the FORTRAN His Team Consist of:

• Irving Ziller

• Robert Nelson

• Harlan Herrick

• Richard Goldberg

• Sheldon F. Best

• Roy Nutt

• Lois Haibt

• David Sayre

Backus-Naur Form (BNF) Invented by John Backus and Peter Naur

Also known as Backus Normal Form

Is one of the main notation techniques for context-free grammar

OTHER BACKUS-NAUR FORM:

• Extended Backus-Naur Form (EBNF)

• Extension of Backus-Naur Form

• Augmented Backus-Naur Form (ABNF)

AWARDS 1963- Named an IBM Fellow

1967- Awarded W. W. McDowell Award

1975- Received the National Medal of Science

1977- Awarded ACM Turing Award

1985- Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences

1989- Awarded degree honoris causa from Universite Henri Poincare

In Nancy (France)

1993- Awarded Draper Prize

1997- Awarded Computer History Museum Fellow Award

June 1, 2007- Asteroid 6830 Johnbackus named in his honor