Generative Art Timeline · Chapter 5: Artist-Programmer Era (1970s)
1972
Dennis Ritchie Develops the C Language
Devised by Ritchie at Bell Laps as a language for the budding Unix operating system, C was an upgrade over the B language and derived from the typeless BCPL. One of the most influential programming languages, C and its variations remain in wide use.
Text by Peter Bauman. Generative Art Timeline, Le Random, fact-checked September 2026.
Sources
People
Movements
computer art
Filed under
- Technologies
- B language, BCPL, C language, computer art, programming, Unix
- People
- Dennis Ritchie
- Organisations
- Bell Labs, Operating System
Echoes across time
- 1953 · Grace Murray Hopper Invents General Programming Languages
- 1991 · Java Language Project Initiated at Sun Microsystems
- 1957 · John Backus Releases FORTRAN
Le Random editorials
Le Random podcast
- Timeline Ch 5—Artist-Programmer Era (1970s) with Joan Truckenbrod, Hans Dehlinger & Anika Meier — listen with transcript on Le Random (14 Jan 2024, 65 min). Chapter 5’s episode. Apple Podcasts · Spotify