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2024-09-22 08:20:01

Richard Stallman

Free software movement activist and programmer
Free software movement activist and programmer

Richard Stallman, also known as rms, is an American activist and programmer who campaigns for free software. He founded the GNU Project, developed GNU Compiler Collection and GNU Emacs, and authored the GNU General Public License. Stallman pioneered copyleft and co-founded the League for Programming Freedom. He advocates for free software and against software patents and digital rights management.

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1953-03-16
Richard Stallman born

Richard Stallman, often abbreviated as 'rms', was born on March 16, 1953. He is an American software freedom activist, hacker, and software developer.

1963-07-01
Stallman Reads Computer Manuals for IBM 7094

During his time at summer camp, Richard Stallman reads his first computer manuals for the IBM 7094.

1970
Summer Internship at IBM New York Scientific Center

In 1970, during his senior year of high school, Stallman was hired by the IBM New York Scientific Center to write a numerical analysis program in Fortran. After completing the task, he worked on a text editor in APL and a preprocessor for the PL/I programming language on the IBM System/360.

1971-05-31
Stallman Starts at MIT

Richard Stallman begins programming in the MIT artificial intelligence lab after completing his freshman year of college.

1972
Stallman finds solace in programming

After the knee injury and social withdrawal, Richard Stallman found solace in programming, focusing on his achievements in this area.

1974-05-29
Graduation from Harvard

On May 29, 1974, an individual graduated from Harvard with a Bachelor of Arts degree in physics.

1975
Published Paper on AI Truth Maintenance System

In 1975, Stallman, while working as a research assistant at MIT, published a paper with Gerry Sussman on an AI truth maintenance system, introducing the technique of dependency-directed backtracking, which is still considered the most general and powerful form of intelligent backtracking.

1976
US Copyright Act of 1976

The US Copyright Act of 1976 triggered a shift in the legal characteristics of software, leading to manufacturers using copyright and restrictive software licenses to limit or prohibit copying and redistribution.

1977-03-01
Stallman Hacks MIT's Password System

Richard Stallman hacks MIT's password system, showcasing his skills and challenging the security measures in place.

1979
Brian Reid places time bombs in Scribe markup language

In 1979, Brian Reid placed time bombs in the Scribe markup language and word processing system to restrict unlicensed access to the software, which Richard Stallman criticized as 'a crime against humanity'.

1980
Stallman and Hackers Denied Source Code for Xerox 9700 Laser Printer

In 1980, Richard Stallman and other hackers at the AI Lab were denied access to the source code for the Xerox 9700 laser printer, which hindered their ability to modify the software. Stallman had previously customized software for an older printer to send notifications to users, highlighting the importance of software freedom.

1982-09-07
Stallman hacks MIT password control system

Stallman hacked into the MIT lab computers' password control system, decrypted all users' passwords, and emailed them urging a return to anonymous logins.

1983-01-01
Announcement of GNU Project

On January 1, 1983, the GNU Project was announced by an individual.

1983-01-28
Stallman announces GNU

Stallman announced the GNU project, aiming to create a free operating system to counter the rise of proprietary software.

1983-09-27
Announcement of the GNU Project

On September 27, 1983, Richard M. Stallman (RMS) posted the initial announcement of GNU, his project to develop a fully free (as in freedom) operating system. The announcement laid out the plan for GNU's development and core components.

1983-09-28
Development of GNU Operating System

Richard Stallman announced the development of a free operating system named GNU, which stands for GNU's Not Unix.

1984-01-05
Start of GNU Project

On January 5, 1984, Stallman began working on the GNU project, aiming to create an operating system entirely based on free software.

1985-01-01
Published GNU Manifesto

On January 1, 1985, Richard Stallman published the GNU Manifesto, outlining the goals and philosophy of the GNU Project.

1985-09-28
Stallman Quits MIT

Richard Stallman left MIT to dedicate his time fully to working on the GNU project.

1985-10-01
Started Free Software Foundation

On October 1, 1985, Richard Stallman founded the Free Software Foundation to support the development of free software and promote users' freedom.

1985-10-04
Foundation of Free Software Foundation

Richard Stallman officially founded the Free Software Foundation (FSF) as a non-profit organization to support the free software movement.

1986
Richard Stallman receives Honorary life time membership in the Chalmers Computer Society

In 1986, Richard Stallman was awarded Honorary life time membership in the Chalmers Computer Society.

1988-01-01
Called For Apple Boycott

On January 1, 1988, Richard Stallman called for a boycott of Apple products due to their restrictive software policies.

1989-01-01
First Program-independent GNU General Public License Released

On January 1, 1989, the first version of the GNU General Public License (GPL) was released, providing a legal framework for free software distribution.

1989-09-28
Release of GNU General Public License

The first independent GNU General Public License (GPL) was released, marking a significant milestone in the free software movement.

1990
Development of GNU General Public License

Richard Stallman pioneered the concept of copyleft and is the main author of several copyleft licenses including the GNU General Public License, the most widely used free software license.

1991-08
Linux Joins Project GNU

Linus Torvalds, a Finnish student, introduced the Linux kernel to the GNU project, providing a solution to the challenges faced by the Free Software movement with the Hurd kernel.

1992
Linux Replaces Hurd in GNU Operating System

Richard Stallman initially hesitated to use Linux due to its limitations, but later recognized its advantages and replaced Hurd with Linux as the kernel of the GNU operating system.

1994
Creation of GNU/Linux Operating System

In 1994, the GNU/Linux operating system was born from the combination of Richard Stallman's GNU utilities and the kernel developed by Linus Torvalds. This collaboration led to the development of a widely used open-source operating system.

1996
Doctorate honoris causa from Sweden's Royal Institute of Technology

In 1996, Richard Stallman received an honorary doctorate from Sweden's Royal Institute of Technology for his exceptional contributions to the development of the extensible editor EMACS.

1998
Electronic Frontier Foundation's Pioneer award

In 1998, Richard Stallman was honored with the Electronic Frontier Foundation's Pioneer award for his pioneering work in the development of the extensible editor EMACS.

1999
Call for Development of Free Online Encyclopedia

In 1999, Richard Stallman called for the development of a free online encyclopedia by inviting the public to contribute.

2001
The Takeda Techno-Entrepreneurship Award for Social/Economic Well-Being

In 2001, Richard Stallman received The Takeda Techno-Entrepreneurship Award for Social/Economic Well-Being, acknowledging his innovative and impactful contributions to technology and entrepreneurship.

2002
United States National Academy of Engineering membership

In 2002, Richard Stallman became a member of the United States National Academy of Engineering, highlighting his significant contributions to the field of engineering and technology.

2003
Introduction of term GNU+Linux

Starting around 2003, Richard Stallman began using the term GNU+Linux to prevent others from mispronouncing the phrase GNU/Linux, which would erroneously imply that the kernel Linux is maintained by the GNU project.

2004
Honorary Professorship from the Universidad Nacional de Ingeniería del Perú

In 2004, Richard Stallman was appointed an honorary professor at the Universidad Nacional de Ingeniería del Perú.

2006-04
Protest against proprietary software at ATI

In April 2006, Richard Stallman protested against proprietary software by holding a placard at an ATI event, criticizing ATI as an 'enemy of freedom'. This action led to police intervention and subsequent steps taken by AMD, which later acquired ATI, to make their hardware documentation available for the free software community.

2006-07
Advocacy for GNU GPL Version 3

During the public consultation for the GNU GPL Version 3 in 2006 and 2007, Stallman actively campaigned for the proposed changes, emphasizing software freedom and community rights.

2006-08
Advocacy for free software in Indian State of Kerala

In August 2006, Richard Stallman successfully persuaded officials in the Indian State of Kerala to replace proprietary software with free software in state-run schools, leading to a significant decision to switch all school computers to a free software operating system.

2007-10-19
Stallman helps International Music Score Library Project

On October 19, 2007, Richard Stallman assisted the International Music Score Library Project in getting back online after it was taken down following a cease and desist letter from Universal Edition.

2008
Receiving Doctorate honoris causa from the Universidad Nacional de Trujillo

In 2008, the individual received a Doctorate honoris causa from the Universidad Nacional de Trujillo in Peru.

2009
Receiving Doctor of Science honoris causa from Lakehead University

In 2009, the individual received a Doctor of Science honoris causa from Lakehead University in Canada.

2011-02
Resignation from Advisory Council of teleSUR

In February 2011, Richard Stallman resigned from the Advisory Council of Latin American television station teleSUR, citing criticism of pro-Gaddafi propaganda during the Arab Spring.

2012
Honorary Professorship from the Universidad César Vallejo de Trujillo

In 2012, Richard Stallman was appointed an honorary professor at the Universidad César Vallejo de Trujillo.

2013
Richard Stallman Inducted into Internet Hall of Fame

In 2013, Richard Stallman was inducted into the Internet Hall of Fame for his contributions to the Free Software Movement and the development of the GNU operating system.

2014
Honorary Doctorate from Concordia University

Richard Stallman received an honorary doctorate from Concordia University in 2014.

2015
Publication of 'Free Software, Free Society: Selected Essays of Richard M. Stallman'

In 2015, Richard M. Stallman published the third edition of his book 'Free Software, Free Society: Selected Essays of Richard M. Stallman' which contains a collection of his essays advocating for free software.

2016
Receiving Association for Computing's Software and Systems Award

In 2016, Richard Stallman received the Association for Computing's Software and Systems Award for the development of GCC, the GNU Compiler Collection.

2017
Receiving Doctorate honoris causa from Universidad Nacional de Jujuy

In 2017, Richard Stallman received a Doctorate honoris causa from the Universidad Nacional de Jujuy in Argentina.

2018
Receiving Doctorate honoris causa from Universidad de Tucumán

In 2018, Richard Stallman received a Doctorate honoris causa from the Universidad de Tucumán in Argentina.

2019-09-13
Stallman's Controversial Comments on Marvin Minsky and Epstein Case

Richard Stallman, a prominent figure in the tech community, faced backlash for his comments on Marvin Minsky's involvement in the Jeffrey Epstein case. Stallman's remarks stirred controversy and calls for his resignation from MIT.

2019-09-14
Stallman Acknowledges Change in Stance on Child Sexuality

On September 14, 2019, Richard Stallman publicly acknowledged a shift in his views on child sexuality, stating that he had come to understand the harm caused by sex with a child. This acknowledgment followed criticism of his past writings advocating for the legalization of child pornography.

2019-09-16
Resignation from MIT and FSF

On September 16, 2019, Richard Stallman announced his resignation from both MIT and FSF due to pressure and misunderstandings regarding his comments on Jeffrey Epstein. He clarified that he did not defend Epstein and expressed regret for the hurt caused by the misinterpretation.

2021-04-12
FSF Re-affirms Decision to Retain Stallman

On April 12, 2021, the FSF board re-affirmed its decision to bring back Richard Stallman despite the controversy surrounding his return. Stallman issued a statement addressing his social skills and apologizing for any misunderstandings.

2023-09
Diagnosis of Follicular Lymphoma

In September 2023, during the GNU 40th anniversary event, Stallman revealed that he had been diagnosed with follicular lymphoma, a form of cancer. He expressed optimism about his prognosis and future.

End of the Timeline
Richard Stallman
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