Stephen Wilhite, the creator of GIF, passed away earlier this month at the age of 74 after battling COVID-19.
The pioneering scientist passed away on March 14, his wife Kathleen announced Wednesday.
According to his obituary, he is survived by a son, four stepchildren, 11 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Wilhite began his illustrious career at online service provider CompuServe, where in 1987 he developed the graphic interchange format that later became an Internet phenomenon in the early 2010s known as GIF.
“He invented the GIF himself — he actually made it at home and implemented it after he perfected it,” Kathleen told The Verge.
“He would come up with everything secretly in his head and leave for the city, programming it on the computer.”
According to Kathleen, GIFs were what Wilhite was most proud of.
In 2012, when the invention became widely popular among millennials who shared their reactions as GIFs, the Oxford American Dictionary named it the word of the year.
Stephen Wilhite, the creator of “GIF”, died earlier this month at the age of 74 after battling COVID-19.
According to his wife, the GIF was what Wilhite was most proud of.
Wilhite told the New York Times in 2013 that his favorite GIF was the dancing baby meme, which “went viral before it went viral”.
It was once just part of the jargon of hardcore computer enthusiasts, but how to properly call GIF has been debated ever since it was invented in 1987 as a means of neatly compressing images.
In 2013, Wilhite settled once and for all the long debate about the correct pronunciation of the word, stating that the G “was soft” and the word sounded like a brand of peanut butter.
“The Oxford English Dictionary accepts both pronunciations,” Wilhite said in an email interview with The New York Times. ‘They’re wrong.’
Wilhite also told The New York Times that his favorite GIF was the dancing baby meme, which “went viral before it went viral.”
GIPHY tweeted a tribute to Wilhite, prompting netizens to fondly remember the creator.
As expected, GIF users shared their favorites in tribute to Wheelhite.
In honor, here is the world’s first GIF! (at least I’m 99 percent sure it’s the one),” another user tweeted, along with a GIF of the plane.
A user shared a GIF of Mike Myers playing Dr. Evil in one of the Austin Powers movies.
The user urged to pronounce the word GIF the way Wilhite intended.
“I think we should stop arguing and let this man rest. He’s with Jod right now,” someone replied, illuminating the situation.
Wilhite’s invention has earned him much praise over the past 35 years, and even more over the past ten or so, as meme culture has embraced the file as a means to quickly and easily move messages motivated by everything from comedy to politics across the Internet.
GIPHY tweeted a tribute to Wilhite, prompting internet reaction users to fondly remember the creator.
“The GIPHY team is saddened by the death of Steven Wilhite, creator of the GIF file format. GIPHY was founded on a genuine love for GIF and we are indebted to Mr. Wilhite’s creativity and vision.”
As expected, GIF users shared their favorite photos in honor of Wilhite.
“His work lives on. Anyone who uses GIF owes it to him. Sad to say he died of #COVID complications,” Barbara Malment tweeted.
The user requested that the word GIF be pronounced the way Wilhite intended.
“I think we should stop arguing and let this man rest. He’s with Jod right now,” someone replied, illuminating the situation.
In honor, here is the world’s first GIF! (at least I’m 99 percent sure it’s the one),” another user tweeted, along with a GIF of the plane.
Another user shared a GIF of Mike Myers playing Dr. Evil in one of the Austin Powers movies.
In 2013, Wilhite was awarded the Webby Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of the invention of the file format.
Even in retirement, Vihite continued to spin in his brain, traveling frequently with his wife, camping and building his model train.
In 2013, Wilhite was awarded the Webby Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of the invention of the file format.
According to the official Webby website:
“The proliferation of GIFs in today’s meme- and Tumblr-based pop culture proves that the format is still one of the most popular on the internet (despite heated debate about its correct pronunciation).
“As 2012 marks the 25th anniversary of GIF, we believe the 17th annual Webby Awards is the most appropriate event to honor and celebrate Steve Wilhite and this historic achievement.”
Wilhite continued to work for America Online before retiring in the early 2000s.
Even in retirement, Vihite continued to spin in his brain, traveling frequently with his wife, camping and building his model train.
“When we built the house, we had a whole section in the basement for his train. He has always been involved in design and wiring,” Kathleen told The Verge.
“Despite all his accomplishments, he remained a very humble, kind and good man,” his obituary reads.
TOP 2021-22 MEME CULTURE GIFS THE INTERNET LOVES
Steven Wilhite’s invention has earned him a lot of praise over the past 35 years and even more over the past ten or so, as meme culture has embraced the file as a means to quickly and easily move messages motivated by anything from comedy to politics on the Internet.
We share the best GIPHY GIFs of 2021.
1. Bored Stanley by The Office
“Bored Stanley” van The Office
After the world was put on lockdown, many office workers around the world discovered that this GIF was the exact situation they were in as they moved from one Zoom meeting to the next.
2. Tired Tom by HBO Max
“Tired Tom” by HBO Max
Millennials who grew up watching Tom and Jerry definitely find this particular GIF not only charming, but appropriate when it comes to explaining to Friday night friends why they need to cancel their plans.
3. “Oh No” by Great British Show
“Oh No” by Great British Show
Liam Charles could have been the host, but Bake Off: The Professionals fans still vividly remember that hilarious and “catchy” reaction when he was a member.
4. “Sad Pikachu” by Pokemon
“Sad Pikachu” by Pokemon
At some point during the pandemic, we were all sad Pikachus. And luckily, we had a meme to express this universal feeling without having to explain it in words.
5. “Katherine Hahn Winks” by Disney+
“Katherine Hahn Winks” from Disney+
Katherine Hahn is always beautiful, but this whimsical moment from WandaVision is especially the kind of mood we wish we could be in all the time.