Turing was also a war hero. During World War II, he came up with many innovations in the field of cryptography that helped the Allies decrypt German transmissions. While it is hard to quantify how much any individual contributed to such a massive effort as defeating the Axis powers, most scholars believe that the work done by Turing's team at a minimum shortened the war and saved lives. It is not a stretch to think that Turing's work was a major contributor to victory for his native England.
In spite of this, Turing died in shame in 1954 after two years earlier being convicted of homosexuality, which was illegal at that time under British law.
Let me say that I believe that it is dangerous to attempt to apply modern standards to something that happened fifty years ago. And, while no one at the time could have foreseen how important Turing's work would become over the next half century, such things shouldn't bear any weight in a trial for a completely unrelated crime. Still, with that said, the law was wrong. It should have been recognized as wrong in 1954, for it was conceived from the same intolerance that the Nazis espoused. It is no excuse that homosexuality was considered a disease by some, for those afflicted with disease should treated with compassion, not ridicule and shame.
A group of British citizens are now petitioning for an apology to Turing by the British government. There is also a petition of international support that can be signed by anyone.
Gordon Brown, the British Prime Minister, issued an apology last Thurdsay.
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