Please note: The Alan Turing £50 note display closed on Sunday 13 March 2022.
From 989 nominations and a shortlist of 12 potential characters, the Bank whittled it down to just one – Alan Turing, mathematical genius and computing pioneer.
The breaking news was reported all over the world within minutes of the announcement – and Turing trended TWICE on Twitter, with mentions of the scientific genius himself topping the trending tables, and thousands also tweeting using the hashtag #Turing50.
The celebrations were particularly joyous as Turing’s work was overshadowed during his lifetime by the prosecution for homosexuality that saw him sidelined and cruelly punished.
The big reveal today @sim_manchester! #PHMRadical Alan Turing, who helped crack German Enigma and was persecuted for being gay will feature on the £50 bank note. #AlanTuring is generously sponsored by @bernarddonoghue https://t.co/Wxi2jS8UES #JoinTheRadicals #ideasworthsupporting pic.twitter.com/s6EYpvhjNw
— People’s History Museum (@PHMMcr) July 15, 2019
@sim_manchester has been inspiring me since school trips here – so what a privilege to return today to celebrate such a key figure in the intellectual history of the UK, and of Manchester. There’s a memorial to Turing on Sackville Street – near Manchester’s gay village. #LGBTQ pic.twitter.com/R2uQc0wUIT
— Dr Arthur Turrell (@arthurturrell) July 15, 2019
Many tweeters thought it was particularly fitting that the announcement was made here at the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester (we thought so too!)
Fitting that this tribute to @OfficialUoM ‘s true hero was launched here in Manchester at @sim_manchester https://t.co/L9fmsnv8aI
— Luke Georghiou (@lukegeorghiou) July 15, 2019
Oh this is wonderful, and fittingly announced @sim_manchester too. If only he was still here to see it ????
— Kevin Clark (@kdclark1975) July 15, 2019
Just realised the announcement was made at the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester, that’s a nice touch. #Turing50 #AlanTuring @sim_manchester
— Mandy LLAP???????????????? (@AmandaThelwell) July 15, 2019
If you missed the announcement and would like to watch it back, you can do so here:
We’ve published a series of blogs looking at why Turing was the right choice, by Lord Michael Grade who was involved in the campaign to pardon him, at a little-known aspect of Turing’s work in Manchester and our Science Museum Group Director of Science, Roger Highfield, takes a look at all the scientists on the shortlist.