Alan Turing stands as one of the most influential LGBTQ+ figures in the history of technology. During the Second World War, he played a crucial role at Bletchley Park in Buckinghamshire, working as part of the Government Code and Cypher School (GC&CS). There, Turing helped develop the Bombe machines, which were instrumental in breaking Nazi Germany’s Enigma code. This achievement significantly aided the Allied forces by uncovering hidden military communications.

Following the war, Turing continued his groundbreaking work, laying the foundation for areas that would become known as artificial intelligence and data science.

Tragically, Turing's life was marked by persecution due to his homosexuality, which was illegal in the UK until 1967. In 1952, he was prosecuted and forced to choose between imprisonment and chemical castration; he chose the latter. Turing died by suicide in 1954.
Since his death, society has come to recognize Turing as a hero. The British government issued an official apology in 2009, and he received a posthumous pardon in 2013. Today, Alan Turing is honored as the face of the £50 note, a tribute to his enduring impact on science and technology.