The Bank of England has unveiled the design for the new £50 bill that features Alan Turing.
Mr. Turing was a gay mathematician whose theories were highly influential in the development of computer science, he is considered the brain behind modern computing.
He spearheaded a team at Britain’s Bletchley Park that cracked the Nazis’ Enigma code in 1941.
The UK central bank said on Thursday that the more durable and forgery-secure £50 polymer note (worth about $70 or 60 euros) will enter circulation on June 23, which is Turing’s birthday.
“He was also gay and was treated appallingly as a result.
“By placing him on our new polymer £50 banknote, we are celebrating his achievements, and the values he symbolises.” Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey said in a statement.
The bill’s design also contains a multitude of references to Turing and his work. It uses a 1951 photo of Turing that is currently part of the collection of the National Portrait Gallery in London as well as ticker tape showing his birthday in binary code.
The bill also has a quote from Turing from a 1949 interview: “This is only a foretaste of what is to come, and only the shadow of what is going to be.”
