Tim Berners-Lee

Tim Berners-Lee - Inventor of the World Wide Web, Family and Family

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Tim Berners-Lee's Personal Details

Tim Berners-Lee is a British computer scientist who invented the World Wide Web

InformationDetail
BirthdayJune 8, 1955
NationalityBritish
FamousOxford University, Inventors & Discoverers, Computer Scientists, Inventor of the World Wide Web
SpousesRosemary Leith
Known asSir Timothy John Berners-Lee, TimBL
Universities
  • Oxford University
  • 1976 - The Queen's College
  • Oxford
  • 1973 - Emanuel School
Notable Alumnis
  • Oxford University
Founder / Co-Founder
  • World Wide Web Consortium
  • World Wide Web Foundation
Discoveries / Inventions
  • World Wide Web
  • Hypertext Transfer Protocol
  • HTML
  • Web Browser
Birth PlaceLondon
GenderMale
FatherConway Berners-Lee
MotherMary Lee Woods
Net Worth$50 Million as of Jan 15,2017
Sun SignGemini
Born inLondon
Famous asInventor of the World Wide Web

Tim Berners-Lee's photo

Who is Tim Berners-Lee?

Sir Tim Berners-Lee is a British computer scientist who invented what is undoubtedly one of the most revolutionary inventions of the 20th century—the World Wide Web (WWW). A qualified software engineer who was working at CERN when he came up with the idea of a global network system, Sir Tim is also credited for creating the world’s first web browser and editor. He founded the World Wide Web Foundation and directs the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). Both of his parents worked on the Ferranti Mark I, the first commercial computer, and thus it is not surprising that he too chose the field of computers. But what is surprising is the phenomenal impact his idea of a global network has had on the world of information and technology. An alumnus of the University of Oxford, he realized the need for a global communication network while working at CERN as the researchers from all over the world needed to share their data with each other. By the late 1980s he had drawn up a proposal for creating a global hypertext document system using the internet. A few more years of pioneering work in the field led to the birth of the World Wide Web making Berners-Lee one of the most significant inventors of the modern era.

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Childhood & Early Life

He was born on June 8, 1955, as Timothy Berners-Lee to Mary Lee Woods and Conway Berners-Lee. He has three siblings. Both his parents worked on the first commercially-built computer, the Ferranti Mark I and thus Tim was fascinated by computers from a young age.

He received his primary education from Sheen Mount Primary School before moving on to London's independent Emanuel School where he studied from 1969 to 1973.

He enrolled at The Queen’s College of the University of Oxford in 1973 and graduated in 1976 with a first-class degree in physics.

Career

He was appointed as an engineer at the telecommunications company, Plessey in Poole after completing his studies. He remained there for two years, working on distributed transaction systems, message relays, and bar code technology.

He left Plessey in 1978 and joined D. G. Nash Ltd. In this job he wrote typesetting software for intelligent printers and a multitasking operating system.

In the late 1970s he began working as an independent consultant and worked for many companies, including CERN where he worked from June to December 1980 as a consultant software engineer.

While at CERN he wrote a program called “Enquire” for his own personal use. It was a simple hypertext program which laid the conceptual foundation for the development of the World Wide Web in future.

He started working at John Poole’s Image Computer Systems, Ltd. in 1981. For the next three years he worked on the company’s technical side which enabled him to gain experience in computer networking. His work included real time control firmware, graphics and communications software, and a generic macro language.

He returned to CERN in 1984 after receiving a fellowship there. During the 1980s thousands of people were working at CERN and they needed to share information and data with each other. Much of the work was done by email and the scientists had to keep track of different things simultaneously. Tim realized that a simpler and more efficient method of data sharing had to be devised.

In 1989, he wrote a proposal for a more effective communication system within the organization which eventually led to the conceptualization of the World Wide Web—an information sharing system that could be implemented throughout the world.

The world’s first ever website, Info.cern.ch, was built at CERN and put online on 6th August 1991, ushering in a new era in the field of communication and technology. The site provided information of what the World Wide Web was and how it could be used for information sharing.

He established the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Laboratory for Computer Science in 1994. The W3C decided that its technologies should be royalty-free so that anyone could adopt them.

He became a professor in the Computer Science Department at the University of Southampton, UK, in December 2004. There he worked on the Semantic Web.

In 2006, he became the Co-Director of the Web Science Trust which was launched to analyze the World Wide Web and devise solutions to optimize its usage and design. He also serves as the Director of the World Wide Web Foundation, started in 2009.

Along with Professor Nigel Shadbolt, he is one of the key figures behind data.gov.uk, a UK Government project to make non-personal UK government data more accessible to the public.

Major Works

His invention, the World Wide Web, is counted among the most significant inventions of the 20th century. The web revolutionized the world of information and technology and has opened up several new avenues.

Awards & Achievements

He was presented with The Software System Award from the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) in 1995.

He was named as one of the 100 Most Important People of the 20th century by the Time Magazine in 1999.

He was made the Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in the New Year Honours "for services to the global development of the Internet" in 2004.

In 2013, he became one of five Internet and Web pioneers awarded the inaugural Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering.

Personal Life & Legacy

He met Jane while studying physics at Oxford and married her soon after graduation in 1976. This marriage, however, ended in a divorce.

While working for CERN he became acquainted with Nancy, an American software engineer. They so fell in love and tied the knot in 1990. This marriage too ended after some years.

Currently he is married to Rosemary Leith who he wed in June 2014.

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Tim Berners-Lee biography timelines

  • // 8th Jun 1955
    He was born on June 8, 1955, as Timothy Berners-Lee to Mary Lee Woods and Conway Berners-Lee. He has three siblings. Both his parents worked on the first commercially-built computer, the Ferranti Mark I and thus Tim was fascinated by computers from a young age.
  • // 1969 To 1973
    He received his primary education from Sheen Mount Primary School before moving on to London's independent Emanuel School where he studied from 1969 to 1973.
  • // 1973 To 1976
    He enrolled at The Queen’s College of the University of Oxford in 1973 and graduated in 1976 with a first-class degree in physics.
  • // 1976
    He met Jane while studying physics at Oxford and married her soon after graduation in 1976. This marriage, however, ended in a divorce.
  • // 1978
    He left Plessey in 1978 and joined D. G. Nash Ltd. In this job he wrote typesetting software for intelligent printers and a multitasking operating system.
  • // Dec 1980
    In the late 1970s he began working as an independent consultant and worked for many companies, including CERN where he worked from June to December 1980 as a consultant software engineer.
  • // 1981
    He started working at John Poole’s Image Computer Systems, Ltd. in 1981. For the next three years he worked on the company’s technical side which enabled him to gain experience in computer networking. His work included real time control firmware, graphics and communications software, and a generic macro language.
  • // 1984
    He returned to CERN in 1984 after receiving a fellowship there. During the 1980s thousands of people were working at CERN and they needed to share information and data with each other. Much of the work was done by email and the scientists had to keep track of different things simultaneously. Tim realized that a simpler and more efficient method of data sharing had to be devised.
  • // 1989
    In 1989, he wrote a proposal for a more effective communication system within the organization which eventually led to the conceptualization of the World Wide Web—an information sharing system that could be implemented throughout the world.
  • // 1990
    While working for CERN he became acquainted with Nancy, an American software engineer. They so fell in love and tied the knot in 1990. This marriage too ended after some years.
  • // 6th Aug 1991
    The world’s first ever website, Info.cern.ch, was built at CERN and put online on 6th August 1991, ushering in a new era in the field of communication and technology. The site provided information of what the World Wide Web was and how it could be used for information sharing.
  • // 1994
    He established the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Laboratory for Computer Science in 1994. The W3C decided that its technologies should be royalty-free so that anyone could adopt them.
  • // 1995
    He was presented with The Software System Award from the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) in 1995.
  • // 1999
    He was named as one of the 100 Most Important People of the 20th century by the Time Magazine in 1999.
  • // 2004
    He was made the Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in the New Year Honours "for services to the global development of the Internet" in 2004.
  • // Dec 2004
    He became a professor in the Computer Science Department at the University of Southampton, UK, in December 2004. There he worked on the Semantic Web.
  • // 2006
    In 2006, he became the Co-Director of the Web Science Trust which was launched to analyze the World Wide Web and devise solutions to optimize its usage and design. He also serves as the Director of the World Wide Web Foundation, started in 2009.
  • // 2013
    In 2013, he became one of five Internet and Web pioneers awarded the inaugural Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering.
  • // Jun 2014
    Currently he is married to Rosemary Leith who he wed in June 2014.

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Tim Berners-Lee's FAQ

  • What is Tim Berners-Lee birthday?

    Tim Berners-Lee was born at 1955-06-08

  • Where is Tim Berners-Lee's birth place?

    Tim Berners-Lee was born in London

  • What is Tim Berners-Lee nationalities?

    Tim Berners-Lee's nationalities is British

  • Who is Tim Berners-Lee spouses?

    Tim Berners-Lee's spouses is Rosemary Leith

  • What was Tim Berners-Lee universities?

    Tim Berners-Lee studied at Oxford University, 1976 - The Queen's College, Oxford, 1973 - Emanuel School

  • What was Tim Berners-Lee notable alumnis?

    Tim Berners-Lee's notable alumnis is Oxford University

  • Which company or organization was founded by Tim Berners-Lee?

    Tim Berners-Lee was the founder/co-founder of World Wide Web Consortium, World Wide Web Foundation

  • What is Tim Berners-Lee's inventions/discoveries?

    World Wide Web, Hypertext Transfer Protocol, HTML, Web Browser was invented (or discovered) by Tim Berners-Lee

  • Who is Tim Berners-Lee's father?

    Tim Berners-Lee's father is Conway Berners-Lee

  • Who is Tim Berners-Lee's mother?

    Tim Berners-Lee's mother is Mary Lee Woods

  • What is Tim Berners-Lee's sun sign?

    Tim Berners-Lee is Gemini

  • How famous is Tim Berners-Lee?

    Tim Berners-Lee is famouse as Inventor of the World Wide Web