Professor Wirth’s impact on the author’s programming journey began in their college programming course, where they were introduced to Pascal. Despite the limitations of the language, the simplicity of Pascal stuck with the author. Their second encounter with Professor Wirth occurred when they lived near a remote control airplane landing strip, where Wirth, a programming guru, also frequented. It was their third encounter, on a delayed flight to a conference, that truly changed the author’s life. Engaging in a conversation about programming, Wirth’s expertise and wit left a lasting impression. From Professor Wirth, the author learned about the importance of first principles, focus, personal computing, and being a lifelong geek.
https://tidyfirst.substack.com/p/niklaus-wirth-1934-2024