Guido van Rossum

Date of Birth: January 31, 1956

Zodiac Sign: Aquarius

Biography

Guido van Rossum is a renowned Dutch computer scientist best known as the creator of the Python programming language, which he first released in 1991. Born in The Hague, Netherlands, Guido’s early fascination with mathematics and computing led him to pursue a degree in mathematics and computer science from the University of Amsterdam, where he graduated in 1982. His work on Python has significantly influenced the field of software development, making programming more accessible and efficient for millions of developers around the globe. Guido began his professional career at Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica (CWI) in the Netherlands, where he developed the ABC programming language. This experience laid the foundation for his later work on Python. After moving to the United States, he worked at various prestigious tech companies, including Google and Dropbox, where he continued to refine and promote Python. Throughout his career, Guido has been a strong advocate for open-source software, and his commitment to the Python community is evident through his active participation in discussions and his role in guiding the language’s development. In 2018, he announced his retirement from his role as Python’s “Benevolent Dictator For Life” (BDFL), passing the baton to the Python Steering Council to guide the language’s future. Guido van Rossum’s contributions to computer science extend beyond Python. He has authored numerous papers and presentations on programming languages and software development. His work has earned him numerous awards and honors, including the prestigious NLUUG Award in 2003 and being named a Fellow of the Computer History Museum in 2018.

5 Interesting Facts about Guido van Rossum

1. Guido van Rossum named Python after the British comedy series “Monty Python’s Flying Circus.”

2. He was awarded the Free Software Foundation Award for the Advancement of Free Software in 2001.

3. Guido has a master’s degree in mathematics and computer science from the University of Amsterdam.

4. He worked at Google from 2005 to 2012 and contributed to the development of the Google App Engine.

5. In October 2020, Guido came out of retirement to join Microsoft as a Distinguished Engineer.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Guido van Rossum

1. “Python is an experiment in how much freedom programmers need. Too much freedom and nobody can read another’s code; too little and expressiveness is endangered.”

2. “I am not a great programmer; I am just a good programmer with great habits.”

3. “There is no best programming language; it all depends on what you want to do.”

4. “I hope to see Python as the world’s most widely used programming language.”

5. “Good code is its own best documentation.”