Stephen Wilhite, the computer scientist who created the GIF, has died aged 74 after a battle with COVID.
He died on March 14 surrounded by his family and his wife Kathaleen told The Verge that “for all his achievements he has remained a very humble, kind and good man”.
Wilhite won a Webby Lifetime Achievement Award in the 1980s for his pioneering work on the GIF (Graphics Interchange Format).
Steve Wilhite has passed away aged 74 (Image: Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images for the Webby Awards)
Although he worked for CompuServe at the time, Wilhite worked at home on the project and only brought it to work after perfecting it, and his wife said this was his greatest achievement.
Thousands took to Twitter to honor Wilhite, acknowledging that without his influence the internet wouldn’t be what it is today, and a comment on his obituary page reads: “You’ve changed the way we as entertained company, and immortalized countless moments that would otherwise have been fleeting.
“In doing so, you have cemented your legacy as a pioneer of modern communications. Rest in peace and thank you for everything you have worked so hard for us.”
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer who occasionally thinks about tweeting @thelastdinsdale. He’ll be talking about The Witcher all day.