Historical contribution
What Backus contributed
Backus led the team that delivered FORTRAN and an aggressive optimising compiler for the IBM 704 in 1957. The compiler had to produce efficient code to persuade scientific programmers that a higher-level language was practical.
Why it mattered
FORTRAN made numerical programming more accessible and portable, helped establish the commercial value of compilers and remained influential in scientific computing.
Connected topics
Where this fits in ITEM
Evidence
Sources and further reading
- FORTRAN
IBM
- History of FORTRAN paper
Computer History Museum
- John Backus
IBM
- First COBOL compilers
Computer History Museum