COMPUTER SCIENTIST
Ken Thompson
1943 - Today

Ken Thompson
Kenneth Lane Thompson (born February 4, 1943) is an American pioneer of computer science. Thompson worked at Bell Labs for most of his career where he designed and implemented the original Unix operating system. He also invented the B programming language, the direct predecessor to the C language, and was one of the creators and early developers of the Plan 9 operating system. Since 2006, Thompson has worked at Google, where he co-developed the Go language. Read more on Wikipedia
His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. Ken Thompson is the 22nd most popular computer scientist (down from 19th in 2019), the 1,672nd most popular biography from United States (down from 1,368th in 2019) and the 14th most popular American Computer Scientist.
Ken Thompson is most famous for inventing the Unix operating system.
Memorability Metrics
Page views of Ken Thompson by language
Among COMPUTER SCIENTISTS
Among computer scientists, Ken Thompson ranks 22 out of 245. Before him are Ray Kurzweil, Marvin Minsky, John Cocke, Don Norman, Andrew S. Tanenbaum, and John Backus. After him are Alan Kay, Dorothy Vaughan, Vint Cerf, Larry Page, Sudha Murty, and George Dantzig.
Most Popular Computer Scientists in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsRay Kurzweil
1948 - Present
HPI: 68.42
Rank: 16
Marvin Minsky
1927 - 2016
HPI: 68.38
Rank: 17
John Cocke
1925 - 2002
HPI: 68.32
Rank: 18
Don Norman
1935 - Present
HPI: 68.16
Rank: 19
Andrew S. Tanenbaum
1944 - Present
HPI: 67.79
Rank: 20
John Backus
1924 - 2007
HPI: 67.57
Rank: 21
Ken Thompson
1943 - Present
HPI: 67.07
Rank: 22
Alan Kay
1940 - Present
HPI: 66.78
Rank: 23
Dorothy Vaughan
1910 - 2008
HPI: 66.50
Rank: 24
Vint Cerf
1943 - Present
HPI: 66.28
Rank: 25
Larry Page
1973 - Present
HPI: 66.27
Rank: 26
Sudha Murty
1950 - Present
HPI: 66.17
Rank: 27
George Dantzig
1914 - 2005
HPI: 66.07
Rank: 28
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1943, Ken Thompson ranks 97. Before him are Mohammed Badie, Wanda Rutkiewicz, Rodney Alcala, Piet Keizer, Roy Andersson, and Mikhail Leonidovich Gromov. After him are Colin Baker, Jean-Claude Killy, Hugh Thompson Jr., Superstar Billy Graham, Miguel Rodríguez Orejuela, and Thomas J. Sargent.
Others Born in 1943
Go to all RankingsMohammed Badie
POLITICIAN
1943 - Present
HPI: 67.21
Rank: 91
Wanda Rutkiewicz
MOUNTAINEER
1943 - 1992
HPI: 67.19
Rank: 92
Rodney Alcala
EXTREMIST
1943 - 2021
HPI: 67.19
Rank: 93
Piet Keizer
SOCCER PLAYER
1943 - 2017
HPI: 67.16
Rank: 94
Roy Andersson
FILM DIRECTOR
1943 - Present
HPI: 67.14
Rank: 95
Mikhail Leonidovich Gromov
MATHEMATICIAN
1943 - Present
HPI: 67.11
Rank: 96
Ken Thompson
COMPUTER SCIENTIST
1943 - Present
HPI: 67.07
Rank: 97
Colin Baker
ACTOR
1943 - Present
HPI: 67.03
Rank: 98
Jean-Claude Killy
SKIER
1943 - Present
HPI: 67.03
Rank: 99
Hugh Thompson Jr.
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1943 - 2006
HPI: 67.02
Rank: 100
Superstar Billy Graham
WRESTLER
1943 - 2023
HPI: 66.85
Rank: 101
Miguel Rodríguez Orejuela
POLITICIAN
1943 - Present
HPI: 66.64
Rank: 102
Thomas J. Sargent
ECONOMIST
1943 - Present
HPI: 66.58
Rank: 103
In United States
Among people born in United States, Ken Thompson ranks 1,672 out of 20,380. Before him are Ron Jeremy (1953), Dwight Schultz (1947), Queen Noor of Jordan (1951), Rosemary Kennedy (1918), Eric Johnson (1954), and Rubin Carter (1937). After him are Marvin Heemeyer (1951), Garry Marshall (1934), Michael Stuart Brown (1941), George Read (1733), Dean Reed (1938), and Chris Columbus (1958).
Others born in United States
Go to all RankingsRon Jeremy
PORNOGRAPHIC ACTOR
1953 - Present
HPI: 67.08
Rank: 1,666
Dwight Schultz
ACTOR
1947 - Present
HPI: 67.08
Rank: 1,667
Queen Noor of Jordan
NOBLEMAN
1951 - Present
HPI: 67.08
Rank: 1,668
Rosemary Kennedy
CELEBRITY
1918 - 2005
HPI: 67.08
Rank: 1,669
Eric Johnson
SINGER
1954 - Present
HPI: 67.08
Rank: 1,670
Rubin Carter
BOXER
1937 - 2014
HPI: 67.07
Rank: 1,671
Ken Thompson
COMPUTER SCIENTIST
1943 - Present
HPI: 67.07
Rank: 1,672
Marvin Heemeyer
EXTREMIST
1951 - 2004
HPI: 67.05
Rank: 1,673
Garry Marshall
FILM DIRECTOR
1934 - 2016
HPI: 67.05
Rank: 1,674
Michael Stuart Brown
PHYSICIAN
1941 - Present
HPI: 67.05
Rank: 1,675
George Read
POLITICIAN
1733 - 1798
HPI: 67.04
Rank: 1,676
Dean Reed
ACTOR
1938 - 1986
HPI: 67.04
Rank: 1,677
Chris Columbus
FILM DIRECTOR
1958 - Present
HPI: 67.04
Rank: 1,678
Among COMPUTER SCIENTISTS In United States
Among computer scientists born in United States, Ken Thompson ranks 14. Before him are Ray Kurzweil (1948), Marvin Minsky (1927), John Cocke (1925), Don Norman (1935), Andrew S. Tanenbaum (1944), and John Backus (1924). After him are Alan Kay (1940), Dorothy Vaughan (1910), Vint Cerf (1943), Larry Page (1973), George Dantzig (1914), and Arthur Samuel (1901).
Ray Kurzweil
1948 - Present
HPI: 68.42
Rank: 8
Marvin Minsky
1927 - 2016
HPI: 68.38
Rank: 9
John Cocke
1925 - 2002
HPI: 68.32
Rank: 10
Don Norman
1935 - Present
HPI: 68.16
Rank: 11
Andrew S. Tanenbaum
1944 - Present
HPI: 67.79
Rank: 12
John Backus
1924 - 2007
HPI: 67.57
Rank: 13
Ken Thompson
1943 - Present
HPI: 67.07
Rank: 14
Alan Kay
1940 - Present
HPI: 66.78
Rank: 15
Dorothy Vaughan
1910 - 2008
HPI: 66.50
Rank: 16
Vint Cerf
1943 - Present
HPI: 66.28
Rank: 17
Larry Page
1973 - Present
HPI: 66.27
Rank: 18
George Dantzig
1914 - 2005
HPI: 66.07
Rank: 19
Arthur Samuel
1901 - 1990
HPI: 66.01
Rank: 20