Deaths on May 8

Beatrice Helen Worsley

Died on May 8, 1972

Beatrice Helen Worsley, Mexican-Canadian computer scientist (b. 1921)

Beatrice "Trixie" Helen Worsley (18 October 1921 – 8 May 1972) was the first female computer scientist in Canada. She received her Ph.D. degree from the University of Cambridge with Alan Turing and Douglas Hartree as advisers, the first Ph.D granted in what would today be known as computer science. She wrote the first program to run on EDSAC, co-wrote the first compiler for Toronto's Ferranti Mark 1, wrote numerous papers in computer science, and taught computers and engineering at Queen's University and the University of Toronto for over 20 years before her death at the age of 50.

References

Beatrice Helen Worsley

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Events on 1972

21 Feb

Sino-American relations
United States President Richard Nixon visits the People's Republic of China to normalize Sino-American relations.
8 May

Richard Nixon
Vietnam War: U.S. President Richard Nixon announces his order to place mines in major North Vietnamese ports in order to stem the flow of weapons and other goods to that nation.
22 May

Sri Lanka
Ceylon adopts a new constitution, becoming a Republic, changes its name to Sri Lanka, and joins the Commonwealth of Nations.
23 Jun

Central Intelligence Agency
Watergate scandal: U.S. President Richard M. Nixon and White House Chief of Staff H. R. Haldeman are taped talking about using the Central Intelligence Agency to obstruct the Federal Bureau of Investigation's investigation into the Watergate break-ins.
1 Sep

Bobby Fischer
In Reykjavík, Iceland, American Bobby Fischer beats Russian Boris Spassky to become the world chess champion.

Deaths on May 8

Beatrice Helen Worsley

Died on May 8, 1972

References

Choose Another Date

Events on 1972

Sino-American relations

Richard Nixon

Sri Lanka

Central Intelligence Agency

Bobby Fischer