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John Barnes

b. 1937

British computer scientist (20th-century)

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About John Barnes

Born 1937. John Barnes is a British computer scientist, engineer and mathematician, known for Ada (programming language) and RTL/2.

John Gilbert Presslie Barnes is a British computer scientist best known for his role in developing and publicising the programming language Ada. He is the primary inventor of and protagonist for the Ada Rendezvous mechanism.

Barnes studied mathematics at University of Cambridge and later worked at Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI). He was an industrial fellow at Wolfson College, Oxford in the very late 1970s or early 1980s, most likely at the suggestion of Professor Tony Hoare.

Before working on the Ada design team, while at ICI, he designed and implemented a dialect of the language ALGOL, named Real-Time Language 2 (RTL/2) for real-time computing.

Barnes was awarded an honorary PhD from the University of York in 2006.

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Important facts

Born
1937, United Kingdom, London
Birth century
Nationality
Known for
Ada (programming language), RTL/2
Education
University of Cambridge, Imperial Chemical Industries, Wolfson College, Oxford
Also known as
John Gilbert Presslie Barnes, Barnes, John Gilbert Presslie, John G. P., John, 1937 August 19-

People in John Barnes's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped John Barnes's

Frequently asked questions

Who is John Barnes?

British computer scientist (20th-century)

When was John Barnes born?

John Barnes was born in 1937 in United Kingdom, London.

What is John Barnes's occupation?

John Barnes is a computer scientist, engineer and mathematician.

What is John Barnes known for?

John Barnes is known for Ada (programming language) and RTL/2.

What nationality is John Barnes?

John Barnes is British.

Sources & further reading

Β· Wikipedia: John Barnes

Β· Wikidata: Q6220764

Β· DBpedia: John Barnes (computer scientist)

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). John Barnes. https://biography.guide/john-barnes-computer-scientist/

MLA: "John Barnes." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/john-barnes-computer-scientist/.

Chicago: "John Barnes." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/john-barnes-computer-scientist/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 Β· Spot an error? Report a correction.

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