born Jan. 10, 1938, Milwaukee, Wis., U.S.
U.S. computer scientist.
Knuth earned a Ph.D. in mathematics in 1963 from the California Institute of Technology. A pioneer in computer science, he took time out during the 1970s from writing his highly acclaimed multivolume The Art of Computer Programming in order to develop TeX, a document-preparation system. Because of its precise control of special characters and mathematical formulas, TeX and its variants soon became standard for submitting typeset-ready scientific and mathematical research papers for publication. He has received many awards and honours, including the Kyoto Prize (1996), the Turing Award (1974), and the National Medal of Science (1979).