Top 10 fascinating facts about WWII code breaker Alan Turing

Saturday 23 June marks the 100 year anniversary of the birth of Alan Turing, one of the UK's finest minds and often referred to as the pioneer of modern computing.

Turing's life was full of incident, with his work at Bletchley during the Second World War essential to the Allies war effort and helping turn the tide against the Nazi regime that threatened to engulf Europe.

While this work is well-documented, and growing in both awareness and appreciation all the time, there are many other facts about Turing you may not be so aware of, but that all help show what an interesting, intelligent and lasting legacy he's had on the world at large.

10. Turing's birthplace in Maida Vale is commemorated with a blue plaque

Turing's parents originally lived in India, as his father was a member of the Indian Civil Service, but on discovering they were to have a child, they looked to return to the UK as they want their children to grow up in England.

They moved to Maida Vale and it was here that Turing was born on 23 June, 1912, with the site now commemorated by a blue plaque on the house (pictured below).

There is also a plaque on his home in Wilmslow, Cheshire, marking his time in the building.

Photo by Simon Harriyott